Volume 27 • Issue 08 • 8/19/2025 |
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IN THIS ISSUE
Announcing the First UTA Truck Talk Podcast
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BOARD NEWS & VIEWS: Through the Gears: Finding Purpose in the Used Truck World by Rocky Carden
In-Person Training: Selling for Success – Sept. 10-11 -
UTA Topgolf Event is less than ONE month away!
DEALER GROUP: From Anticipation to Hesitation: The Shift in New and Used Truck Demand by Steve Bootsma What the New English Requirement Means for Truck Dealerships by Katie Baker Commercial Box Truck Insurance Cost by Ian Sifuentes -
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Nicole Zeuske
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OPINION: Where Are The Mechanics? by Ricardo Rodriguez-Long
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2nd Annual TWOK Fishing Event!
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Women In Trucking Blog
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Used Truck Market Review & Forecast
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Awards & Accolades
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Industry News Briefs
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Electric & Alternative Fuel News
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SCHOLARSHIPS ARE DUE SEPTEMBER 15! |
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Convention Early-Bird Discount Ends NEXT Monday, August 25! Follow Us on Social Media for the Countdown with 10 Reasons You Should Join Us in San Diego! |
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Members Get the Biggest Discount When Registering for Convention! Make sure your Membership is Up-to-Date! Renew or Join Now |
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Announcing the First UTA Podcast! UTA Truck Talk Episode 1 — A Day in the Life of Steve Tam, ACT Research |
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If you’ve been in trucking long enough—especially the used truck side—you know this business will humble you real fast. It doesn’t matter how hard you work, how many deals you close, or how well you plan. There will be seasons where nothing seems to go your way. I’ve lived through that. |
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Over the past couple of years, I’ve been knocked down more times than I care to count. Between economic uncertainty, inventory chaos, rising costs, and the pressure of trying to deliver consistent results, it got heavy. Like many of you, I kept pushing. I believed in the value of used Class 8 trucks. I believed in the mission of keeping America’s drivers moving. But to be honest, there were days it felt like I was out there on my own.
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SEPTEMBER 10 & 11 Valuable sales training complete with Peterbilt product knowledge, plant tour, and roundtable industry discussions. |
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LESS THAN ONE MONTH AWAY!
SEPTEMBER 11 The Colony, Dallas, TX
• Peterbilt Plant Tour • Roundtable Discussions • Networking Happy Hour • Topgolf & MORE Don't miss the opportunity to grow your network and business!
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Friday, August 29, is the LAST DAY to Secure Your SPONSORSHIP to Get Your Logo on Event Signs!
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What a difference a year makes. Over the past year, we’ve been anticipating a pre-buy in the truck market, but that no longer seems to be the topic of the hour. With ongoing uncertainty around freight and interest rates, buyers are holding off on making purchases. New truck orders have declined as prices have risen, and concerns around budgeting and cash flow have caused many to rethink or delay equipment updates. This trend isn’t limited to Class 8 trucks — it’s affecting the Medium Duty market as well.
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Our dealer group recently had the privilege of hearing from Mark Zimmerman, whose family runs a multi-generational trucking business. Additionally, they’ve also invested in and expanded a service business to support both their own equipment and other local customers. Mark shared that, for now, they plan to hold off on any new truck purchases. They will wait for the market to stabilize and run their current equipment for longer than in the past. |
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There's a rule that's been on the books for a long time, but only recently has it started to spark real change in the trucking industry. The federal government is now fully enforcing a law that requires all commercial truck drivers to speak and understand English. Drivers must be able to read road signs, complete paperwork, and communicate with law enforcement or DOT officers. |
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At first glance, this might not seem like something that would impact truck dealerships — but it's already starting to affect deal flow, loan approvals, and buyer readiness.
Many dealerships that serve first-time buyers, owner-operators, and immigrant drivers are seeing more delays and denials from lenders. The issue usually starts with the CDL. If a buyer is unable to meet the language requirement, they may not be able to renew or obtain a valid license. Without an active CDL, most lenders won’t move forward.
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Operating a commercial box truck requires more than a capable vehicle and driver. It demands comprehensive insurance coverage to protect your business from potential financial disasters.
It’s so essential that the FMCSA has a “no Insurance, no authorization” rule that makes it illegal to operate without insurance. Failure to comply can lead to hefty fines.
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Whether you're an owner-operator with a single box truck or managing a small fleet, understanding commercial box truck insurance costs is essential for your business planning and success.
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Nicole Zeuske |
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A Career Fueled by Curiosity, Relationships, and Trucks
Nicole Zeuske has been a proud member of the Used Truck Association (UTA) for over a decade.
