The US MEWP rental market grew 4% in 2025 to roughly USD 15.8 billion, the fleet expanded 2% to about 875,000 units, rental rates rose 2%, utilization slipped to 70%, and IPAF expects revenue to grow around 5% in 2026. Those figures come from IPAF’s 2026 Rental Market Report, released in June. One scope note before drawing any conclusion: IPAF’s report covers mobile elevating work platforms and excludes telescopic material handlers from its fleet statistics. Read the numbers as a signal of US rental-fleet investment conditions, not as a telehandler market count.
The macro signal still matters if you buy or sell material handling equipment, because the same rental companies allocate capex across both categories, and the demand IPAF cites, data centre construction and facilities management, uses telehandlers as heavily as it uses access platforms. IPAF attributes the utilization dip to 70% more to fleet growth than to weaker demand, with large projects continuing to absorb capacity. This suggests the big national fleets resumed expansion slightly ahead of demand, a pattern typical of the early phase of an investment cycle rather than the late one. That is an inference from the data, not a statement in the report.
Europe reads differently. The European MEWP rental market grew 2% to EUR 3.6 billion, with fleet growth of just 1% as operators prioritised replacement over expansion. Performance split sharply by country: Spain showed the strongest momentum, Italy and the Nordics grew at a healthy pace, while Germany, France, the UK and the Netherlands stayed under pressure. Average rate increases of about 1% failed to cover rising costs for many operators.
The telehandler-specific evidence is a separate signal, and it points the same way. Genie launched the GTH-1544 on 24 June 2026, a 15,000 lb, 44 ft 7 in pick-and-carry machine the company links directly to rental utilization and large-project material shuttling. JLG announced its redesigned SkyTrak 10042, 10054 and 12054 for North America on 21 July 2026. LGMG brought the 12,000 lb, 56 ft 1 in H1256 to the US market this year with rental fleets named as the target application. Three OEM launches in one quarter, all high-capacity rental-spec telehandlers, is product planning that anticipates fleet replacement orders.
If you run equipment in the US, the two signals together frame the 2026 decision. Ample rental supply and 2% rate growth keep renting cheap for peak coverage; buying wins where a machine works most of the year on your own projects. For purchased units, three channels compete: dealer-backed Western brands such as Genie, JLG and Caterpillar with the strongest resale values and next-day parts counters at the highest acquisition cost, direct-import machines from Chinese factories that compete hard on acquisition price for comparable specs, and late-model used units, whose availability depends on how long rental companies hold their fleets and is worth checking rather than assuming.
Entry requirements differ by region. A new diesel machine imported into the US needs an EPA-certified engine covered by a valid Certificate of Conformity, an emissions label on the engine that matches it, and the correct import declaration, EPA Form 3520-21 for nonroad engines and equipment. Ask any direct-import supplier for the engine brand and family name in writing before you commit. In the EU, CE marking under the Machinery Directive applies now, and the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 takes over for machines placed on the market from 20 January 2027. On current momentum, Spain and Italy are friendlier entry points than Germany or France, where utilization pressure is limiting fleet budgets.
The cost-sensitive segment to watch is the independent rental company. IPAF notes pressure was most visible among smaller independents, and a buyer under margin pressure compares total acquisition cost more aggressively than a national fleet with framework deals. Before committing 2026 capex, price all three channels against your own utilization record. Paperwork clears customs when it lines up end to end: certified engine family, matching label, valid Certificate of Conformity, correct declaration form.
## Sources
– [IPAF 2026 Rental Market Reports — IPAF](https://www.ipaf.org/en/news/ipafs-2026-rental-market-reports-highlight-slower-growth-europe-and-stronger-us-performance)
– [Genie GTH-1544 Press Release, 24 June 2026 — Genie](https://www.genielift.com/docs/default-source/press-releases/en/2026/gth-1544.pdf)
– [Redesigned SkyTrak 10042, 10054, 12054, 21 July 2026 — JLG](https://www.jlg.com/en/press-releases/2026/07/21/jlg-redesigned-skytrak-telehandlers)
– [LGMG H1256 High-Performance Telehandler — LGMG North America](https://www.lgmgna.com/lgmg-introduces-new-high-performance-telehandler)