As far as trailer costs, the ones I’ve been watching have come down, from their peak. Still high, but going the right direction.
In 2018, I paid $8,500, for my well-optioned Diamond C 24 LPD. I ordered it and waited a little over two months to get it. Tokay, the same trailer has an MSRP of around $15,000 and is around a six month wait. They are selling at or close to +/- MSRP, with a line of buyers. A few months ago, I saw new trailers like mine selling at $17,000. I was tempted to sell, but use mine commercially and my trailer is my biggest money maker. No sense selling just to move all the profit of selling high to the next trailer.
In January, I about bought a 32’ dual tandem gooseneck. I was looking at a few brands and had my choice between $9,000 and $10,000. The “budget” brands were between $6,000 and $7,000. In March, trailer prices jumped about $4,000; across the board. By June, it was full stupid. The same trailer I passed on, at $9,500, sold at $18,000. I decided to look back at used. Comparable trailers that were serviceable, but thirty years old were selling immediately, for $8,000. At $10,000, they still sold within 24 hours.
In summer of 2019, the shop bought a highly customized 40k GVWR Diamond C flatbed. After thousands, in options, it came in under 20,000. That same trailer, today, is between $40,000 and $50,000.
