Used Truck Sales Increase for Second Straight Month in April
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Used Class 8 truck sales increased on a year-over-year basis in April, while prices once again declined, with market conditions continuing to be slower, ACT Research reported.
Sales volume increased 3.5% to 23,600 units from 22,800 reported in the prior-year period and rose 4.4% sequentially from the 22,600 units reported in March. The average retail sale price declined 1.9% year over year to $58,132 from $59,260, but it also increased 1.5% sequentially from $57,277. Average mileage decreased 4.5% to 400,000 from 419,000 a year ago and slipped 4.9% from the 421,000 reported the previous month.
“Compared to March, miles decreased 4.9% month over month, contributing to stronger pricing,” said Steve Tam, vice president at ACT Research. “April is typically the seventh-strongest sales month of the year, running about 2% below average. Combined, total 2025 used sales were off the year-ago pace by 10%, leaving our outlook for 2025 unchanged.”
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Tam added that used truck sales continue to be shaped by considerations from outside the industry. The slightly lower activity, he pointed out, may coincide with lower freight volume. He noted that some shippers may have pulled freight demand forward in an attempt to avoid tariffs, so the drop in volume may be reflective of reduced near-term demand.
“Used truck sales are, I’m not going to say down, but they’re stagnant right now,” said Charles Smith, regional business development and marketing manager at Mission Financial Services. He added that his company and truck drivers don’t know what’s going to happen next because of the uncertainty surrounding the economy, saying, “It’s a little slow right now.”
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Smith noted optimistically that there was some companywide growth during April, and he credited the sales the company did make to working even harder and really building relationships with customers, with dealership partners being critical to that.
“We’re out pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, still trying to get the ones that are looking to purchase,” Smith said. “It’s about building relationships and, I think, that was a big part of the growth for us. Although we’re growing, we’re not growing at the rate that it normally would be after an election year.”
Commercial Truck Trader is an online marketplace for new and used commercial vehicles. Its platform tracks where customers are focusing with vehicle detail page views (VDPs), which have shown overall demand is down sequentially. Used sleeper tractor demand fell 5.7%, while used day cabs declined 13.8% when compared with March.
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“That said, April 2025 demand remains significantly higher than April 2024, indicating that the market is showing strong year-over-year momentum,” said Charles Bowles, director of strategic initiatives at Commercial Truck Trader. “The surge in VDP activity across most vehicle categories reflects both normal seasonal trends and strategic pre-buying behavior, likely driven by anticipation of tariffs and related cost pressures.”
Bowles said he’s seen signs that recent improvements in spot rates are giving some carriers renewed confidence to refresh their sleeper fleets. It at least shows some degree of stabilization, he added, noting that demand varied geographically across the country.
“Markets such as Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Orlando, Oklahoma City and San Antonio saw increased buyer engagement, while Memphis, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta experienced slight softening,” Bowles said. “Among used Class 8 listings, the most viewed brands in April were Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Volvo, International and Mack, in that order.”
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