Starting out her career at Porsche, Nicole quickly realized that at the heart of nearly every transaction or delivery was a truck. “That supply chain connection pulled me in, and I never looked back,” she says. |
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Her first official role in the trucking world was with the Used Truck Organization at International —where she’s remained ever since.
From the very beginning, she was immersed in marketing, learning the full life cycle of a truck, from trade-in to resale. “I got to jump in and learn the full life cycle of a truck, from trade-in to resale, and how to tell compelling stories around it. I guess you can say I’m a lifer,” she says. |
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The Great Disappearing Act: Why Your Used Truck is Becoming Worthless
An Industry Crisis That's Breaking the Economics of Commercial Transportation.
We’re facing a problem bigger than supply chain disruptions, fuel costs, or regulatory headaches. It’s a crisis I witnessed for years—one that’s hiding in plain sight at every truck stop, fleet yard, and independent repair shop across America. |
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Where Are All The Mechanics? After four decades in this industry, I’ve never seen anything like what’s happening now. We’re facing a technician shortage so severe, it’s fundamentally breaking the economics of used truck ownership. |
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Sign Up Now for This Exclusive 2-Day Fishing Trip... and So Much More!
• Take a tour of the Peterbilt Plant, then off to the Cabins at Lake Tawakoni!
• 2-nights lodging in private, gated, upscale cabins of Open Water Lodge • All meals included (chef-prepared dinners and charcuterie boards!)
• Guided fishing Wednesday and Thursday.
• Networking, Fish Stories, Cornhole, and MORE! |
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driven by complicated issues like volatile fuel prices, maintenance expenses, insurance premiums and compliance costs, to name a few. In addition, dramatic shifts in freight rates, customer demands, and market cycles continue to challenge forecasting, planning and profitability and ultimately keep business leaders up at night. |
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USED TRUCK MARKET REVIEW & FORECAST |
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VOLUME TRENDS: Same dealer used Class 8 retail truck sales decreased again in June. The 6.4% m/m drop was counter to the expected 3% seasonal increase the industry typically experiences. June is usually the fifth weakest sales month of the year, running about 2% below average. The drop would have been smaller, and likely would have been a gain, had the auction market been true to form. Auction activity is usually strongest in the third month of the quarter, but sales were off 18% m/m in June. The wholesale channel also detracted from sales, contracting 19% sequentially. Collectively, total market same dealer sales volumes were 13% lower m/m in June. |
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Auction Update with Commentary
July is typically a slow month for Class 8 auctions, and July 2025 was no exception. Volume declined from June, and – aside from swings in the averages driven by low volume of data - there was no notable pricing movement in the sleeper tractor segment in general. Looking at late-model sleeper tractors, average auction pricing for our benchmark truck In July was: • Model year 2023: $83,325; $18,333 (28.2%) higher than June
• Model year 2022: $45,369; $8,590 (15.9%) lower than June
• Model year 2021: $42,203; $6,699 (18.9%) higher than June
• Model year 2020: $34,727; $3,207 (10.2%) higher than June
• Model year 2019: $24,126; $1,538 (6.8%) higher than June |
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Used Truck & Trailer Inventory Levels Inch Up Monthly But Still Below Year-Ago Levels According to the newest market reports from Sandhills Global, which cover used trucks, trailers, and equipment on Sandhills’ U.S. platforms, inventory levels of used heavy-duty trucks and semi-trailers showed modest monthly increases but remained below year-ago levels. In terms of asking and auction values, high returns on individual used sleeper trucks are driving heavy-duty truck values higher, while day cab asking values are trending downward.
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The UTA wants to recognize the wins of the people and companies in our industry! If you want to share news about an award or accolade, please send the details and article link to our newsletter editor at utaeditor@uta.org. |
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Trailer Equipment Acquires All Star Equipment
Trucks, Parts & Service (July 1, 2025) — Trailer Equipment has acquired All Star Equipment, known for supplying high‑quality tanker trailers, service and parts to the West Michigan market. Trailer Equipment says the acquisition marks a significant milestone in its growth strategy, allowing the company to better serve customers and community with the tanker equipment they need. With this merger, Trailer Equipment will now now offer LBT tankers and become a full parts and service dealer.
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Trucks, Parts & Service (July 7, 2025) — The Windrose R700 Class 8 EV semi is gaining significant attention on social media, but one potential customer questions whether this buzz is overshadowing its real-world capabilities. |
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Daimler to ‘Ramp Down’ ZEV Investment Trucks, Parts & Service (July 9, 2025) —Daimler Truck Holding AG announced its updated global strategy and revised growth targets for the years ahead during its Capital Market Day 2025 at its truck manufacturing plant in Cleveland, N.C., on Monday.
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Used Truck Association
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222 S Westmonte Drive, Suite 111 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 Phone: 877-438-7882 (877-Gets-UTA)
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