RSC Holdings announced second-quarter rental revenue of $405 million, a 5.3-percent increase from $385 million in rental volume during the second quarter of 2007. Rentals represented 90 percent of RSC's revenue, which totaled $449 million for the quarter, a 1.4-percent year-over-year increase.

Equipment rental volume for the first six months of 2008 was $777.2 million, a 6.1-percent increase compared with $732.6 million in the same period in 2007, with total revenues increasing 2.6 percent from $849.2 percent last year to $871.1 percent this year.

Same-store rental revenue growth was 4.4 percent and the company's industrial business continued to outperform the rest of the business in revenue growth. Rental rates rose 0.9 percent on a sequential basis from the first quarter, but were down 0.5 percent year over year. Utilization of fleet increased to 71.6 percent in the second quarter, compared with 68.6 percent during the second quarter of 2008.

“Our strong performance is a direct result of proactively managing the operating levers of our business by focusing on sustained rental rates and high utilization through reduced capex and fleet redeployment,” said Erik Olsson, RSC president and CEO.

Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., RSC Equipment Rental is No. 2 on the RER 100.

United Rentals announced second-quarter 2008 income from continuing operations of $47 million, compared with $67 million for the second quarter of 2007, a 44.8-percent drop. The decrease is primarily the result of lower gross profit in a softening rental environment as well as a $14 million after-tax provision relating to the Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry.

Rental revenue for the second quarter was $621 million, a 5.8-percent decrease compared with the second quarter of 2007. Total revenue plunged 13.6 percent, from $962 million in the second quarter of 2007 to $831 million for the same period in 2008. Rental revenue for first six months of 2008 was $1.19 billion, compared to $1.23 billion for the first half of 2007, a 2.8-percent slide. Total revenue for the six-month period was $1.6 billion, a 10.9-percent decrease from the first half of 2007's total of $1.8 billion.