Demand in the used Class 8 market is softening, experts said, citing steady declines in both the spot freight volumes and rates that so many buyers of used trucks rely on for a living.

The average retail price in March of a used Class 8 vehicle pushed past the $100,000 mark for the first time, ACT Research reported.

January’s average retail sales price for a used Class 8 truck burst past $88,000 to set a new monthly record and post an 83.2% gain compared with a year earlier, ACT Research reported.

In a market growing even hotter in September, the average price for a used Class 8 and for a 3-year-old Class 8 set records, blowing past those set a month earlier. The average price for an 8-year-old heavy-duty used truck even took an unexpected and dramatic leap higher, ACT Research reported.

The average sales price for a used Class 8 sold in April set the all-time record, clearing $57,000, 50% higher than a year earlier.

Ensuring that used specialty equipment is in top working condition is more important to buyers than a few nicks and scratches on a truck, a re-marketing expert said.

Used Class 8 sales rose in December along with double-digit gains in prices as the average heavy-duty truck’s mileage and age remained below year-earlier levels, ACT Research reported.

Used Class 8 trucks in October notched the first monthly year-over-year increase in average price after 17 such declines, ACT Research reported. It expects the gains to continue into next year.

Used Class 8 pricing fell for the 12th consecutive month compared with a year earlier, down 22% for the largest drop in that extended period, ACT Research reported.

Class 8 used truck sales skidded by 15% in February and the average price dropped for the 10th consecutive month, ACT Research reported for the last month before the surge of the coronavirus.