December preliminary Class 8 same dealer used truck retail sales volumes finished 2024 strong, surging 23% m/m, according to the latest preliminary release of the State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks published by ACT Research.

“Looking back on 2024, measured progress seems like an appropriate description,” according to Steve Tam, Vice President at ACT Research. “The used market undoubtedly outperformed typical seasonality, which called for an increase of 8% m/m. Preliminary auction activity increased from November by 47%, while wholesale transactions improved 3.7%. Combined, sales were up 23% m/m.”

“One theory is that better-then-expected sales is buyers trying to time their purchases ahead of impending value increases,” Tam concluded.

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.