Before beautiful paved highways made people fall in love with roads and road trips, the checklist for intrepid travelers with a jones for adventure included: ropes, blocks and tackle, axes, sleeping bags, water bags, spades, camps stoves, compasses, barometers, thermometers, cyclometers, first aid kits, rubber ponchos, tire chains, pith helmets, assorted spare parts, and firearms.

Good times.

All that changed after WWII, when iron and labor could once again be put to use building our country's infrastructure. And with that the highway system was born, along with diners, souvenir stands, and those irresistible teepees.

IronPlanet's September 8 auction features miles of deals offered by Oldcastle/Staker Parsons & LS Jensen. Check out this 2005 Vermeer T-955 Trencher, this 2006 Komatsu D155AX-6 Crawler Tractor, this 2002 Cat 320CLU Track Excavator, this 2004 Kenworth T800B Five-Axle Dump Truck, and more equipment that builds the smooth, scenic roads we love to drive.

Portland concrete has been the guy forever, but a new alpha is sniffing around. ConFlexPave, developed by scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, is a concrete that's mixed with polymer microfibers to make it bendable and less prone to cracks. The claim is it will reduce construction time and increase worker safety at the jobsite. So far testing has been done only on tablet-sized slabs; road-sized experiments will be conducted over the next three years.

IronPlanet loves a good road with all of its big yellow heart. The September 1 auction features a 2013 Komatsu D155AX-7 Crawler Tractor, a 2016 John Deere 470G LC track excavator, and a 2014 Komatsu D61PX-23 crawler tractor, ready to go wherever your project is located.

Take a look at our selection of trucks: We've got a 2012 Kenworth W900 T/A Conventional Day Cab, a 2005 Mack CXN613 T/A Conventional Day Cab, a 2012 Kenworth T370 Cargo Truck, a 2010 Freightliner M2 106 Refrigerated Truck, and many more.

Understandable that Labor Day is IronPlanet's favorite holiday. But while the staff strings colored lights on a forklift while singing "Gramma Got Run Over By a John Deere" and buys gifts at this week's auction, a whole subsection of people are celebrating Labor Day in a spectacular - some might say insane - way.

At this very moment about 70,000 artists, builders, and innovators are making their way to the bolt of sun and hardpan that is Black Rock Playa in Nevada. Burning Man, the annual art laboratory and pop-up metropolis that will completely ghost by this time next week, is taking place as we speak.

Cities don't just happen no matter how fabulous the art is, and that's where Stinky Pirate, Chaos, and the Heavy Machinery camp comes in. Situated right on the main drag, it's a working crew and a theme camp with reach forks, boom lifts, and skid steers; the flame throwers are purely for atmoshpere. 

Here's a great story about Rick Rea, the "mechanical Confucius of the desert" (insert Kung Fu-style bamboo flute sound) who goes to Burning Man every year to make sure the heavy equipment from United Rentals runs smoothly in the harsh, gritty playa. His understanding of machines and their "fixes" is almost mystical. Ether, for example. That's all I'm sayin'.

Well . . .*sigh* . . . it's here. Summer's unofficial last week is upon us. Labor Day is next Monday and before you know it, the holidays will be ringing our doorbells needing lots of attention and . . .

. . .  let's not go there. Instead, let's give deserved props to under-appreciated Labor Day. In 1885, the labor movement lobbied for the first Monday in September to be designated as Labor Day. The holiday was "dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers who have contributed to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country" 

But like ranchers vs. cowboys, Deere vs. Cat, plain vs. peanut, who originally came up with the idea of Labor Day is a matter of dispute. 

Yosemite, have you been working out? You've never looked better.  Holy smokes Great Smokies, it's been too long since we've gone on a hike. And Badlands, you are bad as you want to be, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Today marks the National Parks' official 100th birthday, which, in our humble opinion, deserves a shout out. Our 405 National Parks have been inspiring, teaching, and challenging visitors every day. The Grand Canyon, Florida Everglades, and Yosemite get a lot of play, but significant historical sites like the Rosie the Riveter museum in Richmond, CA, and the Civil War battleground of Shiloh, TN are National Parks, too.

