Economic Uncertainty Extending Sales Cycles in Used Heavy Equipment Market

LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New Sandhills Global market reports show continued inventory decreases for used heavy-duty construction equipment on MachineryTrader.com and other Sandhills platforms. Used crawler dozers and wheel loaders account for the most significant August inventory decreases month over month and year over year, respectively. Although asking and auction values are trending down in this market, there were marginal M/M upticks in August. While equipment dealers are reporting slower sales activity and more cautious buyers, rental demand remains strong.

Inventory levels of used tractors, combine harvesters, heavy- and medium-duty trucks, and semi-trailers are also trending down. Sandhills observed M/M value increases in several used farm equipment markets and among used trucks and semi-trailers in August.

The key metric in all of Sandhills' market reports is the Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI). Buyers and sellers can use the information in the Sandhills EVI to monitor equipment markets and maximize returns on acquisition, liquidation, and related business decisions. The Sandhills EVI data include equipment available in auction and retail markets and model-year equipment actively in use. EVI spread measures the percentage difference between asking and auction values.

Market Report Details

Sandhills market reports highlight the most significant changes in Sandhills' used heavy-duty truck, semi-trailer, farm machinery, and construction equipment markets. Key points from the current reports are listed below. Full reports are available upon request.

U.S. Used Heavy-Duty Construction Equipment

• Inventory levels in this market fell 2.56% M/M and 10.45% Y/Y in August and are trending down. Used crawler dozers had the largest M/M inventory change, down 3.78%, while used wheel loaders had the largest Y/Y inventory change, down 11.94%.
• Asking values showed a slight increase of 0.52% M/M but decreased 1.55% Y/Y and are trending down. Used crawler dozers had the largest M/M asking value change, up 0.53%, while used crawler excavators had the largest Y/Y asking value change, down 3.58%.
• Auction values remained almost flat in August, increasing 0.31% M/M, but decreased 1.29% Y/Y and are trending down. Used wheel loaders had the largest M/M auction value change, up 1.01%, while used crawler excavators had the largest Y/Y auction value change, down 2.6%.

U.S. Used Medium-Duty Construction Equipment

• Inventory levels of used medium-duty construction equipment increased 0.71% M/M in August but dropped 11.41% Y/Y and are trending sideways. Used loader backhoes had the largest inventory changes, down 2.63% M/M and 23.52% Y/Y.
• Asking values decreased 0.74% M/M and 0.22% Y/Y and are trending sideways. Used mini excavators had the largest M/M asking value change, down 1.05%, while used track skid steers had the largest Y/Y asking value change, down 1.19%.
• Auction values decreased 0.77% M/M but showed a marginal increase of 0.07% Y/Y and are trending down. Used track skid steers had the largest M/M auction value change, down 2.04%, while used loader backhoes had the largest Y/Y auction value change, up 2.65%.

U.S. Used Aerial Lifts

• Inventory levels of used aerial lifts dipped 2.02% M/M and 3.75% Y/Y in August and are trending sideways. Used rough-terrain scissor lifts had the largest M/M inventory change, down 5.48%, while used telescopic boom lifts had the largest Y/Y inventory change, down 10.64%.
• Asking values decreased 0.66% M/M and 2.73% Y/Y and are trending down. Used telescopic boom lifts had the largest asking value changes, down 4.29% M/M and 7.26% Y/Y.
• Auction values fell 3.29% M/M and 6.36% Y/Y and are trending down for the fourth month in a row. Used telescopic boom lifts had the largest auction value changes, down 8.67% M/M and 11.51% Y/Y.

U.S. Used Forklifts

• Used forklift inventory levels increased 1.98% M/M and jumped 13.94% Y/Y in August and are trending up. Used cushion-tire forklifts had the largest inventory changes, up 2.86% M/M and 16.78% Y/Y.
• Asking values increased 1.46% M/M but decreased 0.98% Y/Y and are trending sideways. Used pneumatic-tire forklifts had the largest M/M asking value change, up 2.18%, while used cushion-tire forklifts had the largest Y/Y asking value change, down 5.09%.
• Auction values were down 0.46% M/M and 2.5% Y/Y and are trending sideways. Used cushion-tire forklifts had the largest auction value changes, down 2.59% M/M and 8.86% Y/Y.

U.S. Used Telehandlers

• Inventory levels of U.S. used telehandlers decreased 1.69% M/M and 6.56% Y/Y in August and are trending sideways.
• Asking values dipped 1.24% M/M and 7.03% Y/Y and are trending down.
• Auction values increased 0.31% M/M but decreased 5.29% Y/Y and are trending down.

U.S. Used Tractors 100 Horsepower and Greater

• Inventory levels in the used high-HP tractor market decreased 0.96% M/M in August and were 15.49% lower than last year. Inventory levels in this market are trending down, continuing a pattern that has persisted for several months. Used 175-to-299-HP tractors had the largest M/M inventory change, down 1.73%, while used 100-to-174-HP tractors had the largest Y/Y inventory change, down 20.43%.
• Asking values increased 0.79% M/M, remained nearly flat Y/Y with a 0.09% decrease, and are trending up. Used 100-to-174-HP tractors had the largest M/M asking value change, up 1.15%, while used 175-to-299-HP tractors had the largest Y/Y asking value change, up 1.51%.
• Auction values increased 2.3% M/M and 4.45% Y/Y and are trending up. Used 175-to-299-HP tractors had the largest auction value changes, up 3.54% M/M and 5.97% Y/Y.
• The EVI spread, which measures the percentage difference between asking and auction values, was 31% in August, a two-percentage-point decrease from 33% in July.

