After the pilot program of second-hand car export business shifted to nationwide development, second-hand commercial vehicles have become one of the fastest-growing export categories. From the situation at major ports such as Tianjin, Qingdao, and Guangzhou, the export volume of second-hand heavy trucks, dump trucks, and cargo trucks continues to rise, with Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America becoming the main destinations. Compared with the export of passenger cars, the single value of second-hand trucks is higher, the chain is longer, and each link of inspection, maintenance, logistics, and after-sales determines whether the transaction can be landed.The policy channel has been opened upThe export of second-hand cars in China has been launched as a pilot program since 2019, initially only in some provinces and cities. Starting from 2024, the export of second-hand cars will be carried out nationwide. Qualified second-hand car dealerships can apply for export qualifications. After the vehicles pass the inspection, they can apply for an export license and complete customs declaration, cancellation of registration and other procedures before leaving the country. The policy level liberalization has brought the sporadic and grey export behavior of the past into the formal channel, and also made car dealers dare to receive and stock up on a large scale.The changes brought about by the opening of channels are structural. In the past, exporters mainly received vehicles around ports, with scattered sources and inconsistent vehicle types; Nowadays, many companies have started to set up points in inland vehicle source areas, and selectively purchase vehicles of specific brands, tonnages, and ages according to the demand of the destination country, forming a stable supply pool. Testing agencies, preparation workshops, customs brokers, and international logistics have also gathered, and the industrial chain is gradually taking shape.Main flow direction and vehicle preferenceFrom the perspective of export destinations, Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America are the four main markets for second-hand trucks. The African market, represented by countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania, is price sensitive and prefers dump trucks and tractors that are sturdy, durable, and easy to maintain; The Central Asian market is driven by infrastructure construction, with stable demand for dump trucks and construction vehicles, and relatively relaxed requirements for vehicle emissions; The Southeast Asian market is connected to China by land, with a short transportation cycle and fast conversion of cargo and tractor traffic; The Latin American market is mainly dominated by countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Chile, and the acceptance of Chinese brand heavy-duty trucks has been increasing year by year.In terms of vehicle models, dump trucks and tractor trucks are the main export drivers, followed by cargo trucks. Some countries in Africa and Southeast Asia are in the right-hand drive market and require specialized organization of right-hand drive vehicle sources or steering modifications. Such orders require higher screening capabilities for vehicle sources. Engineering vehicles prefer configurations with high horsepower, short speed ratios, and strong chassis, while mainline tractors place more emphasis on fuel consumption and cabin comfort.Seemingly simple, there is actually a thresholdThe difficulty in exporting second-hand trucks lies not in customs declaration, but in the condition and compliance of the vehicles. The admission rules of destination countries vary greatly. Some countries require vehicles to be no older than a certain age, some countries have clear regulations on emission standards, left-hand and right-hand steering, light color, and speedometer units, and some countries require proof of origin and testing reports. If the vehicle does not meet the requirements of the destination country, it may not be able to clear customs upon arrival and can only be discounted on-site.After sales is another threshold. Trucks are production tools, and buyers are most concerned not about their appearance, but whether they can be repaired if they break down and how long it will take for the parts to arrive. If an export enterprise only engages in one-time transactions and does not use commonly used vulnerable parts or provide maintenance information, it is difficult to maintain a repeat purchase rate. Enterprises that have done well in the past two years usually provide a set of vulnerable parts packages with their vehicles when exporting, and develop local service providers in major markets to prioritize parts supply and technical support.How can enterprises maintain stable businessThe first is the pre installation of vehicle source standards. When receiving the car, select the brand, tonnage, age, and configuration according to the requirements of the destination country to avoid unsold products caused by "receiving first and then distributing". The second is standardization of testing and maintenance, issuing traceable testing reports, recording the three major components, beams, brakes, and circuits item by item, and conducting re inspections after maintenance to resolve vehicle condition issues before departure. The third is the closed loop of procedures, confirming that the vehicle is not mortgaged or sealed, and synchronously promoting the cancellation of registration and export license.The fourth is logistics and financial arrangements. Second hand trucks are often transported by roll on/roll off ships or frame boxes, and the freight cost is greatly affected by the route and season. Therefore, when quoting, it is necessary to leave room for fluctuations; At the same time, the export payment cycle is long, and enterprises need corresponding capital turnover capabilities to avoid cash flow shortages caused by inventory pressure.First, settle an export accountThe cost of exporting a second-hand heavy truck includes not only the vehicle price but also inspection fees, maintenance fees, export license and customs clearance agency fees, inland transportation and port storage fees, sea or land transportation fees, insurance, and destination country customs clearance fees. After these costs are added together, they often account for 15% to 25% of the car price, with the specific proportion fluctuating depending on the route and model. If only the car price and shipping cost are included in the quotation, it is easy to see a situation where there is a profit but the settlement becomes a loss. A prudent approach is to itemize each expense and calculate the upper limit of the vehicle price based on the actual customs clearance cost in the destination country. It is better to charge a few fewer units than to make a loss making order.Rationally view this round of opportunitiesThe window period for exporting second-hand trucks does exist, but it is not simply a matter of "receiving cars domestically and selling cars overseas". The policies of the destination country will change, exchange rates and freight rates will change, and competition will intensify. Early methods of profiting from information asymmetry are becoming ineffective. The enterprises that can stand firm in this round rely on stable vehicle sources, recheckable vehicle conditions, compliant procedures, and sustainable after-sales service. For domestic cardholders, the opening of export channels also means that the old cars exchanged have more destinations, and the expected residual value is clearer than before.

