Edmonton Journal reporter Gordon Kent recently identified Alberta’s capital as “one of the world’s biggest centres for industrial equipment auctions.”
As you deal with narrow margins that accompany a sputtering Alberta economy, you can’t afford to take chances on used iron that might not be up to the task; instead, you want the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re buying an asset you can rely on.
Stony Plain-based industry veteran Ken Shultis agrees. From his perspective, buying used equipment from anyone is a matter of trust. “It’s the biggest thing in the industry,” says the president of the appropriately named, Integrity Trading and Consulting, a company that purchases and sells used construction machinery and parts globally. “If you can’t trust your supplier, don’t deal with them.”
Just a few clicks east on16A at Cat Auction Services yard in Acheson, Doug Nordlund is bringing the word “trust” to life as he puts the finishing touches on an inspection of a John Deere excavator which will be featured in an upcoming Cat Auction Services event in Edmonton. IronPlanet guarantees that the report Nordlund produces on the machine is a fair representation of the equipment in its true condition.
Nordlund serves as one of more than 350 professional inspectors employed by IronPlanet around the world. With an average of more than 23 years of heavy equipment experience, the IronPlanet inspection team serves as the eyes and ears of customers in the buying process.
IronPlanet inspection reports, which you can review before you make a bid, include ratings and comments for key systems and components, functional test results and around 15-25 photographs and sometimes video; we counted 92 photos and two videos for an auction-bound 2012 John Deere 350G LC track excavator bound for this month’s used equipment auction at the River Cree. And on equipment that’s more than one year old, reports include lab analysis of oil and fluids in major components and systems.
Most importantly, IronPlanet stands behind its inspectors and the reports they produce. “When you go to other auction houses and you buy a machine, it’s yours, regardless of the condition,” says Nordlund, who has more than 40-years of experience as a heavy duty mechanic under his belt. “When you buy from IronPlanet, if there’s something that we miss in our inspection, let’s say the differential’s no good, or the tracks are in terrible shape, IronPlanet will look after you. We’ll either buy it back or pay to have it fixed.”
A focus on quality control ensures inspection standards remain high throughout the IronPlanet organization. Inspectors are required to regularly update their knowledge through IronPlanet University and receive timely bulletins to keep them abreast of any issues. “If people have had problems with machines in a certain area, then that information gets out to all of us in the field."
