THE FEDS ARE HAVING A FIRE SALE ON DECOMMISSIONED HUMVEES

Prices start as low as $4,000. Translation: Dude, hurry

BY EVAN BLEIER

The US federal government (bless their cold, calculated, bureaucratic hearts) get many, many, many decisions dead wrong.

But selling off the DOD’s excess supply of Humvees for pennies on the dollar isn’t one of them.

The Humvees — which cost the government more than $220,000 on average — have been "completely demilitarized," come with no title, and are officially being sold for “off-road use only." That’s obviously a big drawback, but the price (as low a $4,000 in some cases) is definitely right on point.

The end of the third quarter is here; now is the time to assess what's left in your 2016 budget and determine your fleet's health and well-being. Are there units you've needed to purchase that have languished in the "hold" column until now? Funds left in your 2016 capital budget (that is about to disappear), can help you spruce up your fleet heading into 2017.

IronPlanet's two-day end-of-quarter sale beginning Thursday, September 29 will cross marketplaces: government surplus including military trucks, oilfield equipment, excavators, skid loaders, compactors, tools, attachments, and more. Check out the 420 backhoes and vibratory drum compactors from the Quinn fleet; well-cared-for Freightliner Cascadia 125 T/A Conventional trucks from Walmart, or this 2013 Kenworth T800 T/A Conventional Day Cab.

Go BIG for two days - you can do it!  This huge auction has over 3,000 items that are inspected, online, and available now to preview. 

Maximize Your ROI When Buying and Selling Used Trucks Online

Paul Blalock, Vice President, Sales, IronPlanet

Every seller wants a great return on their truck investment and every buyer wants to get a good deal. Understanding when to buy or sell and how to take advantage of an online marketplace can make for a low-cost, safe and efficient transaction. Here are a few tips for maximizing returns:  

Assess your Current Business Goals  

Analyze your upcoming business needs and be sure your current fleet supports it. Will you need all of your equipment this season or down the road? You might find that you need to augment what you have or that it might be economical to sell today and buy again later. Disposing of unneeded units now means you’ll have funds at the ready for other investments. If you employ that cash better now, you can pick up a used truck at a later date. 

Know the State of the Used Truck Market 

Always keep current on the economy and the truck marketplace in general before deciding to add or subtract from your truck inventory. If selling, you want to ensure that there is solid demand. If buying, a soft market means more good trucks to choose from at competitive prices. You might buy before the need arises, but getting a good deal allows you to put the extra money into make-ready.

We're telling you this because we care. At some point this weekend, you're going to walk into a store and see holiday stuff, and we don't mean Halloween pumpkins, because that would be OK. No, you're going to see pine trees and little sweet reindeer and lots of ornaments. We know - you haven't even unpacked your camping gear from Labor Day yet, and you're faced with holiday stuff. It's wrong in so many ways.

IronPlanet feels your pain. Here's an idea: cheer yourself up by checking out the used heavy equipment in IronPlanet's Deal of the Day event, happening Monday, September 26 through Friday, September 30. After that, take a look at the 3,000 plus items in the cross-marketplace, two-day end-of-quater sale beginning Thursday, September 29.

Brazil, a country not known for being an introvert, is currently building Belo Monte Dam, the world's biggest hydropower plant in the Amazon basin.

Day and night, some 20,000 laborers are working at the Xingu river, digging a canal about 12 miles long to funnel water to the site of the main power plant. (According to Forbes magazine, "the vast majority of workers building the Belo Monte dam say labor conditions are good to excellent.") At the plant, dozens of excavators dig down through about 230 feet of rock. When complete (projected to be 2019) Brazil will have the world’s third-largest hydroelectric dam. Norte Energia, the managing firm, has hired a second tier of Brazil’s big construction companies to complete the project.

Everything about Belo Monte is BIG, from its $14.4 billion price tag to the earthworks— enough rock and soil excvated to fill the Panama Canal. And there's this. (Warning: this video freaked out the Terminator, Bruce Lee, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)

IronPlanet has been selected to sell construction equipment from the Belo Monte Dam project. From dump trucks to crawler tractors and compactors to excavators and off-road trucks, IronPlanet plans to sell the equipment through its high visibility Daily Marketplace. All of the equipment is backed by IronPlanet’s IronClad Assurance^® equipment condition certification, which assures buyers of an accurate representation of equipment condition so they can buy with confidence. All logistics and transportation details will be handled with the help of our experts at Soimpex and Roll Logistics. 

IronPlanet’s LiveStream Adds New Features to Online Bidding

Place your PriorityBid now for equipment to be auctioned at tomorrow’s Cat Auction Services online sale in Edmonton, AB on September 21. This exciting auction features over 500 items including compact tract loaders, compactors, and more. All items are now available to view, along with our IronClad Assurance inspection reports.

If you want to lower the bottom line of your oilfield business, take a look at the upcoming Kruse Energy auction in Odessa, TX on September 28. You'll find good values on oil field trucks, pumping units, trailers, tools, and more items that will lower the cost of your operation while still giving you excellent service and productivity. 

Investing in a new piece of equipment is a major undertaking, with many decisions to make along the way. If you decide to buy your truck previously-owned, TruckPlanet congratulates you on a smart decision, and offers these three brief thoughts as you look at vehicles:

You Can Upgrade. Off the showroom floor off-brand, or an older model by a respected truck manufacturer? it makes economic sense to go with a well-maintained truck from a reliable source. Semi trucks and conventional tractor-trailers are designed to last for hundreds of thousands of miles, so you can afford to upgrade to a better make or model without having to worry about replacing it in just a few years. TruckPlanet has many well-maintained T/A conventional sleepr cabs from Walmart and dump trucks (and more) from Natural Stone Wholesalers in our huge September 22 auction.

Eliminate Unnecessary Extras. Rather than shelling out extra money for bells and whistles, purchase a slightly used vehicle that has what you need.

Lower Operating Costs. The difference in insurance and taxes on vehicles even three years old will save money in your overall operating costs.

Looking to finance your equipment? IronPlanet now offers buyers instant financing on equipment purchases with Express, by Currency Capital and financing options from Cat Financial. Instant financing, along with IronPlanet's IronClad Assurance® equipment condition certification is just another way IronPlanet helps you buy online with confidence.

Ritchie, IronPlanet CEOs Discuss Recent Acquisition

Ravi Saligram, CEO of Ritchie Bros., and Gregory J. Owens, chairman and CEO of IronPlanet, spoke to Construction Equipment Guide (CEG) about what the future holds.

Despite early indications that IronPlanet was to eventually go public, the company decided that the Ritchie Bros. plan was more desirable and a better investment for IronPlanet investors.

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated and IronPlanet have jointly announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Ritchie Bros. will acquire IronPlanet for approximately $758.5 million, subject to customary closing adjustments. The deal is expected to be finalized in the first half of 2017.

Following the announcement, Ravi Saligram, CEO of Ritchie Bros., and Gregory J. Owens, chairman and CEO of IronPlanet, spoke to Construction Equipment Guide (CEG) about what the future holds.