You don't get to be 100 and playing host to 753,022 visitors a day (give or take) without needing a little work. Tucks here and there are done with pulaskis and chainsaws, but major work happens under the skilled hands of  heavy equipment operators. Projects using construction equipment rehabilitate natural resources, maintain roads and buildings, and move debris from fires and other disasters, among other jobs. Trails projects clear trees and underbrush to make hiking safer.

The National Parks, along with the posse of people who care about its buildings and landscapes, will wow visitors for generations to come. 

Quick now, what do these things have in common: Caterpillars. Excavators. Wasps. Wheel loaders. Crawler tractors.

In addition to being charismatic and really fun to watch, each of these items are yellow. Not for nothing, either - many insects and animals with yellow markings have evolved that way as a signal for others to pay attention to them.

IronPlanet Delivers More Buying Power with the Addition of Express Financing; Adds Warranty Options with TruNorth and AmTrust

PLEASANTON, Calif. – IronPlanet^®, a leading online marketplace for selling and buying used equipment and other durable assets, today announced that buyers on IronPlanet, TruckPlanet^® and GovPlanet^® can now take advantage of instant Express financing on equipment purchases when they want to bid. Express, by Currency Capital, along with IronPlanet’s IronClad Assurance^® equipment condition certification is another way that IronPlanet helps its customers to buy online with confidence.

IronPlanet’s suite of value-added buyer services includes:

• Its exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certifications and inspection reports;
• Instant financing with Express and financing options from Cat^® Financial;
• Warranty programs on eligible equipment from Cat Financial, TruNorth^TM, and AmTrust; and
• Competitive quotes and state of the art transportation support from VeriTread.

“Express’s ability to provide instant financing gives our buyers more purchasing power and greater transparency in their ability to make equipment purchases,” said Randy Berry senior vice president, Operations & Services, IronPlanet. “At IronPlanet we are committed to giving our customers the confidence to bid on big, heavy equipment that keeps their businesses running. From our IronClad Assurance, to our long-time partnership with VeriTread, and now our multiple warranty and financing options, online buyers have an integrated experience that lets them bid, buy, transport and put to work the used equipment they buy from us – all in one transaction from their office or jobsite.”

Do you know the worth of your underutilized or aging heavy equipment? Your machines are probably more valuable than you think, especially if you’ve kept the items in good working condition. There are plenty of eager buyers around the world who are willing to take used equipment off your hands. But before you put equipment up for sale, there are four important steps to take in order to maximize an item’s resale value and get the most out of the sale of your used equipment.

1. Maintain your equipment

Basic maintenance can make a big difference in the quality of your equipment and its resale value. If an item is in poor condition, the pool of buyers interested will be significantly smaller than if the machine has been taken care of properly.

Owners that implement a preventative maintenance program immediately after purchasing equipment ensure that items stay in the best possible condition over time and can then offer buyers reliable machines. Basic maintenance can prevent the failure of major equipment parts, especially hydraulic components. Hydraulic cylinders can leak oil or other pressurized fluids if bushings or seals rot, wear or crack.

A preventative maintenance program should focus on:

• Repairing mechanical, structural and cosmetic issues as they arise
• Keeping engines well-oiled and hydraulic fluid at proper levels, and changing fluids as per manufacturer recommendations
• Replacing parts that have visible corrosion or damage, such as rusting hardware and broken windows
• Recapping or replacing tattered tires at the first signs of wear
• Keeping a schedule and record of all equipment services

Join us this week for huge our end-of-quarter sales across multiple marketplaces. Events kickoff on Tuesday, June 28, with IronPlanet’s monthly Parts, Tools and Attachments sale where buyers can find items that extend the life and capabilities of their machines. June 28 will also feature GovPlanet's all Humvee sale with more than 300 Humvees including a limited quantity of USMC Model M1123 HMMWV's available. For the first time, civilians can now own a US Marine Corp's model M1123 HMMWV that has been demilitarized and outfitted for sports and outdoor enthusiasts. Check them out! 

Remember, IronPlanet’s IronClad Assurance^® equipment condition certification on equipment listed on IronPlanet, TruckPlanet^®, GovPlanet^®, and catauctions.com gives you the confidence to buy online knowing that the equipment has an accurate representation of condition. 

Visit www.ironplanet.com for equipment details and start times.

Onsite Preview Monday through Wednesday, June 13-15; Register today to Bid Online

PLEASANTON, Calif.