GA Advisory and Valuation Services LLC, a division of Great American Group (GA), has published its inaugural issue of the Transportation Monitor, a bi-annual publication that provides analysis of the transportation industry from a manufacturing and wholesaling perspective, including industry valuation trends.

The Transportation Monitor also reports on merger and acquisition activity in key industries, including the rental construction and crane market. In 2015, top crane renters in the U.S. have completed multiple large mergers and acquisitions of competitors in order to increase their market share, spurred by demand for tower cranes used for commercial and residential high-rise construction.

"Transportation markets have experienced slow but steady growth in the first half of the year," commented Michael Petruski, executive vice president and general manager of GA Advisory and Valuation Services. "Proliferation of intermodal transportation has been a key factor in the overall growth of the market. Though declining recently, the oil and gas industry continues to be a strong driver of demand in the transportation sector."

According to GA analysts, Class 8 heavy-duty tractors continue to represent a strong segment in the transportation sector, with 2015 expected to exhibit the highest level of unit production since 2006, which has bolstered the market for used tractors. "We are seeing used Class 8 tractors continuing to maintain high resale values as later-model equipment comes in from fleet operators," noted Petruski.

The June 2015 Transportation Monitor issue also reports the U.S. aerospace industry grew 4% to $228.4 billion in 2014 driven by record orders for new aircraft. GA analysts see continued growth this year based on more efficient aircraft introductions, new requirements for more aircraft to support the projected long-term traffic growth, record capacity utilization rates, and the low cost of financing new aircraft. "While defense spending is projected to decrease over the next decade, healthy commercial demand is expected to drive the aerospace sector," added Petruski.