The average sales price of used Class 8 trucks sold in August was up compared to July ahead of an expected boom in used-truck inventory as the year winds down.
In its September 2026 "Commercial Truck Guidelines" report, J.D. Power noted a 9.8% increase in retail selling prices from July to August, though the firm said the averages “were artificially inflated” due to an “anomalous mix” of higher-priced, owner-operator spec trucks in the sales data. Pricing for individual trucks, the report added, “was generally unchanged from July.”
Prices for trucks sold at auction also saw an increase, just not quite as dramatic, at 2.4% over July.
The average age of used trucks sold in August was four months newer than in the prior month, while average mileage was down by 0.8%.
J.D. Power expects elevated volumes on the used-truck market in the fourth quarter of the year as fleets take delivery of new trucks ordered earlier in the year.
“While cancellations could increase, fleet replacement cycles and driver recruitment needs suggest this scenario is unlikely absent a significant economic pullback,” the firm added.
Price Digests (owned by Fusable, parent company of Overdrive), also reported slight upticks in average sales pricing in August for 2- and 5-year-old sleeper tractors, while 10-year-old units saw a dip in pricing.
The data showed just a 0.4% increase for 2-year-old units to $89,560, and a 3.1% increase for 5-year-old units to $52,430. Class 8 sleepers in the 10-year-old range sold for 3.7% less at an average of $25,390, Price Digests reported.
As shown, Price Digests’ data shows 2-year-old sleepers have dropped by more than $15,000 since March.
Sandhills Global similarly reported about a 3% increase in used-truck asking prices at retail in August from July. On the auction block, values rose 4.91% over July in August, led in large part by used sleeper trucks, which were up 5.7% month over month.
Owners in the market for a used truck can learn more about a truck before the purchase with a Truck History Report from Overdrive sister company RigDig -- back up and running after an outage earlier this year. By inputting a vehicle’s VIN, prospective buyers can receive details about any accidents, violations, owner history and much more.
[Related: Owner-operator income near record highway already, early in upcycle: ATBS]
