ACT Research: October US Used Truck Average Retail Sales Price Defied Expectations

ACT Research Co.
3 min readNov 16, 2022

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Preliminary used Class 8 retail volumes (same dealer sales) decreased 10% month-over-month, and were 30% lower compared to October of 2021, according to the latest preliminary release of the State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3–8 Used Trucks published by ACT Research.

Other data released in ACT’s preliminary report included month-over-month comparisons for October 2022, which showed that average retail price ticked up 1%, average miles declined 1%, and average age increased 3% from September’s readings. Compared to October of 2021, the average retail price was 14% higher, with average miles and age both greater by 1% and 2%, respectively.

State Of The Industry: U.S. Used Truck Classes 3–8

ACT’s Classes 3–8 Used Truck Report provides data on the average selling price, miles, and age based on a sample of industry data. In addition, the report provides the average selling price for top-selling Class 8 models for each of the major truck OEMs — Freightliner (Daimler); Kenworth and Peterbilt (Paccar); International (Navistar); and Volvo and Mack (Volvo). This report is utilized by those throughout the industry, including commercial vehicle dealers to gain a better understanding of the used truck market, especially as it relates to changes in near-term performance.

According to Steve Tam, Vice President at ACT Research, “Drama in the used truck market increased in October, as the average retail sales price moved counter to expectations, ticking up a scant 1% m/m.” He continued, “While a welcome change from the monotonous drumbeat of persistent decline, nothing fundamental that would recalibrate expectations has changed.”

Relating to new truck build, Tam concluded, “Tracking the flow of new truck assembly can be informative with regard to the supply of used truck inventory. As the OEMs have continued to make incremental progress on overcoming supply-chain constraints, marginal improvements in output have logically followed. Looking ahead, other forces will step in and offset those improvements.”

ACT Research is recognized as the leading publisher of commercial vehicle truck, trailer, and bus industry data, market analysis and forecasts for the North America and China markets. ACT’s analytical services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as banking and investment companies. ACT Research is a contributor to the Blue Chip Economic Indicators and a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel. ACT Research executives have received peer recognition, including election to the Board of Directors of the National Association for Business Economics, appointment as Consulting Economist to the National Private Truck Council, and the Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Economic Indicators’ Most Accurate Economic Forecast over a four-year period. ACT Research senior staff members have earned accolades including Chicago Federal Reserve Automotive Outlook Symposium Best Overall Forecast, Wall Street Journal Top Economic Outlook, and USA Today Top 10 Economic Forecasters. More information can be found at www.actresearch.net.

ACT’s 68th Seminar is scheduled for February 21–23, 2023. Look for more details on this event over the coming months and save the date for February’s event. When details are available, they may be found at www.actresearch.net.

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Click here for more information about ACT’s Used Truck reports.

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ACT Research Co.

ACT Research is the leader in commercial vehicle industry data, market analysis, and forecasting services for North America.