During a press event at the Rush Enterprises Tech Rodeo Tuesday, Rush predicted that Class 8 orders would remain down due in large part to low used truck values.
“I don’t see used truck values getting any better in the first half of next year,” Rush said. “Maybe by the end of the year. But, if the electronic logging device mandate comes into play, it could take even more trucks out of the market and those could turn into used trucks. And we need the import market to improve. We need to be chewing up a lot of inventory right now — and there’s a lot of it sitting on the sidelines right now.”
Rush thinks certain segments, however, such as construction and refuse will remain strong.
“For us, refuse continues to be strong,” Rush says.
“The medium-duty has been good the last two years and we expect that to continue.”
But, Rush was quick to point out that over-the-road trucks still make up 70 percent of the commercial truck market so that is a key segment to the industry.
