September Used Class 8 Retail Sales Hit the Brakes

Used Class 8 retail sales lose steam in September

Used Class 8 truck retail sales weakened again in September, extending a short-term slowdown that began during the summer. Same-dealer sales declined 5.7% from August, according to ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks report.

The decline followed a much sharper drop in August, when same-dealer used Class 8 retail sales fell 24% month over month. August’s decrease ran counter to the seasonal pattern ACT typically expects during that period. September’s decline was less severe, but it marked another month in which sales volumes moved lower.

Despite the recent pullback, used truck demand remained above year-ago levels. September retail sales were 6% higher than in September 2025, indicating that the market was still moving more used Class 8 trucks than it did a year earlier.

For professional drivers and small fleets, the sales figures provide an important measure of how readily equipment is changing hands. Lower retail volume can mean fewer transactions at dealers, while the year-over-year increase shows that the used market has not returned to the weaker levels seen last year.

Pricing also moved in a mixed direction. The average retail sale price in September was $64,007, down 1.9% from August’s $65,234. However, the September average was up 11.5% from $57,383 a year earlier.

In other words, used trucks became somewhat less expensive from August to September, but remained considerably more costly than they were in the same month of 2025. The combination of lower monthly sales and elevated year-over-year prices points to a market in which purchase costs remain a significant consideration for operators replacing equipment or adding capacity.

The September results follow a sharp change in pricing earlier in the summer. In July, the average retail price fell 4% from June to $60,986. July sales also declined 2.5% month over month, although they were 45% above July 2025 levels.

Prices then increased in August, rising 2.2% to $64,367. August prices were 11% higher than a year earlier, while sales were up 12% year over year. September’s average price remained close to the August level, even after the month-to-month decline.

ACT’s data also indicate that the trucks changing hands have not become substantially newer or lower-mileage. In comparisons cited in the report, average miles increased while average age declined slightly. Compared with May 2026, average retail volumes were up 10%, prices were up 2%, miles increased 3% and average age declined 2%.

Compared with June 2025, average retail volumes were up 28%, prices increased 2%, miles rose 2% and average age declined 1%. Those measures suggest that vehicle condition and specifications continue to vary across the used market, rather than pointing to a broad shift toward either significantly newer or older equipment.

The used truck market is also operating within a broader equipment environment shaped by production, inventories and replacement timing. ACT reported that North American Class 8 retail sales increased 4.9% year over year in August. The agency said tractor inventories were healthier than vocational inventories, while vocational stocks remained elevated and August retail sales were weaker in that segment.

For drivers and fleet owners, inventory conditions matter because they influence the range of trucks available, the age and mileage of that equipment, and the cost of finding a suitable replacement. A large selection may offer more choices, but it does not necessarily translate into lower prices, as the year-over-year increase in used Class 8 values demonstrates.

ACT also identified replacement requirements and improving freight economics as factors supporting tractor purchases, while noting that equipment demand still depends on production execution, customer financing and the ability to put trucks into productive service.

September’s results therefore present a market with two distinct trends. Retail sales have lost momentum over the past two months, but remain above year-ago levels. At the same time, prices have eased from August’s average without giving back the substantial increase recorded over the past year.

For operators watching the used market, the next key indicators will be whether sales volumes stabilize after the August and September declines and whether prices continue to hold near current levels. Those trends will help determine how replacement decisions affect operating costs for fleets and independent truck owners through the remainder of 2026.