Trust is the currency of the used equipment market — and the numbers prove it

Insights from a Ritchie Bros. survey at CONEXPO 2026 

The used heavy equipment market runs on trust. Before a buyer commits to a six-figure machine they may never see in person, before a seller hands over keys to a decades-old piece of iron — both sides are relying on trust. That the platform connecting them is honest. That the transaction will close the way it’s supposed to. 

At CONEXPO 2026 in Las Vegas, Ritchie Bros. set out to measure exactly how much trust matters — and to whom. 

The research 

In March 2026, we conducted a survey of attendees at CONEXPO, one of the largest construction trade shows in the world. To ensure unbiased responses, the survey was fielded by an internal team with no Ritchie Bros. branding on any materials. Participants qualified only if they had bought or sold used heavy equipment in the past 12 months — meaning every response came from someone actively in the market. 

One hundred and twelve people completed the survey. They were contractors, dealers, rental companies, and end users. Buyers, sellers, and both. The questions covered unaided and aided brand awareness, platform usage, trust attributes, and open-ended sentiment. 

Here’s what we found. 

Ritchie Bros. leads on awareness — unaided and aided 

When asked to name companies or platforms that come to mind when buying or selling used heavy equipment — with no prompts, no logos, no lists — Ritchie Bros. came out on top. It was the first answer out of the gate for more respondents than any other brand. 

When we then showed participants a list of known brands and asked which they recognized, Ritchie Bros. again led the field at 79% aided awareness. Facebook followed at 63%, Craigslist at 61%, and other platforms trailed further behind. 

That kind of awareness — unprompted, at the top of the list — is not accidental. It reflects decades of market presence, consistent service, and a brand that has become synonymous with how heavy equipment changes hands. 

The Facebook Marketplace reality 

Facebook Marketplace has become a genuine competitor in the used equipment space.  

“Most people already have the app on their phone,” one respondent noted. However, the same respondents who cited Facebook’s convenience also described its risks: unsecured payment, scam exposure, no inspection process, DIY paperwork, and no accountability if something goes wrong. When the iron costs $80,000, those risks are not abstract. 

Ritchie Bros. owns the trust advantage 

Here is where the data becomes most instructive. 

Respondents who rated Ritchie Bros. alongside their most frequently used platform on a series of trust attributes gave Ritchie Bros. the highest scores across the board — on every single attribute measured. 

The survey evaluated trust across three dimensions: 

Perception Trust — how trustworthy a company feels before you engage. This includes trustworthiness and transparency. Ritchie Bros. led. 

Experience Trust — how well the platform performs during an actual transaction. For buyers: fair pricing, inspection transparency, and quality of inventory. For sellers: fast payout, buyer demand, and sale certainty. Ritchie Bros. led. 

Behavioral Trust — the ultimate measure: likelihood to use again. This is where intention becomes action, where a satisfied customer becomes a repeat customer. Ritchie Bros. led here too. 

The pattern is unambiguous. Customers trust Ritchie Bros. before they engage, their experience reinforces that trust, and they come back. 

What the words reveal 

When asked to describe Ritchie Bros. in their own words, respondents reached for: auction, big, easy, good, fast, great, large, deals, fair. 

What stands out in that word cloud is not just the positivity — it’s the specificity. “Fair.” “Deals.” “Fast.” These are not vague brand impressions. They are transactional words, the language of people who have done business and found it worthwhile. 

What this means for the industry 

The used equipment market is fragmenting. More platforms, more peer-to-peer transactions, more options for buyers and sellers at every size. That is not going away. 

But the survey makes one thing clear: when the stakes are high, trust wins. The no-fee appeal of a free marketplace erodes quickly when a transaction falls apart — when a piece of equipment arrives in worse condition than advertised, when payment doesn’t come through, when there’s no one to call. 

The buyers and sellers who have worked with Ritchie Bros. know what they’re getting: a transparent process, verified listings, accountable transactions, and a platform that has done this at scale for decades. 

Awareness brought people to the table. Trust is what keeps them there. 

Want to learn about how Ritchie Bros. is the world’s most trusted equipment marketplace? Get in touch.

Survey conducted at CONEXPO 2026, Las Vegas, March 3–7, 2026. N=112 qualified respondents (buyers and/or sellers of used heavy equipment in the past 12 months). Survey fielded with no Ritchie Bros. branding to ensure unbiased responses. 

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