Used Truck Fleets Continue to Age Amidst Ongoing Inventory Decline

PR Newswire

LINCOLN, Neb., May 7, 2026

LINCOLN, Neb., May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — According to the latest Sandhills Global market reports, inventory levels of used trucks on TruckPaper.com and other Sandhills platforms are down over 20% compared to last year and is continuing a downward trend.

“Buyer sentiment remains positive despite increasing fuel prices,” says Truck Paper Manager Scott Lubischer. “However, if fuel prices fall, we’re sure to see a significant rise in sales. Some organizations have been able to delay upgrading their fleets, trucks and trailers will only last so long, and aging inventory will have to be replaced.”

The reports cover April data for used trucks, trailers, construction equipment, and farm machinery on TruckPaper.com, MachineryTrader.com, TractorHouse.com, and other Sandhills platforms. For April, Sandhills added a new category to its catalog of monthly used farm equipment reports: used self-propelled forage harvesters.

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. Full reports are available upon request.

U.S. Used Heavy-Duty Trucks

Inventory levels in this market fell 4.77% month over month and 20.27% year over year in April and are trending down, a pattern that has persisted for five months. Used day cab trucks had the largest inventory changes, down 5.68% M/M and 25.12% Y/Y.
Asking values increased 0.46% M/M but decreased 2.8% Y/Y and are trending down, continuing a 5-month-long pattern. Used sleeper trucks led in M/M asking price changes with a 1.04% increase, while used day cab trucks had the largest Y/Y asking price change with a 4.45% drop.
Auction values remained unchanged M/M in April, decreased 1.56% Y/Y, and are trending sideways. Used day cab trucks had the largest auction value changes, up 0.24% M/M and down 1.91% Y/Y.

U.S. Used Semi-Trailers

Inventory levels of used semi-trailers fell 1.2% M/M and 25.61% Y/Y in April and are trending down. Inventory levels in this market have been trending down for nine months in a row. Used drop-deck trailers had the largest M/M inventory change with a 6.41% decrease, while used dry van trailers posted the largest Y/Y inventory change with a 28.15% drop.
Asking values ticked up 0.85% M/M and 1.78% Y/Y and are trending up. Used reefer trailers had the largest asking price changes, up 6.35% M/M and 9.69% Y/Y.
Auction values climbed 1.89% M/M and 4.23% Y/Y and are trending up. Used reefer trailers had the largest auction value changes, up 7.4% M/M and 17.23% Y/Y.

U.S. Used Medium-Duty Trucks

Inventory levels of used medium-duty trucks fell 2.1% M/M and 38.39% Y/Y in April and are trending down, a pattern that has persisted for eight consecutive months.
Asking values increased 1.44% M/M but fell 4.16% Y/Y and are trending sideways.
Auction values rose 3.56% M/M but decreased 1.65% Y/Y and are trending sideways.

U.S. Used Tractors 100 Horsepower and Greater

Inventory levels in the used high-horsepower tractor market fell 2.01% M/M and 18.4% Y/Y in April and have been trending down for 11 consecutive months. Used tractors 300 HP and greater had the largest M/M inventory change, down 3.35%, while used 100-to-174-HP tractors posted the largest Y/Y inventory change, falling 25.02%.
Asking values increased 0.55% M/M but decreased 1.6% Y/Y and are trending sideways. Used 100-to-174-HP tractors had the largest M/M asking value change, up 1.06%, while used tractors 300 HP and greater posted the largest Y/Y asking value change with a 2.19% decrease.
Auction values rose 1.67% M/M and 2.78% Y/Y in April and are trending up. Used tractors 300 HP and greater posted the largest M/M auction value change with a 2.03% increase, while used 175-to-299-HP tractors had the largest Y/Y auction value change, up 4.15%.
The EVI spread, which measures the percentage difference between asking and auction values, decreased from 32% in March to 31% in April. This is lower than the peak values observed in 2015.

U.S. Used Combines

Used combine inventory levels fell 0.55% M/M and 11.89% Y/Y in April and are trending down.
Asking values increased 1.24% M/M and 1.32% Y/Y and are trending up.
Auction values decreased 0.99% M/M but increased 2.16% Y/Y and are trending sideways.
The EVI spread increased from 37% in March to 40% in April, lower than the peak values observed in 2015.

U.S. Used Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters

Inventory levels in the used self-propelled forage harvester market decreased 0.43% M/M and 4.83% Y/Y and are trending sideways.
Asking values increased 1.09% M/M and 0.65% Y/Y and are trending sideways.
Auction values increased 1.69% M/M and 4.87% Y/Y and are trending up.

U.S. Used Sprayers

Inventory levels of used sprayers fell 2.43% M/M and 21.28% Y/Y in April and have been trending down for five consecutive months.
Asking values slipped 0.45% M/M and 0.07% Y/Y and are trending down.
Auction values rose 1.37% M/M and 2.87% Y/Y and are trending up.
The EVI spread decreased from 38% in March to 36% in April, lower than the peak values observed in 2015.

