December 15, 2009 – In its November 2009 Construction Rental Report, Rouse Asset Services, an appraiser for rental, dealer, and construction equipment, reported that major North American equipment rental firms decreased their total fleets by 9 percent between September 30, 2008, and September 30, 2009, as measured by invested cost, and 11 percent as measured by total units. Reach equipment showed moderate declines (as measured by OEC $) with articulating boom lifts down 7 percent, scissor lifts down 9 percent, telescopic booms down 6 percent, and telescopic forklifts down 5 percent.

Rouse also indicated the average age for all rental equipment categories totaled 46.5 months. Telescopic boom lifts have aged the most with the average age reaching 51.1 months, followed by articulating boom lifts at 47.2 months, scissor lifts at 45.5 months, and high-reach forklifts at 44.8 months. Age is defined as the number of months since the equipment unit was first placed in service. Industry average age by category and in total is determined by multiplying individual equipment ages by their respective original cost and dividing the sum of those individual calculations by the total original cost of the same equipment.