Challenging Market Continues for Truck Dealers While Used Farm Equipment Sales Increase

December 10, 2025, 07:00 AM

Filed Under: Specialty Vehicles

Related: Farm Equipment, Sandhills Global, Scott Lubischer

Sandhills Global market reports covering November data highlight a tough market for used truck dealers, a slight uptick in used agricultural equipment sales, and sluggish sales of used heavy machinery, with some dealers focusing more on rentals. The reports cover used trucks, trailers, farm machinery, and construction equipment on TruckPaper.com, TractorHouse.com, MachineryTrader.com, and other Sandhills platforms.

Within the broader used truck and trailer markets, “day cabs currently have the toughest market,” says Truck Paper Manager Scott Lubischer. “Inventory aging continues to increase, and we urge dealers who have not made price adjustments to adjust their prices accordingly to reflect the current market.”

Speaking about the used farm equipment market, TractorHouse Manager Ryan Dolezal explains, “With the end of the year approaching, sales are starting to tick up, leading to some optimism for the end of the year. However, sales are slower compared to past years, so it’s still vital to price competitively.”

The key metric in all of Sandhills’ market reports is the Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI). Buyers and sellers can use the information in the Sandhills EVI to monitor equipment markets and maximize returns on acquisition, liquidation, and related business decisions. The Sandhills EVI data include equipment available in auction and retail markets and model-year equipment actively in use. EVI spread measures the percentage difference between asking and auction values.

Market Report Details
Sandhills market reports highlight the most significant changes in Sandhills’ used heavy-duty truck, semi-trailer, farm machinery, and construction equipment markets. Key points from the current reports are listed below.

U.S. Used Heavy-Duty Trucks

Inventory levels in this market decreased by 3.63% month over month and 11.84% year over year in November and are trending down. The steepest inventory drop occurred in the used day cab truck category, which was down 9.97% M/M and 22.64% YOY.

Asking values decreased by 1.54% M/M and remained almost flat compared to year-ago values with a 0.08% decrease. The used sleeper truck category decreased the most M/M, by 2%, while the used day cab truck category decreased the most YOY, by 6.28%. Asking values are currently trending sideways.

Auction values were down slightly in November, by 1.65% M/M and 0.8% YOY. M/M declines were led by used sleeper trucks at 2.81%. Used day cab trucks posted the largest YOY auction value drop at 7.32%.

U.S. Used Semi-Trailers

U.S. used semi-trailer inventory levels were nearly flat in November with a 0.04% M/M decrease but were down 10.17% compared to year-ago levels and are trending down. Despite the overall monthly decrease, used drop-deck trailer inventory levels increased more than other categories with an 8.02% M/M bump. The steepest YOY inventory level declines occurred in the used dry van trailer category with a 21.39% drop.

Asking values were up slightly in November, by 0.93% M/M and 0.97% YOY, but are trending down. The used reefer trailer category posted the largest increases, up 4.57% M/M and 7.16% YOY.

Auction values in this market are also trending down despite increases of 2.43% M/M and 1.25% YOY in November. Sandhills observed the most pronounced auction value increases in the used reefer trailer category, up 5.43% M/M, and the used drop-deck trailer category, up 2.65% YOY.

U.S. Used Medium-Duty Trucks

Inventory levels of U.S. used medium-duty trucks fell 3.75% M/M and 5.89% YOY in November and are trending downward.

Asking values increased by 1.58% M/M yet continued a 15-month-long downward trend. Asking values decreased by 3.92% YOY.

Auction values also continued a downward trend, although for a much shorter time compared to asking values. Auction values increased by 2.52% M/M and decreased by 5.15% YOY.

U.S. Used Tractors 100 Horsepower and Greater

Inventory levels in this market continued a 7-month-long downward trend in November, with decreases of 3.37% M/M and 14.64% YOY. Used tractors 300 horsepower and greater posted the most significant M/M inventory level drop at 3.76%, while used tractors 100 HP to 174 HP showed the steepest annual decline with a 22.11% drop.

Asking prices decreased by 1.33% M/M and 5.5% YOY, continuing a trend for the tenth consecutive month. The largest changes occurred in the used 175 HP to 299 HP tractor category, with asking values down 2.84% M/M and 5.32% YOY.

Auction values have been trending down for six months in a row but edged slightly higher in November with a 0.11% M/M gain. Auction values were 3.78% lower than last year. The used 300 HP and greater tractor category produced the strongest monthly auction value gain at 1.78%, while the used 175 HP to 299 HP tractor segment experienced the greatest annual contraction, down 3.79% YOY.

The EVI spread, which measures the percentage difference between asking and auction values, fell two points to 38%, only marginally lower than the peak values observed in 2015.

U.S. Used Combines

Inventory levels in the U.S. used combine harvester market have been trending down for five months in a row, with a modest 0.71% M/M increase in November but an 11.01% YOY decrease.