THE CAR AND TRUCK FLEET AND LEASING MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE
Edmunds is forecasting 1,392,434 new vehicles sales through September, representing a 5.4% decline from March and an 8.3% decline from the same time last year.
Used-vehicle auctions have started resuming regular business hours following the effects of Hurricane Florence, which had less of an impact on the U.S vehicle market than Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017.
The average value of used fleet vehicles increased 1.5% in August from the prior month and are now up 8.5% from a year ago, according to Tom Kontos, KAR Auction Services' chief economist.
After the heavy rains brought by Florence to the Carolinas stopped, estimates about the number of vehicles that were destroyed by the storm began to roll in that made it clear the storm would have far less of an impact that the pair of storms that reached Texas and Florida a year ago.
Several North Carolina used vehicle auctions closed as a result of Hurricane Florence sweeping into the state, while others shifted to online sales or delayed on-site sales.
More SUVs, the retention of higher mileage vehicles, and new methods of remarketing are some trends fleets are observing in the wholesale market.
TradeRev started as a dealer-to-dealer mobile app, but has expanded its offerings to give more real-time auction access to commercial fleets and fleet management companies.
Used-vehicle values have held strong this year. A strong economy and more efficient remarketing strategies are helping make 2018 a banner year for used-vehicle values.
Used truck prices stayed relatively flat in July but remained at favorable levels compared with the same month a year ago, according ACT Research.
The Ram 3500 earned the best resale value award for the heavy-duty pickup segment. The Ram 3500 was also the overall winner for best resale value in 2018.
Vehicles that were taken out of commercial, government, and daily rental fleets and sold at auction in July were worth 8.1% more than they were a year ago and 0.4% more than in June, according to Tom Kontos, KAR Auction Services' chief economist.
Used vehicle sales continued their strong performance in the wholesale market in July, as an "abnormal bounce" that began in June continued to show strength with overall values increasing in July 1.51% from the prior month, according to Manheim.
The first half of 2018 has been a strong year for used vehicle values, and growth in upstream remarketing is playing a helpful role.
As an example of this analysis, Black Book data shows that the Toyota FJ Cruiser, whose last model-year was 2014, has actually gone up in value by 25.7% compared to other vehicles that were listed in its segment.
Economic growth and positive consumer sentiment helped drive June’s depreciation rates to the lowest levels seen in five years, according to Black Book.
The 2018 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR) detailed the biggest topics concerning wholesale remarketing, and also elaborated on technological developments that may impact the industry as a whole. Read the full story here. Photos by Andy Lundin.
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