Highway tractors continue to depreciate at a heavy rate, according to a report by the American Truck Dealers Official Commercial Truck Guide.


There has not yet been much improvement in any of the economic areas affecting truck sales, says Chris Visser, editor of the guide. Owner-operator trucks have depreciated less than aerodynamic trucks to date. Unfortunately, he says, this is due mostly to the lower original positioning of owner-operator trucks rather than any relative strength in that segment.

As with the Class 8 market, medium-duty trucks also continue to be hit hard by the widespread economic weakness. There have been no economic trends that have positively affected any segment of the medium duty market, Visser said.

On the other hand, he said, there are a few potentially positive economic factors that may play out over the next few months. First, judging by recent sales of existing homes, more first-time buyers may be taking advantage of low housing prices. This suggests that there are people with money out there who have waited for prices to decrease to an affordable level. These observations cast consumer spending in a positive light. Second, as President Obama's infrastructure plan ramps up, there is potential for increased demand for medium and heavy trucks with construction specs, as well as flatbed trailers.