Auction sales of rental and construction equipment rose 4.7 percent in March compared to February, according to Rouse Asset Services. Rouse recorded prices for 3,731 units that sold at 35 separate auction sales conducted across North America, generating $89.6 million in gross auction proceeds.
March orderly liquidation values for used equipment across 14 major rental category indices tracked by Rouse increased 1.1 percent compared with February values. For the six months ending March 31, average index values increased 5.3 percent.
For the one-month period, excavators led the way with a 5.3-percent increase, followed by industrial forklifts at 4.3 percent. For the six-month period high-reach forklifts set the pace with a 14.3-percent increase, followed by articulating boomlifts at 13 percent, telescopic boomlifts at 9.6 percent and loader backhoes at 7.7 percent.
The Rouse report added that January 2012 rental rates increased 6.5 percent compared to January 2011 for the rental companies participating in Rouse’s Rental Metrics Benchmark Service.
