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GAINESVILLE, Ga. — In discussing a wholesale market that has been relatively steady with perhaps a few areas of some higher bidding and buying, Black Book's Ricky Beggs honed in on what he called the "most active" segments of the market during the latter part of last week. 

Specifically, he indicated that more than two-thirds of the adjustments made by the company were in the truck segments.

"Over the last three days of Black Book daily adjustments, a very important piece of the market, the truck segments, including pickups, vans, SUVs and crossovers, have been the most active with 67 percent of the adjustments having been from these type vehicles," Black Book's managing editor said in his latest "Beggs on the Used Car Market" video report.

He examined this area in further detail and pointed to pickups, particularly the full-size variety, as being "vital" in the today's market, giving examples of how this segment distinguishes itself.

"What else has the versatility to carry people to work or for pleasure, tow a boat, camper, or construction trailer, or make the trip to the Lowe's or Home Depot for a weekend home improvement project?" Beggs asked.

He further shared his position that there have been substantial improvements made to the 3/4-ton and 1-ton segments this year to provide stronger towing, power, performance and fuel economy.

New technology has become paramount in this segment, as a great deal of these vehicles use diesel fuel engine and must utilize such innovations to adhere to emission requirements for diesel vehicles, Beggs suggested.

"These power plants, at a significant premium cost over the gas engines, from $7,200 to $7,800 when new, have a very positive retention value, currently at $7,400 for a used three-year-old model," he shared.

Continuing on, Beggs also touched on the emerging popularity of extended/super cab trucks and how offering this type of truck is vital. Furthermore, he delved into how these trucks can prove to be a viable tool for dealers to attract both wholesale and retail buyers.

"Remember the days when an extended, super, or crew cab pickup would sit on the franchised dealer's lot and often became a dinosaur? Today this cab configuration is almost a requirement," he shared.

In fact, he pointed out that the premium for a three-year-old extended/super cab truck versus a regular truck model is likely to be from $1,500 to $2,200.

"Taking it to the next level, a crew cab version with four full doors will require an additional $2,000-$2,500 more over the extended/super cab design," Beggs stated. "Sure you are going to pay an extra $2,100 to $2,700 when new over the regular and/or extended versions for the increased cab space and doors, but it opens up many more potential buyers in both the wholesale and retail markets in the used market."

Moving along, Beggs' report also included a one-on-one interview with Kevin Giddens, the company's senior truck editor. Among the different areas they addressed, Beggs pointed out the wild inconsistency in fuel prices in recent years and how the future prices of gas and diesel are largely unpredictable, and asked Giddens "Is this a concern for this market segment with the emphasis being placed on these new models by the manufacturers?"

Giddens replied: "I'm going to have to say yes and no and the reason why I say that is everyone is concerned with the fuel cost these days, but with the economy being what it has been the last couple of years the market's a little different. 

"The people buying these trucks nowadays and the ones that are going to continue to buy them are the ones that need these trucks to make a living with or to live the lifestyle that they want to live," he continued. "Also, with technology being as it is, the fuel economy is better than it ever has been. The trucks have six-speed automatic transmissions now and they really do well."