The Backlog Looks Good. The Fleet Math Does Not.
Nonresidential planning is strengthening while material, labor, and financing costs keep climbing. Contractors may have work ahead, but the next equipment purchase still needs a harder test.
#fleet strategy
5 articles
Rental Demand Is Becoming the Equipment Market's New Baseline
ARA's updated 2026 forecast puts U.S. equipment rental revenue at $83.5 billion. The signal goes beyond rental yards. It changes how contractors should think about owning, renting, and timing fleet moves.
The Compact Track Loader Undercarriage Bill Is Coming Due
Compact track loaders carried the last cycle of small-contractor work and outsold skid steers for the fifth year running. The machines that kept that boom moving are now arriving at the hour count where undercarriage cost stops being theoretical and starts hitting P&Ls.
Rental Fleets Are Eating the Best Used Machines
Used construction equipment is not simply getting scarce. More of the clean iron is moving into rental fleets, which changes the math for contractors, dealers, and anyone waiting for a cheap machine to appear on the used market.
140 Days to the IIJA Cliff: What Equipment Owners Should Be Doing Right Now
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act expires on September 30, 2026. Congress has not introduced a reauthorization bill. For contractors and equipment owners, the next four and a half months are not a wait-and-see window. They are a planning window.