Entering the second half of 2025, the activity of the domestic second-hand truck market has significantly increased compared to the same period last year. According to feedback from multiple second-hand car trading markets and online trading platforms, the listing volume and consultation volume of tractors, dump trucks, and cargo trucks have increased synchronously, and National V and National VI vehicles with a vehicle age of three to six years have become the main source of transactions. This round of warming is not driven by a single factor, as changes in policy, supply, and demand occur almost simultaneously.Policy and demand are simultaneously drivenIn March 2024, the State Council issued the "Action Plan for Promoting Large scale Equipment Renewal and Consumer Goods Trade in", which clearly supports the scrapping and renewal of old operating diesel trucks, and relevant policies will continue to be strengthened and expanded in 2025. The policy directly changed the structure of vehicle sources: a batch of old operating trucks with National IV and below emissions accelerated their exit from the transportation market. Among them, vehicles with acceptable conditions were refurbished and entered the second-hand circulation stage, becoming an important supplement to the low-priced segment.The changes on the demand side mainly come from freight rates and new car prices. In the past two years, the competition in the new car market has been fierce, and some brands have offered significant discounts at the terminal, which has lowered the prices of second-hand cars of the same model; At the same time, road freight rates have been running at a low level for a long time, and retail car purchase budgets have tightened. More people are turning their attention to second-hand car models with higher cost-effectiveness. From the feedback from the transaction side, it can be seen that the proportion of first-time car buyers and car upgrades among customers who consult second-hand tractor owners this year is increasing, with many of them being individual drivers who have been in the industry for three to five years.The structure of car sources is becoming youngerUnlike the impression a few years ago that "older cars and problematic cars are the main ones", the current second-hand truck market has a significantly younger vehicle source structure. The proportion of National V vehicles continues to increase, while National VI vehicles have begun to enter second-hand circulation on a large scale, with vehicle ages generally concentrated between three to five years. The reason is that around 2020 was the peak of domestic heavy truck sales, and that batch of vehicles is now entering the replacement cycle; At the same time, some fleets have been updated in advance under the promotion of emission upgrades and trade in policies, releasing a batch of new vehicles with better condition.In terms of vehicle structure, tractors are still the main force in transactions, mainly used for mainline transportation and port truck consolidation; Due to the impact of infrastructure and real estate, there are significant regional differences in dump trucks and mixer trucks, and the demand in areas with concentrated sand and gravel transportation is relatively strong; Refrigerated trucks and box trucks in cargo trucks benefit from urban distribution and cold chain demand, with faster circulation speeds. The second-hand sources of natural gas heavy-duty trucks and new energy heavy-duty trucks have also emerged, but their proportion is still very small, and the pricing system is not yet mature.Significant price differentiationThe rising market temperature does not mean that all cars can be sold at a good price. In actual transactions, the price difference between two cars of the same brand, year, and configuration can reach tens of thousands of yuan due to differences in vehicle condition, maintenance records, and completeness of procedures. Brand and ownership are still key factors affecting residual value. Mainstream brands such as Jiefang, Dongfeng, China National Heavy Duty Truck Group, and Shaanxi Automobile Group have universal vehicle parts and dense maintenance outlets, making them easier to transact in the second-hand market; Models of niche brands or special configurations have significantly longer circulation cycles.Testing reports are becoming the basis for pricing. More and more car manufacturers are simultaneously providing third-party or self built testing results when listing, covering the status of the three major components of the engine, gearbox, and axle, the structure of the beam and chassis, accident and water immersion investigation, as well as mileage and maintenance record verification. For buyers, a recheckable testing report is more valuable than verbal promises; For sellers, transparent vehicle condition also means shorter transaction cycles and more stable transaction prices.Risks still need to be vigilantThe warming of the industry also brings new risks. Some of the vehicle sources have accident repairs, water bubbles, burn marks, or have been illegally modified or used with announced parameters; Some vehicles have unresolved mortgages or financial disputes, and it is only