Used equipment prices across the 14 major rental equipment categories increased 1.3 percent in July compared with June for the six months ended July 31, according to Rouse Asset Services’ Rouse Construction Rental Report. Total industry fleet size of the major North American equipment rental companies tracked by Rouse increased 5.1 percent as measured by original equipment cost from June 20 through July 2011.

Ten of the top 14 equipment category indices had one-month hikes ranging from 0.2 percent for excavators to 4.7 percent for skid-steer loaders. Telescopic booms, rolling compaction equipment and industrial warehouse-type forklifts recorded minor one-month value drops, while loader backhoe values decreased 1.6 percent. For the six-month period from February through July 2011, all 14 categories recorded increases, ranging from 3.7 percent for generators to 23.4 percent for scissorlifts.

Also recording high increases for the six-month period were telescopic boomlifts at 22.4 percent; wheel loaders at 19.8 percent; high-reach forklifts at 14.9 percent; skid-steer loaders at 12.3 percent; articulating booms at 9.1 percent; excavators at 8.8 percent; rolling compaction equipment at 7.8 percent; and dozers and light compaction units at 7.5 percent.

The Rouse report includes information on sales by month by major North American equipment rental companies; industry average age by major equipment categories; acquisitions by major category and major manufacturer; relative fleet size and a number of other measures. For more information, check out www.rouseservices.com.