U.S. Used Planters

Used planter inventory levels fell 5.29% M/M and 25.97% Y/Y in April and are trending down, continuing a 6-month-long pattern.
Asking values dipped 2.09% M/M but increased 2.25% Y/Y and are trending sideways.
Auction values fell 1.3% M/M but rose 7.53% Y/Y and are trending sideways.
The EVI spread decreased from 50% in March to 49% in April. This is lower than the peak values observed in 2015.

U.S. Used Compact and Utility Tractors

Inventory levels in this market fell 5.35% M/M and 28.64% Y/Y in April and are trending down, a pattern that has persisted for six consecutive months. Used tractors with less than 40 HP had the largest inventory changes, down 7.97% M/M and 32.55% Y/Y.
Asking values increased 0.32% M/M and 1.79% Y/Y and are trending up. Used tractors with less than 40 HP posted the largest M/M asking value change, up 0.5%, while used 40-to-99-HP tractors had the largest Y/Y asking value change, up 2.08%.
Auction values increased 0.76% M/M and 3.13% Y/Y in April and are trending sideways. Used 40-to-99-HP tractors posted the largest auction value shifts, up 0.89% M/M and 3.78% Y/Y.

U.S. Used Heavy-Duty Construction Equipment

Inventory levels in this market fell 0.38% M/M and 11.05% Y/Y in April and are trending down. Used wheel loaders posted the largest inventory changes for the month, up 2.52% M/M and down 13.27% Y/Y.
Asking values decreased 0.44% M/M and 2.64% Y/Y and are trending sideways. The most substantial changes occurred among used crawler dozers, with asking values down 0.94% M/M, and used wheel loaders, down 4.18% Y/Y.
Auction values slipped 1.09% M/M and 0.75% Y/Y and are trending sideways. Used crawler dozers posted the largest M/M auction value change, down 2.12%. Used crawler excavators had the largest Y/Y auction value change with a 1.34% decrease.

U.S. Used Medium-Duty Construction Equipment

Inventory levels of used medium-duty construction equipment, which includes skid steers, loader backhoes, and mini excavators, fell 2.68% M/M and 16.16% Y/Y in April and are trending down. Inventory levels in this market have been trending down for six months. Sandhills observed the largest inventory changes in the used mini excavator category, down 6.2% M/M, and the used loader backhoe category, down 27.94% Y/Y.
Asking values dipped 0.4% M/M and 0.6% Y/Y in April and are trending sideways. Used loader backhoes had the largest M/M asking value change, down 0.77%, while used wheel skid steers posted the largest Y/Y asking value change, down 1.37%.
Auction values slipped 0.53% M/M but inched up 0.19% Y/Y and are trending up. Used loader backhoes had the largest M/M auction value change, down 0.92%, while used mini excavators posted the largest Y/Y auction value change with a 2.04% decrease.

U.S. Used Aerial Lifts

Inventory levels in this market decreased 0.66% M/M and 0.81% Y/Y in April and are trending sideways. The largest inventory level shifts were among used rough-terrain scissor lifts, down 2.17% M/M, and used articulating boom lifts, up 14.16% Y/Y.
Asking values posted modest changes, decreasing by 0.51% M/M and 1.01% Y/Y, and are trending sideways. Used rough-terrain scissor lifts had the largest M/M asking value change, down 3.19%, while used articulating boom lifts posted the largest Y/Y asking value change, down 1.84%.
Auction values were down 0.45% M/M and 4.09% Y/Y in April and are trending sideways. Used articulating boom lifts had the largest M/M auction value change, falling 4.54%, while used rough-terrain scissor lifts posted the largest Y/Y auction value change with a 5.22% decrease.

U.S. Used Forklifts

Inventory levels in this market increased 0.78% M/M and 18.68% Y/Y in April and are trending sideways. Used cushion-tire forklifts posted the largest inventory changes, up 1.1% M/M and 22.71% Y/Y.
Asking values decreased 2.03% M/M and 3.47% Y/Y and are trending down. Used cushion-tire forklifts again had the largest asking value changes, down 4.89% M/M and 8.44% Y/Y.
Auction values slipped 0.63% M/M and 2.92% Y/Y and are trending down. Used cushion-tire forklifts posted the largest auction value shifts, down 7.8% M/M and 6.89% Y/Y.

U.S. Used Telehandlers

Inventory levels of U.S. used telehandlers fell 1.76% M/M and 1.86% Y/Y in April and are trending sideways.
Asking values decreased 0.78% M/M and 4.42% Y/Y and are trending down.
Auction values slipped 0.74% M/M and 3.69% Y/Y and are trending sideways.

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About Sandhills Global
Sandhills Global is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our products and services gather, process, and distribute information through trade publications, websites, and online services that connect buyers and sellers across the construction, agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, heavy equipment, commercial trucking, and aviation industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Global—we are the cloud.

About the Sandhills Equipment Value Index
The Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI) is a principal gauge of the estimated market values of used assets—both currently and over time—across the construction, agricultural, and commercial trucking industries represented by Sandhills Global platforms, including AuctionTime.com, TractorHouse.com, MachineryTrader.com, TruckPaper.com, and other industry-specific equipment platforms. Powered by Value Insight Portal (VIP+), Sandhills’ proprietary asset valuation tool, Sandhills EVI provides useful insights into the ever-changing supply-and-demand conditions for each industry.

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