Sandhills Global released its January 2026 Construction Equipment reports for the U.S. and Canada., revealing continued inventory declines across most U.S. construction equipment segments, alongside mixed movement in asking and auction values
U.S. Used Heavy-Duty Construction Equipment
- January marked the seventh consecutive month of a downward inventory trend for the U.S. used heavy-duty construction equipment market. Inventory levels fell 2.6% month over month and 13.05% year over year. The used wheel loader category had the steepest inventory declines, down 3.74% M/M and 14.06% Y/Y.
- Asking values were up 1.93% M/M but slipped 2.87% Y/Y and are trending sideways. The strongest M/M asking value gain came from the used crawler excavator category at 2.6%, while used wheel loaders had the largest Y/Y drop at 3.89%.
- Auction values rose 2.91% M/M in January but decreased slightly Y/Y at 0.35%, also maintaining a sideways trend. These changes were led by used crawler excavators, up 4.93% M/M, and used crawler dozers, down 1.13% Y/Y.
U.S. Used Medium-Duty Construction Equipment
- Inventory levels in this market fell 2.17% M/M and 12.82% Y/Y in January and are trending down. Used loader backhoes led other categories in inventory level decreases, down 6.3% M/M and 24.56% Y/Y.
- Asking values increased by 2.55% M/M but slipped 0.76% Y/Y and continued an 11-month-long downward trend. The largest changes occurred in the used loader backhoe category, up 4.36% M/M, and the used track skid steer category, down 1.85% Y/Y.
- Auction values edged up 3.36% M/M and 0.1% Y/Y in January, but the increases weren’t substantial enough to change the trend line. Auction values have now been trending down for six consecutive months. The used loader backhoe category led the pack, delivering the biggest M/M auction value gain at 5.18% and the largest Y/Y rise at 1.56%.
U.S. Used Aerial Lifts
- Inventory levels in the U.S. aerial lift market increased by 0.99% M/M and 3.62% Y/Y in January and are trending up. The used slab scissor lift category led in M/M inventory increases, up 3.04%, while the used rough-terrain scissor lift category led in Y/Y gains, up 13.75%.
- Asking values climbed 5.06% M/M but slipped 1.89% Y/Y and are trending sideways. Used rough-terrain scissor lifts led other categories in M/M asking value increases, up 6.81%. The steepest Y/Y decline occurred in the used telescopic boom lift category, down 3.5%.
- Auction values jumped 7.46% M/M but fell 3.69% Y/Y in January, continuing an 11-month-long downward trend. The sharpest category auction value changes occurred among used rough-terrain scissor lifts, up 8.48% M/M, and used telescopic boom lifts, down 5.78% Y/Y.
U.S. Used Forklifts
- U.S. used forklift inventory levels remained nearly flat M/M in January, with a 0.21% decrease, but surged 30.89% Y/Y. Inventory levels in this market are currently trending sideways. The used cushion-tire forklift category drove inventory changes in this market, posting a 1.79% M/M decrease and a 31.77% Y/Y increase.
- Asking values slipped 1.68% M/M and 3.25% Y/Y and are trending down. Again, the used cushion-tire forklift category led the changes, with asking values dropping 2.47% M/M and 3.51% Y/Y.
- Auction values fell 2.25% M/M and 2.14% Y/Y but maintained a sideways trend. The most pronounced auction value changes occurred in the used cushion-tire forklift category, down 2.44% M/M, and the used pneumatic-tire forklift category, down 2.68% Y/Y.
U.S. Used Telehandlers
- U.S. used telehandler inventory levels decreased by 2.66% M/M and increased by 4.42% Y/Y in January and are trending down.
- Asking values were up 4.49% M/M and 1.07% Y/Y, shifting from a downward trend to a sideways trend in January.
- Auction values rose 9.16% M/M and 0.73% Y/Y in January, also shifting to a sideways trend. This is noteworthy as used telehandler auction values had been trending down for eight consecutive months as of December.
