After nearly 8-percent year-over-year growth in the second quarter, auction volume through the first half of 2015 stands 7.3 percent ahead of the levels reached in the opening six months of 2014.

That’s according to AuctionNet data cited by the NAAA’s latest Auction Industry Report.

The report, compiled by NAAA economist Ira Silver, indicates that auction volume climbed 6.9 percent in the first quarter of this year, which was followed by 7.8-percent growth in Q2. (In all of 2014, auction volume climbed 4.9 percent, according to the report).

In the second quarter of 2015, specifically, commercial consignment was up 11.2 percent. Meanwhile, dealership consignment climbed 5.0 percent.

Year-to-date, commercial volume has jumped 10.3 percent, with dealer volume up 4.8 percent.

“The relative strength in commercial consignment is related to the high growth in new sales in past years,” Silver said in the report. “Dealer consignment is increasing at a lower rate than commercial consignment due to its dependence on current new-vehicle retail sales, which are growing at a slower rate than they were in the early stages of the recovery.

“This pattern of relatively strong commercial consignment is likely to continue for at least the next year,” he continued.

Turning to vehicle types, Silver added: “Passenger car auction volume growth continued to outpace light truck volume performance, a trend that began last year.”

Specifically, passenger car volume was up 8.3 percent in Q2, with the year-to-date gain at 8.8 percent. Light truck volume was up 7.3 percent in the quarter and 5.7 percent year-to-date.