The used heavy-duty truck and trailer market is indicating signs of recovery, with tightening inventory putting pressure on pricing across most segments.
In the overall market, inventory continued its five-month slide in April, falling 4.77% from March and 20.27% from a year ago, according to a report from Sandhills Global. Used day cab trucks saw the steepest declines, falling 5.68% month over month and 25.12% year over year.
Used semi-trailer inventory was down 1.2% month over month and 25.61% year over year in April, marking nine months of declining supply. Used drop-deck trailers posted the largest monthly drop at 6.41%, while dry van trailers led year-over-year declines with a 28.15% decrease.
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Pricing moves higher despite headwinds
As inventory tightened, asking values across both trucks and trailers edged upward. In the heavy-duty truck segment, asking values inched 0.46% from the prior month but remained 2.8% below April 2025 levels, extending a downward five-month-long pattern. Used sleeper trucks posted the strongest monthly price gain at 1.04%, while used day cab trucks saw the sharpest year-over-year decline at 4.45%.
Trailer asking values moved in the opposite direction, edging up 0.85% from March and 1.78% from a year ago, and are trending up. Used reefer trailers outpaced all other segments, increasing 6.35% month over month and 9.69% year over year.
Auction values also told a similar story. Truck auction values held flat month over month but slipped 1.56% year over year and are trending sideways. Used day cab trucks again stood out, inching up 0.24% from March while falling 1.91% from a year earlier.
Trailer auction values also climbed, up 1.89% month over month and 4.23% year over year, continuing an upward trend. Used reefer trailers again led the way, increasing 7.4% from March and 17.23% from April 2025.
Is there a broader recovery taking shape?
Used truck pricing historically followed freight spot rate trends, and indicators turned positive in Q4 last year, gaining traction through Q1 2026, J.D. Power noted. Improving rates, solid retail sales, and stable pricing suggest that the used truck market has “cycled back into positive territory,” it said.
J.D. Power noted that auction pricing recovered from a weak March, rising 8.5% month over month, though it was down 5.3% year over year. Volumes in April were up 21% month over month and 7.6% year over year. J.D. Power noted that March was an unusually soft month for auction volume.
Retail pricing was largely unchanged, holding flat month over month and year over year. April fell short of March’s performance, J.D. Power noted, but dealership retail sales still delivered their second-best monthly showing in more than four years.
Data from CCJ parent company Fusable’s Price Digests points to a modest rebound in Class 8 sleeper tractor values. Two-year-old units are leading the recovery, averaging $95,290, reflecting continued strong demand for late-model equipment. Five-year-old trucks came in at $53,380, while older 10-year units averaged $25,410, highlighting the significant depreciation gap between newer and aging equipment.
J.D. Power also reported that the average age of retail trucks has held steady at around 58 months—a full year younger than the long-term average—indicating a sustained market shift away from trucks older than five years. Average mileage tells a similar story, declining 3.2% month over month and dropping 4.3% year over year.
Fusable’s Q1 2026 Risk Index Report also showed that heavy-duty truck values swung higher in Q1 2026, with annualized price changes approaching 40%, adding more pressure to replacement and financing decisions.
Heavy (Class 7-8) trucks led the recovery, rising 8.57% in Q1 after a 1.62% decline in Q4 2025, while mid- and lighter-duty segments posted significant reversals. Medium (Class 4-6) trucks gained 12.7% in Q1 2026, following a 7.08% drop in Q4 2025. Light (Class 2-3) trucks surged 14.5% after falling 9.79% in the same time period.
Fusable
What’s driving the market?
“The spot market’s strength is a supply-side phenomenon driven by structural factors rather than a demand-driven freight volume surge,” J.D. Power noted.
Fusable’s report identified three factors driving the shift:
- Carrier exits are increasing supply in the used market, suggesting that smaller carriers leaving the industry are contributing to increased inventory levels.
- Fleets are deferring purchases, extending asset life, and prioritizing maintenance, keeping replacement cycles stretched.
- Tariff pressure and supply chain disruption persists to influence pricing volatility and long-term pricing planning.
“Buyer sentiment remains positive despite increasing fuel prices,” said Truck Paper Manager Scott Lubischer. “However, if fuel prices fall, we’re sure to see a significant rise in sales. Some organizations have been able to delay upgrading their fleets, but trucks and trailers will only last so long, and aging inventory will have to be replaced.”
Looking ahead, the report said volatility continues as the market adapts and external pressures persevere.
