Why I'm Telling Every Truck Buyer to Act Before June

I don't usually make timing predictions. Buyers ask me all the time — "is now a good time to buy?" — and my honest answer is usually "it depends on your situation more than the market."

But right now, I'm saying something different to truck buyers specifically. Act before June if you can.

Here's what I'm actually seeing on the lot and in conversations with buyers over the last six weeks.

The inventory window is closing

Used truck inventory in the Lower Mainland has been quietly building since January. Dealers — including us — have had more quality pre-owned F-150s, F-250s, and Rangers than we typically carry at this time of year. That's created a buyer's window. Prices have softened slightly, selection is strong, and the negotiating environment is calmer than it was six and twelve months ago.

That changes in late spring. It happens every year. The combination of tax refunds being spent, summer road trip planning, and construction season demand all hit simultaneously in May and June. Truck inventory tightens. Prices firm up. The window closes.

What I'm specifically seeing right now

Three weeks ago I helped a buyer from Coquitlam get into a 2022 F-150 XLT with 38,000 km for $54,900. Clean Carfax, one owner, dealer-serviced. In June of last year, that truck would have moved at $58,000 and been gone in a week. He waited for the right one, got it, and saved close to three thousand dollars just by being patient during a softer window.

Last week, a buyer came in convinced she needed a brand new truck. We talked for an hour. She left with a 2023 F-150 Lariat with 22,000 km — the previous owner had done all the break-in mileage and taken the depreciation hit. She paid $12,000 less than the equivalent new build and got a vehicle that was indistinguishable from new in every practical sense.

These conversations happen during inventory windows. They're harder to have when selection is thin.

What to look for if you're shopping now

If you're considering a used truck in the next 60 days, here's what I'd prioritise:

One-owner vehicles with dealer service records. This sounds obvious but it narrows the field fast and you avoid a lot of heartache. A clean service record tells you more about a truck's condition than any cosmetic inspection.

Factory tow packages. If you plan to tow anything — a trailer, a boat, a camper — buying a truck that was optioned with the factory tow package is meaningfully different from adding aftermarket gear. It's not just the hitch. It's the transmission cooler, the upgraded alternator, the integrated trailer brake controller. These trucks hold value differently too.

Check the frame on anything over 100,000 km, especially if it's worked in northern BC or Alberta. I've turned buyers away from trucks that looked great until we got underneath them. I'd rather lose a deal than have someone drive three hours home in something I wouldn't put my own family in.

The honest version of my advice

I'm not trying to manufacture urgency. If you're not ready to buy, don't buy. A car payment you can't afford is worse than any market timing error.

But if you've been considering a truck for a while, and you're financially ready, the next eight weeks are a better environment than what's likely coming in summer. Come by, take a look at what we have, ask questions. No pressure. If the right truck is here, we'll find it together. If it's not here yet, I'll tell you.

That's the job.

— Mimi