Order books are full, yet construction equipment is going under the hammer more often

Order backlog in civil engineering rises to an average of 10.3 months; number of construction auctions via Troostwijk Auctions up 16.2%

Amsterdam, 11 september 2026 – The number of auctions of construction and earthmoving equipment via Troostwijk Auctions in the Netherlands rose by 16.2% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. The number of lots sold increased by 2.5% over the same period. This development is notable against the backdrop of well-filled order books in civil engineering. In April, companies had an average of 10.3 months' worth of work on their books, according to figures from the Economic Institute for the Construction Industry. In civil engineering specifically, the order backlog rose to as much as 12.1 months.

This is according to the Troostwijk Auctions Index Construction & Earthmoving Netherlands, an analysis of auction data over the first half of 2026. The difference between the growth in the number of auctions and the number of lots sold points to more individual sales events, each with, on average, fewer lots sold per auction.

Well-filled order books, but ongoing pressure
Well-filled order books do not mean the construction sector is free of challenges. According to CBS, turnover in the second quarter of 2026 was 5.2% higher than a year earlier. This increase was mainly driven by the fact that June had two more working days than in 2025. Specialised construction companies recorded the largest turnover growth at 6.0%, followed by civil engineering at 5.9% and residential and non-residential construction at 3.8%.

At the same time, conditions remain challenging. Prices in the timber and construction materials industry were 4.5% higher in the second quarter than a year earlier, and there were 28,600 vacancies open in construction. This makes the efficient use of available people, machinery, materials and storage space increasingly important.

"Among our clients, we are seeing that even active companies are taking a sharper look at what they actually need for upcoming work," says Floris Bakels, Account Manager Construction & Infrastructure at Troostwijk Auctions. "Once a project is completed, machines or materials sometimes remain that won't be redeployed straight away. Rather than letting them sit idle for a long time, it can be attractive to sell them while they still hold value for another user."

More auctions, fewer lots sold on average
The total number of auctions of construction and earthmoving equipment via Troostwijk Auctions in the Netherlands rose from 517 in the first half of 2025 to 601 in the same period in 2026, an increase of 16.2%. The number of lots sold rose from 3,337 to 3,421 over the same period, an increase of 2.5%. Because the number of auctions increased more sharply than the number of lots sold, the average number of lots sold per auction fell by around 11.8%.

The figures thus show that construction equipment came to market via more individual auctions, with fewer lots sold per auction on average. The data does not indicate how many lots were originally offered, why individual sellers sold their equipment, or which group of sellers was specifically responsible for the growth.

A range of reasons for selling equipment
The growth in the number of auctions at Troostwijk Auctions came entirely from sales outside of bankruptcies. The number of auctions in this broad category rose from 442 to 549, an increase of 24.2%. The number of bankruptcy auctions, by contrast, fell from 75 to 52.

Troostwijk Auctions groups the various sales routes outside of bankruptcies under the term 'voluntary sales'. This category includes traders and dealers reselling equipment, as well as active companies that no longer use certain machines or materials. It also includes entrepreneurs who decide themselves to wind down or close their business, for example because they are reaching retirement age. The data does not show how the reasons for selling are distributed, nor how large the different groups of sellers are.

"There isn't just one type of voluntary seller," explains Bakels. "Sometimes it's equipment that no longer fits future projects, or that has been replaced by another machine. Other times, a clear out uncovers a machine that has been sitting unused in a warehouse for some time. And sometimes an entrepreneur decides to retire after a long working life. In all these cases, equipment that is no longer being used can be put back into productive use elsewhere."

Used equipment takes on a broader market role
The auction figures are not a benchmark for the entire Dutch construction sector and do not prove a direct link between well-filled order books and the growth in the number of auctions. They do show that used construction equipment is coming to market via more individual sales events, and that this growth at Troostwijk Auctions is not being driven by an increase in bankruptcy auctions.

"A full order book doesn't mean every machine is needed at every moment," says Ward van den Boorn, Country Director Netherlands at Troostwijk Auctions. "A well-functioning market for used equipment ensures machines find their way more quickly to a place where they can be put to productive use. That's economically attractive for both buyer and seller, and it extends the lifespan of the equipment at the same time."

About the Troostwijk Auctions Index Construction & Earthmoving Netherlands
The Troostwijk Auctions Index Construction & Earthmoving Netherlands is based on an analysis of auctions of construction and earthmoving equipment via Troostwijk Auctions in the Netherlands. The first half of 2026 has been compared with the same period in 2025. Only sold lots with a sale value of at least €1,000 were included in the analysis of lots. The figures relate exclusively to activity via Troostwijk Auctions and do not represent the entire Dutch market for used construction equipment.