TRUCK SALES * USA - Used Truck Sales Drop 16 Percent as Prices Rise

Demand increasing for costlier low-mileage, recent-model-year used trucks

Columbus,IN,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Nov 29, 2010: -- Used truck sales fell 16 percent in October from the previous month, while orders for new heavy trucks surged 24 percent from September... The drop in used truck sales is most likely tied to rising prices and a limited pool of available low-mileage used vehicles, according to ACT Research... The average price of a used truck climbed 4 percent from September to October, the research firm said in its latest report on the used vehicle market... Rising used truck prices and a limited supply of newer vehicles could herald further tightening of truck capacity in 2011... The surge in new truck orders and the drop in used vehicle sales indicate truck operators are staying away from older trucks that would require more maintenance and emit more pollutants than recent models...