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You can learn more in one honest conversation at a trade show than you can from a stack of industry reports.
At the Supply-Build Showcase in Western Canada, that’s exactly what happened (Shout out to the SupplyBuild Team for putting on a great show!). We weren’t there to push inventory or run flashy promotions. We were there to talk to building centre owners and managers — and to listen carefully to what they were actually experiencing on the ground. Over two days, a clear pattern emerged.
One owner told us they had purchased two trucks during the height of COVID. Prices were high, but waiting wasn’t an option. They needed the units to keep deliveries moving and customers happy. “We paid a premium,” he said. “We didn’t really have a choice.” Now, a few years later, he’s unsure what those trucks are truly worth — and whether upgrading makes sense. Later that same day, a manager from another region shared something almost identical. Used prices still feel elevated. New trucks, on the other hand, seem to be settling down. Lead times are improving. Promotions are appearing again. But with that shift comes hesitation. No one wants to make the wrong move twice. That’s the emotional reality of this market.
During the surge years, trucks weren’t just equipment — they were survival assets. If you found one, you bought it. Used units were selling at numbers few people would have believed in 2019. Building Centres stepped up and paid those prices because standing still would have cost them more.
Now the market is correcting. We’re seeing manufacturer lead times that once stretched past four months drop significantly — in some cases by 50%. There’s an imbalance in new truck builds, and manufacturers are responding with aggressive promotions to stimulate demand. Pricing pressure has shifted. But when you bought high, it’s hard to approach today’s opportunities with confidence. Even if conditions are improving.
Traditionally, most Building Centres handle truck purchases reactively. A need arises, they call a dealer, they see what’s available, and they make a decision. That system works when the market is stable. It struggles when the market is shifting. Dealers are built to sell what they stock. They represent one manufacturer and operate within one pipeline of incentives. In a correcting market, that limited view can create blind spots. Owners end up calling around, comparing quotes, trying to piece together what’s really happening across brands — all while managing the day-to-day demands of running a store.
At the show, our conversations shifted when we explained how our Building Centre Truck Programs are structured differently. We don’t sit on heavy inventory that needs to be moved. We aren’t tied to a single manufacturer. We work across almost all of them and leverage manufacturer discounting programs while managing the distribution process end to end. That flexibility allows us to look at the broader landscape instead of a single lot. The conversation changes when you move from “What do you have available?” to “What’s the smartest move over the next 24 months?”
For some stores, that may mean holding current units longer. For others, it may mean strategically replacing high-cost used trucks with better-positioned new builds while promotions are strong and lead times are improving. The key is planning instead of reacting. The biggest takeaway from Western Canada wasn’t panic. It was uncertainty. And uncertainty is where strategy matters most.
The Building Centres that come out ahead in this correction won’t necessarily be the ones who chase the lowest sticker price. They’ll be the ones who understand timing, incentives, production windows, and long-term fleet planning. They’ll treat their trucks like strategic assets, not one-off purchases.
Markets shift — they always do. But right now, the shift in Western Canada is creating leverage for those positioned to use it. The question isn’t whether the market has changed. It’s whether your strategy has.
- Phil
