Lincoln – November 06, 2026 -- Auction values for used semi-trailers climbed 19.64% year over year in October as inventory fell 33.92%, according to the latest Sandhills Global market reports. Inventory declined year over year in every tracked segment except aerial lifts and forklifts, where supply rose and prices fell.
Used semi-trailer values rise as reefer supply drops 45.05%
Used semi-trailer inventory fell 3.85% month over month and has trended down for 15 consecutive months. Reefer trailers posted the steepest annual inventory decline at 45.05%, while dry vans had the largest monthly drop at 9.16%.
Asking values rose 1.46% M/M and 9.46% Y/Y. Auction values rose 3.18% M/M. Dry vans gained 10.94% M/M at auction, and reefers gained 29.44% Y/Y.
Heavy-duty truck inventory falls 37.25% while prices hold
Used day cab and sleeper inventory slipped 0.83% M/M and is down 37.25% Y/Y, the 11th straight monthly decline. Sleepers recorded the largest annual drop at 39.22%. Asking values rose 2.12% Y/Y despite a 0.24% monthly dip, and auction values rose 6.09% Y/Y despite a 0.16% monthly slip.
"Although inventory remains low, prices are solid," said Truck Paper manager Scott Lubischer, who added that lower-mileage units are outperforming higher-mileage trucks.
Medium-duty trucks are weaker. Inventory is down 29.42% Y/Y for the 14th month running, but asking values are down 3.52% Y/Y and auction values are down 4.81% Y/Y. Auction values have declined for six consecutive months.
Farm equipment inventory tightens, with planters leading auction gains
High-horsepower tractor inventory (100 HP and above) rose 1.38% M/M but is down 12.28% Y/Y, extending a 17-month downward trend. Auction values rose 4.43% Y/Y, and tractors in the 175- to 299-HP range led with a 6.7% gain. The EVI spread, the percentage gap between asking and auction values, widened one point to 32%.
Planters showed the strongest auction gain in the ag segment, up 15.41% Y/Y, with inventory down 14.04%. Their EVI spread was 45%, up one point from September.
Combines are softening. Inventory fell 9.67% Y/Y, asking values fell 2.68% Y/Y, and auction values fell 0.88% Y/Y, the fifth straight monthly decline. The combine EVI spread narrowed two points to 36%. The sprayer spread held at 37%.
Construction equipment values fall for a fifth to sixth straight month
Used heavy-duty construction equipment inventory fell 9.62% Y/Y. Asking values are down 3.64% Y/Y for a sixth consecutive month. Auction values dropped 4.95% Y/Y and have fallen five months in a row. Crawler excavators fell hardest at auction, down 4.05% M/M and 6.31% Y/Y.
Medium-duty equipment followed the same pattern. Auction values fell 1.09% Y/Y, and mini excavators declined 3.58% Y/Y. Loader backhoes recorded the steepest annual inventory decline at 23.18%.
Aerial lift and forklift inventories grow as values slide
Aerial lift inventory rose 4.12% Y/Y, while asking values fell 2.76% Y/Y and have trended down for five months. Auction values dropped 3.6% Y/Y, a sixth consecutive monthly decline.
Forklift inventory is up 11.41% Y/Y and has trended up for six consecutive months. Auction values are down 5.95% Y/Y, and cushion-tire forklifts fell 15.16% Y/Y.
The Sandhills Equipment Value Index covers equipment in auction and retail markets as well as model-year equipment in active use. The October data come from TruckPaper.com, TractorHouse.com, MachineryTrader.com and other Sandhills platforms.