discovered during the transfer that they cannot be processed; There are also car dealers who attract traffic with significantly lower quotes than the market, and the online pictures do not match the actual cars offline. To purchase a second-hand operating truck, it is necessary to confirm whether the road transport certificate and other operating procedures are complete, and whether the emission standards meet the admission requirements of the operating area.A relatively safe approach is to first verify whether the vehicle announcement parameters are consistent with the actual vehicle condition, and then check the maintenance records and accident records; During on-site vehicle inspection, focus on checking the condition of the main beam, cab structure, engine, and gearbox. If necessary, bring a technician for re inspection; Confirm in the transaction process that the mortgage has been released and the procedures can be transferred normally, avoiding payment before transfer.The buyer structure is also changingFrom the perspective of transaction entities, individual drivers are still the largest buyers of second-hand trucks, but the procurement ratio of logistics companies and fleets is increasing. The fleet places greater emphasis on the consistency of vehicles, often purchasing models of the same brand and configuration in batches for unified maintenance and scheduling; Individual drivers are more concerned about the total price and monthly payment pressure, and tend to choose vehicles that are slightly older but in good condition for the three major components. Exporters are a new purchasing force that has emerged in the past two years, preferring mainstream brands, models with complete procedures, and easy to prepare models. They are less sensitive to prices than domestic end buyers.Standardization is a long-term directionFrom the perspective of industry trends, the transaction of second-hand trucks is shifting from "acquaintance introduction, car viewing negotiation" to "inspection pricing, standard delivery". Transparent vehicle condition, compliant procedures, and traceable after-sales service are becoming a new competitive watershed among car dealers. For cardholders, there are more car sources and choices in the market, but the basic logic of choosing a car has not changed: first look at the source of goods and working conditions, then look at the condition and procedures of the car, and finally negotiate the price.It should be noted that an increase in market activity does not necessarily mean a unilateral rise in prices. Models with sufficient supply of vehicles will still be suppressed by the new car market and freight rates in terms of price; Only vehicles with good condition, complete procedures, and mainstream brand can take the initiative in bargaining.

The number of new energy heavy-duty trucks has rapidly accumulated in the past three years, and the first batch of vehicles has completed the first leasing cycle and begun to re-enter circulation as second-hand cars. Unlike diesel trucks, the most valuable asset in the second-hand transaction of electric heavy-duty trucks is not the cab or axle, but an invisible battery. The remaining capacity and number of cycles of the battery directly determine how much money this car is worth and whether it can make money.The inventory has reached a critical pointAccording to industry organizations, the sales volume of new energy heavy-duty trucks in China has approached 80000 units in 2024, maintaining high-speed growth for several consecutive years. These vehicles are mainly concentrated in fixed line scenarios such as steel mills, ports, mines, short dumping of sand and gravel materials, and urban waste. Their operating radius is mostly between 50 and 200 kilometers, and they can be charged or recharged at power exchange stations. The routes and trips are relatively fixed, which is exactly the working condition where electric heavy-duty trucks are most easily accounted for.The time point for the centralized deployment of vehicles is approximately from 2021 to 2022. Based on the first round of use cycle of power batteries of about five years, this batch of vehicles will gradually enter the replacement and retirement stage from 2025. At the same time, some leasing companies do not renew their leases after they expire, and vehicles are being pushed into the second-hand market in batches, leading to the emergence of a large-scale supply of goods.The first variable of residual value is the batteryPower batteries usually account for about 40% of the total cost of electric heavy-duty trucks, so second-hand pricing is almost entirely based on batteries. The commonly used indicator in the industry is the health status of the battery, which is the ratio of the actual available capacity to the factory capacity. This ratio will show significant differentiation after three to five years of vehicle use: vehicles with proper maintenance and good charging habits may still be above 80%, while vehicles with long-term full charge and frequent fast charging may drop below 70%.In addition to capacity, it also depends on the number of cycles and internal resistance. A battery with a cycle count close to its design lifespan, even if