While data might not be the most exciting topic of discussion at the dinner table, data from the work truck industry can tell us quite a bit about how businesses are operating, along with being a predictor of future behavior.
Work Truck Solutions’ latest numbers point to a familiar story: Businesses are adjusting to uncertainty, replacing vehicles strategically, and finding ways to keep moving.
On a recent episode of the CVB Network Podcast, host Steve Henning sat down with Aaron Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Work Truck Solutions, and Kathryn Schifferle, Founder and Chief Vision Officer, to talk through the company’s second-quarter market analysis.
Their conversation touched on new and used inventory, vehicle pricing, electrification and what dealers might see during the rest of 2026. The short version is that businesses are still buying vehicles, even if some waited a little longer than usual to do it.
Pent-Up Demand May be Breaking Loose
Businesses entered 2026 with plenty to think about. Fuel price challenges and inflation remained part of the conversation, plus questions about interest rates and the wider economy made long-term planning a little more complicated.
Faced with those unknowns, some companies held on to their vehicles longer than they might have under more predictable conditions. By the second quarter, however, there were signs that at least some of that pent-up demand was starting to break loose.
Crews still need to reach jobsites. Deliveries still need to be made. Construction, maintenance and service work continue regardless of what the latest economic headline says.
You can only hold out for so long. In the end, these are organizations that need to keep their businesses running.
—Aaron Johnson
That need gives commercial vehicles a different rhythm from the consumer market. A business may delay a purchase, extend a replacement cycle or look for a used vehicle instead of a new one. Eventually, though, the need has to be met.
Schifferle described the outlook as “small, steady growth,” which may be a more useful way to think about the market than expecting any sudden surge.
New and Used Vehicles Both Have a Place
Q2 brought some encouraging activity to both the new and used-vehicle side, even though used commercial inventory generally had higher mileage and somewhat lower prices. Johnson expects that rise in mileage to level off rather than continue indefinitely.
Higher-mileage vehicles are not necessarily bad news for dealers or buyers. For the right business and the right application, a used truck can still make a great deal of sense.
Consider a landscaper with a crew that stays within a 10-mile radius. That use case is very different from a company with crews and vehicles that must travel hundreds of miles every day. The best choice depends on where the truck will operate, what it will carry, how many people it needs to accommodate and, of course, what the buyer can comfortably spend.
That is where knowing the customer’s business becomes critical. Rather than simply presenting a row of available vehicles, dealers can help buyers think through which option actually fits the work.
The vehicle’s configuration matters, too. A commercial truck is more than its chassis. Its body, equipment and upfit may make it especially useful to a particular type of customer. Dealers that understand the complete vehicle can market it to businesses that are more likely to need it, rather than treating it like a typical retail trade-in.
The Relationship Does Not Stop at the Sale
The conversation also moved beyond selling vehicles and into service, where dealers may have an even greater opportunity to support commercial customers.
A business isn’t going to wait around for a coupon for an oil change.
—Kathryn Schifferle
For commercial operators, vehicle service is really about uptime. A truck sitting in a service bay is a truck that is not completing jobs or generating revenue.
Scheduled maintenance, mobile service and appointments outside normal business hours can make a meaningful difference. They can also turn a dealership into something more useful than just a place to buy or repair a vehicle. The dealership becomes a partner who understands what downtime costs and helps the business owner or fleet manager avoid that downtime.
Over time, that relationship can lead to better replacement decisions. Dealers can help commercial customers compare maintenance costs, fuel expenses and vehicle performance with the cost of moving into something newer. When the numbers say it is time to make a change, the conversation has already begun.
Electrification Still Comes Down to the Job
New commercial BEV pricing fell 5.9% from the previous quarter, but remained higher year-over-year. Schifferle noted that the YoY increase may be less about prices rising across the board and more about the mix of vehicles entering the market. And, as with any commercial vehicle, the real question is whether it fits the job.
Last-mile delivery, predictable daily mileage and vehicles that return to a central location for charging remain logical use cases. Businesses are less interested in choosing a technology for its own sake than in finding a work truck that can perform the job efficiently.
So, What Happens Next?
One quarter does not make a trend, and both guests were careful not to treat the Q2 results as a crystal ball. Still, they see room for continued growth.
Johnson expects new-vehicle volume to keep increasing over the next several quarters, while used mileage and pricing may begin to level off. Schifferle offered a more specific, if unofficial, prediction of 3 to 5 percent growth through 2026.
That is not the kind of forecast that calls for confetti cannons. For an industry built around keeping businesses working, steady progress is a pretty good place to start.
Want to hear more candid conversations about the numbers, ideas and people shaping the commercial vehicle industry? Subscribe to the CVB Network for upcoming podcasts and updates so you never miss an episode. And to read the full Q2 Market Analysis, click here.
About the author: Rachelle Fernald is a commercial vehicle industry expert, writer, and Senior Media Coordinator (formerly Creative Media Specialist) for Work Truck Solutions and Comvoy. She frequently contributes insights on market trends, work trucks, and industry events, often collaborating with or contributing to the Commercial Vehicle Business Network (CVB Network).
