Volume 27 • Issue 10 • 10/16/2025 |
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IN THIS ISSUE
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BOARD NEWS & VIEWS: How to Engage in a Tough Class 8 Used Truck Market by Josh Roller
- Listen to UTA Truck Talk Podcast #5
- DEALER GROUP October Update by Steve Bootsma
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MARKETING COMMITTEE: Why Proactive Risk Management is Key for Today’s Lenders by Ian Sifuentes
- MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Liz Fernwalt
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OPINION: The Sales Revolution: How Smart Dealers Are Multiplying Their Reach with Technology Integration by Ricardo Rodriguez-Long How to Jump-Start a Semi-Truck by Ian Sifuentes Women In Trucking Blog -
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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The Class 8 used truck market has always been cyclical, but the past few years have shown just how quickly the tides can turn.
Following record-high demand during the supply-constrained pandemic years, today’s market presents a starkly different landscape—one defined by high-mileage inventory, tighter credit conditions, and fleet customers hesitant to expand amid economic uncertainty. |
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In challenging times like these, what separates thriving used truck operations from those merely surviving? Not retreating. 1. Reevaluate What Engagement Means In a tough market, engagement must go beyond simply staying visible. It’s about actively listening to customers, anticipating their changing needs, and finding creative ways to add value even when purchasing slows down. For many dealerships, that means shifting from a transactional mindset to a consultative one. |
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Listen to UTA
Truck Talk Podcast!
Episode 5 Now on YouTube
All About the UTA Convention
Cindy Bloom – UTA Vice President and Co-Chair UTA Convention Committee Owner/CEO, Wholesale Truck Exchange Mike Gardecki – Buyer, TMSI
Scott Wynn – Corporate Buyer/Wholesaler, American Truck Centers
Steve Bootsma — Wholesale Unit Dept Manager, Vander Haag's Inc. |
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Networking • Engaging Speakers • Fun • Vendor Expo • Awards |
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It’s hard to believe October is already here—and that the convention is just one month away. Thank you to everyone who participated in the recent survey. I’m especially excited for the upcoming roundtable discussions. The top four choices were:
• Buying habits and strategies for managing retail inventory
• Social media platforms for selling
• Who is using AI, and in what capacity
• Tariffs
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Planning for Future Speakers
To help schedule future speakers for our monthly meetings, I included a second set of questions: Which of the following areas are you looking to make changes in over the next year?
The top four answers here were: new or updated CRM, updating your current website, updated inventory management system, and finance options. These all play critical roles in our business and its success. |
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Financing is critical for keeping drivers and fleets on the road, and lenders play a central role in making that possible. But with regulations growing more complex and fuel prices swinging unpredictably, lenders can’t afford to take a wait-and-see approach. |
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Proactive risk management (identifying risks early and embedding safeguards into lending operations) is no longer optional. It’s what allows lenders to navigate an industry where the rules and risks are changing by the month. |
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Liz Fernwalt |
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Liz Fernwalt, Lead Account Executive
Assurant, Collierville, TN
For more than 17 years, Liz Fernwalt has been a proud member of the Used Truck Association (UTA). She still remembers her very first convention back in 2007, when fellow members welcomed her with open arms. |
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“It was like being around family,” she recalls. “I knew then I wanted to be a part of this great organization.”
Trucking has always been in Liz’s blood. Her father was a truck driver raising three daughters, and he made sure they all knew their way around cars, “big trucks,” and even a CB radio. She still remembers his handle — Wild Card.
“I guess you can say it’s in my blood; I love the smell of diesel in the morning,” she says.
Her very first “job” in trucking was cleaning out her dad’s truck when he returned from the road. For one dollar apiece, Liz and her sisters would wipe down the seats, sweep out the cab, and strip the sleeper bed. That early experience instilled in her a deep respect for the work truckers put in day after day.
Professionally, Liz also worked as an office coordinator for a large property and casualty carrier that insured sawmills, logging operations, and furniture manufacturers.
Here, she added new trucks and deleted older trucks from their commercial auto policy. When the branch consolidated, she joined EPG Insurance, where she became an underwriter for the heavy truck program and then a national truck manager. |
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The most successful dealers in 2025 aren’t just selling trucks—they’re creating digital experiences that connect with customers around the clock. By combining automated video messaging with AI-powered content creation, forward-thinking dealerships are generating more leads while building stronger relationships than ever before. |
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We used to say the best salespeople were full of energy. Today, that energy radiates from computer screens, smartphones, and tablets. Sales teams are recording personalized video messages in minutes, virtual truck walkarounds are happening at midnight, and the 50-year-old sales pro who once swore he’d “never understand this computer stuff” is now a top performer—using AI to amplify decades of relationship-building expertise.
This isn’t the future of sales—it’s happening right now, and the dealers embracing it are moving fast. |
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Are you a truck driver for a small trucking business or an owner-operator? You’ll face various challenges along the road, and one of them is the dreaded dead truck battery. But learning how to jump-start a semi-truck will give you the confidence you need to deal with this common issue.
