Pricing was mostly positive across the used truck space in August, a good sign for the market as it prepares for an influx in supply in the coming months as robust new truck orders throughout 2026 begin to be delivered to customers, J.D. Power reported Wednesday in its September 2026 Commercial Truck Guidelines report.
Within the auction sector, J.D. Power reports pricing was up 2.4% from July and is up 34.6% year over year. The auction market also saw the largest volume increase across the three sales channel, with sales up 51.7% against July and 42.3% against 2025. Year-to-date auction sales are up 5.5% in volume and 6.2% in pricing.
The wholesale and retail market also experienced better pricing in August but volumes were down. Wholesale prices were up 2.9% month over month and 21.5% against 2025. Volumes in that sector slipped by 0.1 trucks against July.
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In the retail space, pricing was up nearly 10% against July and 8.5% year over year, but J.D. Power averages were “artificially inflated” by an anomalous mix of high-priced owner-operator trucks in its data. “Pricing for individual trucks was generally unchanged from July,” the company says.
From a volume perspective, sales were off by 0.5 trucks per rooftop, an unusual slip considering normal August seasonality, which J.D. Power says further illuminates the freight capacity crunch is “driver-based, not equipment-based.” Retail sales are still up 1.5% year-to-date. ACT Research reported a similar
The company adds the average truck retailed in August was four months younger than July but three months older than the truck sold in August 2025, and is one month older year-to-date against last year. J.D. Power says used truck dealers should be preparing to see an increase in the volume of 3- to 5-year-old trucks in the market “as customers take delivery of an increased number of new trucks in the upcoming months.”
“The 2027 model year has been backloaded, with heavy order volume early in the cycle not translating to proportional deliveries throughout 2026. This positions customers for elevated volumes in the fourth quarter. While cancellations could increase, fleet replacement cycles and driver recruitment needs suggest this scenario is unlikely absent a significant economic pullback,” the company states.
For more information, and to read the entirety of this month’s report, please CLICK HERE.
Pricing also creeps up for older models
Price Digests (owned by Fusable, parent company of TPS), also reported slight upticks in average sales pricing in August for 2-, 5- and 10-year-old sleepers. The latter were both up nearly $600 month over month, while 2-year-old tractors bumped forward by less than a $100.
Price Digests’ data shows 2-year-old trucks have dropped by more than $15,000 since March.
