Beckom-based shearing contractor Natasha Hodge said she was looking for second-hand utes to get her workers to farms, but found some vehicles that cost more than the price of a new car.

"A car could be five years old and they still want a brand new price for it," she said.

"So it's just not an option. You're better off waiting and getting a brand-new car."

Mrs Hodge said she had already seen similar models going for "over $30,000 more" than she paid for the vehicle she bought new last year after waiting six months.

She said the inability to find vehicles for her business meant they had to pass the cost of transport in workers' private vehicles onto farmers.

Chris Melmoth from Murrumbidgee Car Sales said people were "too impatient" to wait 12 months for a new car and that was driving up demand for used vehicles.

"Cars are selling very fast, simple as that," he said. "At the moment, demand is certainly outstripping the supply."

Mr Melmoth said if someone was wanting an in-demand vehicle, like a small automatic or four-wheel drive, "you've got to move fast".

"If a car is here more than 14 days at the moment, it's very surprising," he said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Used-car prices went up by 21 per cent across Australia in 2021 and will continue to rise, although by a more modest 3.6 per cent, according to a report by Moody's Analytics.

"The shortage of new vehicles has occurred alongside a tightening in supplies of used vehicles - drivers are unwilling or unable to trade in their vehicles," the company said.

"Combined, these trends have created a perfect storm, manifesting as unprecedented prices."

Mr Melmoth said he believed the current spike in prices had "another good couple of years in it".

"Most new vehicles are out to anywhere between a six to 12-month wait," he said.

"So while that's the case, used cars aren't going to go down."

The Moody's report, released in January, said used-car prices dipped in the third quarter of 2021 during extended lockdowns in NSW and Victoria, but rebounded again once restrictions eased and household spending increased.