GovDeals truck trends 2026: what 8,329 pickup auctions sold for

Trucks are getting more attention on GovDeals. Google Trends lists "govdeals trucks" as the top rising search among people who search for GovDeals, and three of the other rising searches are states: Tennessee, New Jersey and Ohio, with Arizona a few spots further down. We looked at every pickup auction that closed on GovDeals from May 22 to October 23, 2026 to see what trucks actually sold for, how prices are moving, and how those four markets compare.

The headline numbers

Almost every truck with a known outcome sold. Of the lots where we could confirm the result, 99% sold. (For another 1,109 lots GovDeals never reported a final status, so we left them out of the sell-through number instead of counting them as unsold.) About 41 bids per truck means you're rarely the only bidder on a pickup.

Trend: prices are rising into fall

The median pickup went from about $3,610 in June to $4,050 in October, up roughly 12%. Bids per truck stayed flat at around 40, so buyers aren't piling in on each truck; they're paying more for the trucks they win. Five months isn't long enough to separate a seasonal pattern (fall work and plowing season) from a longer trend. Either way, a max bid you set in June is probably too low now.

Model year sets the price more than anything else

Each step newer roughly doubles the price. The most competitive trucks are 2015–2019 models, at almost 50 bids each: new enough to be reliable, cheap enough that a lot of buyers can afford them. Trucks from 2020 and later are rarer (agencies keep them longer) and draw fewer bidders at their price.

By make

Ford dominates government fleets: 4,344 of the 8,329 pickups (52%) were Fords (median $3,838), followed by Chevrolet (2,074, $3,750), Ram/Dodge (1,061, $4,000) and GMC (446, $3,231). Toyota is rare (139 trucks) but had the highest median at $6,850 and the most bids per truck (47). Tacomas and Tundras hold their value and buyers know it.

Market spotlights: the states people are searching

State medians mostly reflect how old each state's trucks are, so we also show the median for 2015–2019 trucks only. That shows whether a state is actually cheap or just selling older trucks.

*Small sample: 28 New Jersey and 22 Arizona trucks from 2015–2019. Treat these as rough.

Tennessee: lots of trucks, lots of competition

Tennessee had the second-most pickups of any state (568, just behind Texas) and nearly all of them sold. We confirmed only 2 unsold. The median is a modest $3,550, but that's because the typical Tennessee truck is a 2010. Newer trucks there sell for more than the national rate ($8,601 for 2015–2019 trucks vs. $7,500 nationally), at 44 bids per truck. There's plenty to choose from in Tennessee, but newer, clean trucks get bid up. The better value is usually in the older, higher-mileage work trucks that most bidders skip.

Ohio: older trucks are cheap, newer trucks are expensive

Ohio is Tennessee's twin on volume (534) and median model year (2010), with a lower overall median of $3,175. The split by age is the story. Older 2010–2014 Ohio trucks sold for $3,451, below the $4,150 national median, while 2015–2019 trucks went for $9,366, the highest of any big state. Ohio fleets are heavy-duty and plow-equipped (about 47% are 2500/3500-class or F-250+ and 38% are listed as 4x4), and salt is hard on older trucks. Buyers pay for newer trucks that haven't rusted out yet and discount the older ones. If you can inspect the frame and rockers in person, older Ohio trucks are where the cheap ones are.

New Jersey: older trucks and the fewest bidders

New Jersey's trucks are the oldest of the four (median model year 2008) and the most heavy-duty (58% are 2500/3500-class, 50% are 4x4). Expect municipal plow and public-works trucks. They also drew the fewest bids, 32 per truck versus about 41 nationally, so there's less competition here than in Tennessee or Ohio. The $3,050 median comes with Northeast rust risk and heavier repair needs. Bid only after you've priced in repairs, and check that the plow, lift gate or utility body is actually included in the lot.

Arizona: rust-free trucks at a premium

Arizona is a small market (57 pickups in five months) but the hottest: 49.7 bids per truck, the most of any state we looked at, and the highest median of the four at $5,750. That high median comes from newer trucks (median 2015). For 2015–2019 trucks, Arizona's median of $7,150 was actually a little below the national number. Dry-climate trucks without rust draw buyers from other states, so expect a bidding war and budget for transport if you're not local.

For comparison: New York

New York had the cheapest trucks of any high-volume state: a $1,863 median, and 2010–2014 trucks sold for just $1,825 (vs. $4,150 nationally). Many of these are upstate plow trucks with heavy salt exposure, and the low prices reflect that. Some are cheap for good reason; a few are just cheap. Inspect before you bid.

How to use this when you bid on a truck

1. Start with model year. Compare the listing to the model-year table above. A 2016 at $4,000 with three days left will probably sell closer to $7,500.
2. Adjust for the state. Rust Belt and Northeast trucks (Ohio, New Jersey, New York) are cheaper because of condition. Southern and desert trucks (Tennessee, Texas, Arizona) bring more because they've held up better.
3. Check title and pickup terms. Make sure the title is clean and transferable and that you can meet the removal deadline. See how to flip surplus vehicles for the full checklist.
4. Price the transport. An Arizona truck that's $500 cheaper isn't a deal if it costs $1,200 to ship. Our car auctions near me page lists vehicle lots closing near you.
5. Assume prices keep rising. With October medians about 12% above June's, use recent sold results to set your max bid, not ones from the spring.

Methodology

We include every GovDeals listing in the "Pickup Trucks" category with an auction end date from May 22 to October 23, 2026 (8,329 lots). "Sold" means GovDeals' status, bid history or bid count confirmed a sale (7,124 lots); 96 were confirmed unsold, and 1,109 never reported a final status, so we left them out of the sell-through figure. Prices are the final winning bid before the buyer's premium and taxes. Make, model year and state come from the listing. "Heavy-duty" means the title mentions F-250/350/450 or 2500/3500, and "4x4" means the title mentions 4x4 or 4WD, so both are lower bounds. Dump, utility, bucket and other work-truck categories aren't included. Google Trends searches are US, 2004–present, "rising queries" for GovDeals.

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