its current capacity is sufficient, has limited remaining usable time; An increase in internal resistance will result in increased heating, slower charging, and limited high-power output. For buyers, a battery with a capacity of 70% and more than half the number of cycles, and a battery with a capacity of 85% and less than 30% of the number of cycles, may have a value difference of hundreds of thousands of yuan, which cannot be seen from the appearance of the car.The testing standards are still being supplementedAt present, there is no unified residual value assessment and battery testing standard for second-hand electric commercial vehicles. There are three common practices in the market: reading historical data recorded by the battery management system, including cumulative charge and discharge capacity, maximum and minimum cell voltage, and fault codes; Conduct a complete charge and discharge test to measure the available capacity; And use specialized equipment to measure internal resistance and monomer consistency. Each of the three methods has its limitations. BMS data may be tampered with or reset, charging and discharging tests are time-consuming and require high-power equipment, and internal resistance measurement depends on equipment accuracy.Therefore, the buyer should request the seller to provide a traceable battery report before the transaction and try to retest it at a third-party testing agency. At the same time, it is necessary to confirm whether the original factory warranty can be transferred with the vehicle. Most manufacturers provide an eight year or certain mileage warranty for power batteries, but whether second-hand car owners can inherit this right depends on different terms and must be confirmed in writing before transfer. Otherwise, if the battery has a problem, the repair cost will be enough to swallow up the price difference of the entire car.What scenarios are suitable for buying second-hand electric heavy-duty trucksThe first type is fixed short fall. From the steel plant to the material yard, from the port to the station, and from the mine to the crushing station, the one-way journey is several tens of kilometers, with fixed trips and vehicles charging immediately upon returning to the yard. Under these working conditions, the impact of battery attenuation is controllable, and the operating cost advantage is obvious. The second type is fleets with their own charging facilities. Charging stations, transformers, and sites are the biggest hidden costs of electric heavy-duty trucks. If buyers already have these conditions, the economy of second-hand cars will be greatly improved.The unsuitable scenarios are equally clear. Cross provincial long-distance travel, unstable routes, lack of supplementary energy conditions at destinations, and extremely low winter temperatures are not suitable for using second-hand electric vehicles as the main force. In addition, vehicles with longer vehicle ages, battery brands that have been discontinued, or manufacturers withdrawing from the market carry risks in terms of accessories and aftermarket support, and caution should be exercised even if the price is low.Additional variables for changing train typesThere is an additional variable in second-hand transactions for battery swapping heavy-duty trucks. In the vehicle electric separation mode, the ownership of the battery may not belong to the car owner, but to the battery swapping operator. During the transaction, it is necessary to confirm whether the battery rental contract can be transferred, how to handle the deposit, and whether the original operator still has available sites locally. If the lease contract cannot be inherited, even if the vehicle is in good condition, it cannot operate normally. The pricing logic of this type of vehicle source is completely different from that of traditional whole vehicles. Both buyers and sellers should first clarify the contractual relationship before negotiating the vehicle price.Checklist for buyersWhen looking at a car, first check three items: first, the battery report, including current available capacity, number of cycles, and cell consistency; The second is the insulation and fault records of the high-voltage system of the entire vehicle, and whether the motor and electronic control have been repaired; The third is charging compatibility, whether the vehicle can adapt to the protocol and power of the buyer's existing charging station. Subsequently, the procedures will be confirmed, including the nature of the vehicle, whether it is mortgaged, the original factory warranty terms, and the local access and subsidy policies for new energy commercial vehicles.When negotiating prices, it is recommended to convert the remaining battery life into the cost of using it for the next three to five years, rather than simply comparing the discount of the new car guide price. A car that is priced 100000 yuan cheaper but has only 60% of its battery capacity left is likely to require a significant replacement cost within two years, and overall it is not cost-effective. The opportunity for second-hand electric heavy-duty trucks is indeed emerging, but what it tests is not bargaining power, but the ability to judge batteries.