Easy pickings and a smooth disposal process. High profits. Worldwide, clandestine markets. It sounds like a pitch for joining a drug cartel, but these are some of the reasons heavy machinery is frequently stolen by small-time thieves as well as more sophisticated crime operations.

Equipment is stolen for the simple reason that the reward for the thief is greater than the risk taken. Small pieces like tractors are easily boosted, and heavy equipment has little security, either on the piece itself or in the place it's parked. There's also the time lapse: when a car is stolen, it's realized within hours or even minutes of the theft. When a dozer is parked on a Friday night, it's idle for the weekend. Its disappearance may not be discovered for days or even weeks, creating a big window of time for its disposal.

Since 2001, The National Equipment Register (NER) and National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has published an annual report on equipment theft in the United States. The findings are based primarily on data the NICB drew from the National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC) database of more than 10,000 construction and farm equipment thefts, and information reported to ISO ClaimSearch.® We've condensed some of the information in the following infographic, but you can download the complete report by going to this website - it's concise and well laid-out.

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. 

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.

We're at the doorstep of everybody's favorite season this week - autumn (or "fall," if you're trying to rhyme it with something.) The color of the leaves matches the light, and the first night you throw an extra blanket on the bed signals that winter can't be far away.

Our friends at Quinn Heavy Rentals are doing some autumn clearing, which means you have the opportunity to buy late-model, low-hour equipment like this 2012 Cat 420F 4x4 Backhoe Loader, this 2013 Cat TL1255C Telehandler, and this 2012 Cat CP56B Vibratory Single Drum Compactor.

Available from Ripa & Associates, this 2008 Cat 950H Wheel Loader, this 2011 John Deere 700J LGP Crawler Tractor, and this 2002 Challenger MT665 4x4 Farm Tractor.

It's a full harvest moon on Friday, September 16, so if you're feeling extra-compelled to buy a late model Kenworth dump truck or a Cat Crawler Tractor, well, you're dealing with forces beyond your control. Don't try to resist - IronPlanet's September to Remember has lots of great machinery that you can preview now online and bid on next Thursday, September 22.

Ahead of that we have great construction equipment and Humvees coming up in our GovPlanet auction on September 21. Preview all items today!  

Our Edmonton, Alberta Cat Auction Services sale is all online this quarter. If you are in Edmonton, go visit the yard, and if you're somewhere warmer, preview the equipment online. This sale features this 2011 Cat 160M AWD VHP Plus Motor Grader, this 2013 Cat TL1055C Telehandler, this 2013 Volvo MCT135C Compact Track Loader, and this 2008 Ford F550 Super Duty 4x4 S/A Utility Truck.  

Swing down to Odessa, TX on September 28 for the oilfield equipment auction, or buy online with IronPlanet LiveStream, then meet us back here on September 29-30 for the BIG end of quarter sale!