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This article walks you through everything you need to know, from gathering the right tools to knowing when to call a pro. Our jump-start for semi-truck step-by-step guides and handy tips will get you back on the road again quickly and safely.
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Over the years, female professional truck drivers play an essential role in an industry long populated by men, breaking barriers while delivering the goods that fuel our everyday lives. Their dedication, resilience, and professionalism not only drive our supply chains forward but also inspire the next generation to see trucking as a career without limits.
This week, WIT celebrates their contributions, their achievements, and the powerful impact they make on the road and in the industry. Let’s take a closer look at the inspiration of some of these inspiring professional truck drivers: Gina Jones (Werner), Yuma Haidara (Walmart), Sue Bell (Saia LTL Freight), and Esther Parsons (UPS). |
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USED TRUCK MARKET REVIEW & FORECAST |
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VOLUME TRENDS: Same dealer used Class 8 retail truck sales increased for the first time in five months in August. The 11% m/m gain was better than expected on a seasonally adjusted basis. August is typically the second best sales month of the year, running more than 8% above average. The auction market turned in a respectable performance that was counter to its expected decline. Auction volumes floated 3.4% higher m/m in August. The wholesale channel saw its largest sequential gain since February 2024 in August, adding 35% m/m. Combined, total market same dealer sales volumes climbed 11% m/m in August. Compared to August 2024, the retail market was 2.2% better. The wholesale segment increased by half that margin (+1.1%), while auction activity trailed by a significant amount (-27%). |
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Auction Update At Class 8 auctions in September, sales volume ticked up from August and pricing moved slightly downward.
Looking at late-model sleeper tractors, average auction pricing for our benchmark truck In September was:
· Model year 2023: $63,516; $8,011 (11.2%) lower than August
· Model year 2022: $50,183; $940 (1.8%) lower than August
· Model year 2021: $37,466; $1,873 (5.3%) higher than August
· Model year 2020: $29,571; $399 (1.3%) lower than August
· Model year 2019: $23,163; $2,745 (10.6%) lower than August |
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Used Day Cabs Drive Monthly Inventory Level Decreases For Heavy-Duty TrucksThe newest Sandhills Global market reports, which cover used trucks, trailers, and equipment on Sandhills’ U.S. platforms, show decreases in inventory levels, asking prices, and values continued in September for used heavy-duty trucks, medium-duty trucks, and semi-trailers. The sharpest inventory level decreases occurred in the used day cab category (month over month) and the used sleeper truck category (year over year).
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, truck, and trailer markets and maximize returns on acquisition, liquidation, and related business decisions.
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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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Pictured in photo from left: Steve Williams, Interstate Billing; TPS Editor Lucas Deal; Melissa Larson, TLG; Mike Headley, TLG; Rodrigo Piccini, Procede; Craig O'Hare, National Truck Protection; and Harjeev Khanduja, Automann; recognize TLG as the winner of the 2025 Successful Dealer Award Tuesday during an awards banquet in Nashville.
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HTAEW Launches Redesigned Platform November 5
A Fresh Look, Simplified Experience, and Expanded Dealer Support
[October 16, 2025] — HTAEW, a trusted name in the used truck industry for more than two decades, is proud to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website on November 5. The new platform merges retail and wholesale inventory in one streamlined space, offering a cleaner look, easier navigation, and more tools for dealers to showcase inventory effectively. |
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The relaunch also introduces Heather Hebron Dubuisson as HTAEW’s National Sales Director. Dubuisson, daughter of President and Founder, Terry Hebron, has watched the HTAEW family and brand expand for the last 25 years and is excited to bring over two decades of brand and business development, and marketing expertise to the company. Heather will lead dealer engagement, brand growth, and the company’s new in-house marketing department — created to help smaller dealerships elevate their online presence and compete more effectively in today’s market.
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Trimac Acquires Service Transport Company Staff, CCJ (October 6, 2025) — Trimac Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 62) has acquired Houston, Texas-based Service Transport Company (STC). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. A provider of chemical hauling services with 16 locations and four tank wash facilities across the U.S. Gulf Coast, STC is one of the largest chemical tank carriers in the region, with a fleet of nearly 290 tractors and 750 trailers and more than 300 drivers. |
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Tesla Teases New Product Unveiling Transport Topics (October 6th, 2025) — Tesla Inc. managed to pique the interests of investors with a series of social media posts that sent the carmaker’s shares higher in early trading.
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Prices Drop as Selectivity Rises Among Used Truck Buyers Transport Topics (October 3, 2025) — Pricing slipped in the used truck market in August as volume rose in the auction and retail channels, J.D. Power announced late last week in its September Commercial Truck Guidelines report.
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GM, Ford, Hyundai Extend EV Discounts After Tax Credit Ends Transport Topics (October 1, 2025) — General Motors Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co. said they would extend discounts on certain electric models after a $7,500 federal tax credit expired Tuesday, a bid to maintain momentum after a surge in third-quarter sales.
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Used Truck Association
Kautter Wenhold Management Group, LLC
222 S Westmonte Drive, Suite 111 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 Phone: 877-438-7882 (877-Gets-UTA)
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