New Truck Prices - Tariffs / EPA27 Looking Forward

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Midwest Trucker, Apr 9, 2025.

  1. Midwest Trucker

    Midwest Trucker Road Train Member

    5,871
    21,125
    Aug 31, 2018
    0
    I just received 2 new trucks that weren’t affected by the tariffs. I had another 2 set for August but decided to move them up to May and am being hit with a $3000 per truck tariff surcharge from KW. I’m told Paccar is eating part of it and passing along part of the increase in cost.

    Today I just ordered another 4 trucks for June and locked in a $3500 surcharge and kept my Jan 1 pricing from my previous order. Trucks after today I’m being told will at a $7000 increase.

    I’m also told that Freightliners increases will be higher then Paccar but not as high as International which is assumed to be double or higher then Paccars due to tariffs hitting both going and coming to/from Mexico.

    It’s possible that many fewer trucks will be bought and the used market could see alot more demand. However, it will become more expensive then ever to run used trucks as part prices and availability will be a real challenge id bet.

    You also have EPA 27 coming next year which is a disaster. Companies should really be front loading heavy on trucks to lower their exposure to the much more costly and unproven epa 27’s. However, I don’t think many have due to the assumption Trump will not enforce it. If nothing changes a lot of companies will be caught with their pants down and now have heavy tariff exposure if they do want to beat the epa 27. If they wait until 27 tariffs could still be in effect plus the additional 15k the engines already cost.

    It’s going to get very interesting in the next 12 to 15 months and that’s not even getting to demand/rates. I have more to say but let’s see what y'all think?
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Oxbow

    Oxbow Road Train Member

    12,492
    128,367
    Nov 24, 2015
    Idaho
    0
    It will be interesting to follow this thread. For our purposes and the limited mileage we run our old trucks will suffice, and I have not done any research on epa 27 compliant engines. I understand though that some manufacturers have had promising results with no egr/higher scr engines.

    Are you running Paccar engines, and if so is your exposure to tariff related increases due to EU built engines? If you had ordered Cummins would you see similar increases, or are they primarily based on parts suppliers other than engine manufacturers who source non-domestic manufactured components?
     
  4. Accidental Trucker

    Accidental Trucker Road Train Member

    3,330
    7,292
    Jun 4, 2015
    0
    I think it is premature to make decisions at this point. Nobody with any rational thinking can make a credible prediction about how this tariff dust-up will end. The same could be said about the enforcement or retraction of EPA 27.

    Bottom line? If you need a new truck, buy a new truck.
     
  5. Iamoverit

    Iamoverit Road Train Member

    1,566
    3,413
    Oct 31, 2023
    0
    I don't think it'll make a difference in rates because apparently many carriers are still able to be profitable and/or have no problem being Captains going of the SS Out Of Business and going down with the ship.

    So many still willing to haul for peanuts or run at a loss hoping to hold out for the next boom keeps the spot market full of suckers.

    The price of parts and other operating expenses seem to be a non-issue for them so no need for a customer/broker to pay more than the status quo.
     
  6. ElmerFudpucker

    ElmerFudpucker Road Train Member

    3,815
    40,034
    May 17, 2024
    0
    I was going to trade last year, but trade values bottomed out. And new prices were still high. So I decided to wait. The longer time goes on the more I’m thinking I will just keep my truck. Bought it new in 20. Got 400 on it now. Been a decent truck for the most part. I’m thinking I can get 10 years and a million out of it. Maybe I’ll have to do an in frame at some point. Maybe I won’t.

    Too much market volatility at this point to make me excited about buying another one.

    A guy with multiple trucks/drivers probably doesn’t have this as a viable option.
     
  7. Arctic_fox

    Arctic_fox Experienced mx13 execrator

    3,878
    19,622
    Sep 16, 2016
    0
    Pretty much this. It could be that truck prices go through the roof and it becomes more economical to buy and repair used. It could be that trumps plan works like a charm and truck prices drop like a stone. We are 4 months into a 48 month term and things have not even had a chance to shake out for better or for worse and likely wont for another 4 to 6 months.

    As for the 27 engines. They are already developed so i doubt that even if trump drops all EPA requirments and lets them go back to selling coal burners today that they wont be sold to try and recoup costs. As for how good or bad they are it depends. The scania S13 is a good cross secrion of what the new engines may be like and by all accounts its a rock solid workhorse well proven in the EU at least as dead reliable and economical to maintain. Then again the maxxforce and MX13 were supposed to be great engines and we all know how THAT worked out.

    Dumpster-fire-pic.jpg
     
  8. wichris

    wichris Road Train Member

    4,243
    8,447
    Jan 17, 2011
    0
    Worked out last year to trade some early, hold on to some longer so I miss the first year EPA27. That and the mandatory collision mitigation.
    Used/new prices will be what they are, might matter to the 1-2 truck people but the rrst of us can work around that.
     
  9. abyliks

    abyliks Road Train Member

    3,754
    8,705
    May 2, 2010
    ludlow MA
    0
    3k I can deal with, guess even 7k I can live, I’m not 100% sure what I’m doing yet but I do know I don’t want to be a guinea pig for a new engine, and I actually reached out for a rough quote on a new truck.

    My biggest worry is I’m starting to hear a lot
    More “we don’t have that” and “that’s obsolete”, and I don’t want to have something come up next year to and be forced to HAVE to put something together like I did with my current trailer, I’m set up with some very good people that I load every week, yea they have enough options to cover my stuff without cutting me loose if they have to, but it’s still down time, and I still have to fix it, or pay the shop to do it,

    I’m not against spending money, I know there are guys that can tell you the exact tenth of a mile you can trade to get the most money back out of it and start over again, don’t know if I’m looking to get that fancy, cause I do like paid off stuff, but at some point it does become counter productive, so with that and the 6 year warranty now offered on the x15, I would think I could get 7ish years out of a new one and enjoy a couple years of no payments, it might suck for a little bit but it goes quick, especially being 36 this year, I’ve got plenty of time to do some messing around for what works best,

    I’ve averaged 35-40k into my 97 for the last several years, so it’s not like a $3500 payment is going to totally kill me

    also Paccar is down about 20% in the last two weeks, and they were already hurting to sell trucks before this, I’m sure there will still be some wiggle room
     
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2025
  10. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

    11,395
    46,038
    Mar 4, 2015
    0
    Not much to add. Peterbilt salesman told me a couple weeks ago prices are going up $3500, with Paccar eating about $14k per truck, until the next round of increases. Peterbilt is about 6 weeks out on new trucks if anyone wants to get ahead of the next round of increases.

    As far as model year 2027 I don’t see manufacturers abandoning something they’ve been developing for a couple years even if the government tosses the regs out the window. Sounds like Cummins and Paccar will both be using 48v alternators to get heat into the aftertreatment system along with using more DEF. The alternator on the Paccar will be gear driven while the X15 is belt driven.
     
  11. Diesel Dave

    Diesel Dave Last Few of the OUTLAWS

    8,535
    23,611
    Jan 20, 2010
    Hesperia, Ca.
    0
    What are you running for power ?
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.