IPAF: MEWPs Bounce Back

The U.S. mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) rental market has boomed to exceed pre-pandemic levels, though some key indicators such as rental and utilization rates have yet to return to levels seen in 2019.

Uncertainty around high inflation and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine cloud the outlook for 2023-24, according to the latest analysis conducted for the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) by Ducker.

• In the U.S., MEWP rental revenue increased by 15% and reached US$13.6 billion in 2022, owing to a strong economy and high demand.
• MEWP fleet size in the U.S. grew by 10%, as rental companies resumed increasing fleet size in a bid to cap utilization rates from further rises.
• Utilization rates rose to 73% on average, previously unseen levels in the U.S. market. Despite lead times improving on new OEM MEWPs, rental companies reported backlogs persisting in 2022-23.

Owing to ongoing supply-chain issues, average retention period increased in the U.S., raising concerns about ageing fleets, which is expected to keep investment levels high in 2023. As predicted in 2022’s report, high tariffs imposed on Chinese-manufactured machines restricted availability in the market, increasing purchase-price pressures.

The MEWP rental market has boomed to exceed pre-pandemic levels, according to IPAF.

• U.S. average rental rates increased by 5% in 2022 to compensate for the increase in MEWP procurement costs and inflationary pressures.

Most companies expected further rental rate increases in 2023, though at a slower pace, as is it hard to sustain client relationships with high year-on-year increases.