U.S. Used Combines

• Used combine harvester inventory levels fell 3.86% M/M and 10.18% Y/Y in August and are trending down.
• Asking values increased 2.34% M/M and 1.46% Y/Y and are trending sideways.
• Although auction values increased 3.23% M/M and 4.66% Y/Y in August, they continue to trend down from levels observed earlier in 2026.
• The EVI spread was 37%, a one-percentage-point decrease from 38% in July.

U.S. Used Sprayers

• Inventory levels of used sprayers increased 1.9% M/M but decreased 16.7% Y/Y in August and are trending sideways.
• Asking values increased 0.19% M/M but fell 4.36% Y/Y and have been trending down for the last five months.
• Auction values increased 0.27% M/M but decreased 4.15% Y/Y and are trending down.
• The EVI spread was 40%, unchanged from July.

U.S. Used Planters

• Used planter inventory levels decreased 0.72% M/M and 15.95% Y/Y in August and are trending sideways.
• Asking values rose 4.54% M/M and 6.39% Y/Y and are trending up.
• Auction values jumped 5.07% M/M and 15.35% Y/Y and are trending up.
• The EVI spread decreased from 47% in July to 45% in August and remained lower than the peak values observed in 2015.

U.S. Used Compact and Utility Tractors

• Inventory levels in this market increased 2.07% M/M in August but dropped 22.02% Y/Y and have been trending down for 10 months. Used 40-to-99-HP tractors had the largest M/M inventory change, up 2.72%, while used tractors with less than 40 HP had the largest Y/Y inventory change, down 23.53%.
• Asking values increased 0.53% M/M and 1.61% Y/Y and are trending up. Used 40-to-99-HP tractors had the largest asking value changes, up 0.72% M/M and 1.89% Y/Y.
• Auction values increased 0.33% M/M and 1.7% Y/Y and are trending up. Used 40-to-99-HP tractors had the largest auction value changes, up 0.72% M/M and 2.04% Y/Y.

U.S. Used Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters

• Inventory levels in this market dropped 10.18% M/M and 9.77% Y/Y in August and are trending down.
• Asking values decreased 0.38% M/M but increased 0.45% Y/Y and are trending up.
• Auction values decreased 0.72% M/M but increased 1.08% Y/Y and are trending sideways.

U.S. Used Heavy-Duty Trucks

• Inventory levels of used day cab and sleeper trucks decreased 6.16% M/M and 37.7% Y/Y in August and have been trending down for nine consecutive months. Used day cab trucks had the largest M/M inventory change, down 7.15%, while used sleeper trucks had the largest Y/Y inventory change, down 42.3%.
• Asking values increased 2.99% M/M but decreased 2.2% Y/Y and are trending down. Used day cab trucks had the largest asking value changes, up 3.08% M/M and down 3.7% Y/Y.
• Auction values rose 4.91% M/M and 3.03% Y/Y and are trending up. Used sleeper trucks had the largest auction value changes, up 5.7% M/M and 5.91% Y/Y.

U.S. Used Semi-Trailers

• Inventory levels of used semi-trailers increased 0.7% M/M but decreased 31.38% Y/Y in August and have been trending down for 13 months in a row. Used drop-deck semi-trailers had the largest M/M inventory change, up 10.26%, while used reefer semi-trailers had the largest Y/Y inventory change, down 48.29%.
• Asking values increased 0.46% M/M and 5.88% Y/Y and are trending up. Used dry van semi-trailers had the largest M/M asking value change, down 2.27%, while used reefer semi-trailers had the largest Y/Y asking value change, up 10.45%.
• Auction values increased 1.57% M/M and 11.47% Y/Y and are trending up. Used dry van semi-trailers had the largest M/M auction value change, down 3.59%, while used reefer semi-trailers had the largest Y/Y auction value change, up 21.8%.

U.S. Used Medium-Duty Trucks

• Inventory levels of used medium-duty trucks decreased 1.07% M/M and 33.18% Y/Y in August and have been trending down for 12 consecutive months.
• Asking values increased 0.23% M/M, decreased 6.04% Y/Y, and are trending down.
• Auction values increased 0.45% M/M, decreased 6.42% Y/Y, and are trending down.

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About Sandhills Global

Sandhills Global is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our products and services gather, process, and distribute information through trade publications, websites, and online services that connect buyers and sellers across the construction, agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, heavy equipment, commercial trucking, and aviation industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Global—we are the cloud.

About the Sandhills Equipment Value Index

The Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI) is a principal gauge of the estimated market values of used assets—both currently and over time—across the construction, agricultural, and commercial trucking industries represented by Sandhills Global platforms, including AuctionTime.com, TractorHouse.com, MachineryTrader.com, TruckPaper.com, and other industry-specific equipment platforms. Powered by Value Insight Portal (VIP+), Sandhills' proprietary asset valuation tool, Sandhills EVI provides useful insights into the ever-changing supply-and-demand conditions for each industry.

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