This month, Komatsu announced that it will soon deploy 41 of its new 930E-5 ultra-class haul trucks to BHP’s South Flank iron ore mine in Western Australia. As we reported on earlier in the year, this development follows recent initiatives in the autonomous mining space which have contributed to Komatsu becoming among the market’s most influential players. With more tonnes of material hauled autonomously than all competitors combined, Komatsu currently leads the field with 180 autonomous trucks operating globally across 3 continents and 9 mine sites on advanced LTE mobile broadband technology.

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. 

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.

It's that time of year at IronPlanet, when the air is cooler and we hear our favorite crunching sound - the snap crackle and pop of quarry, aggregate, and mining equipment featured in the September 15 and 16 auction. Take a look at the dump trucks, excavators, wheel loaders, and crushers up for bid:

Good news in the world of construction aggregate came via a report from Persistence Market Research. Crunching the numbers (see what we did there?) it says that:

• demand for construction aggregate is estimated to reach 43.3 billion metric tons by the end of 2016, to the tune of around $350 billion;
• market growth is forecast at 6.3 percent in 2016; and
• consumption should reach 69.2 billion metric tons at the end of 2024.

The report also stated emphatically (or it should have) that now is the time to GO BIG during IronPlanet's September 15 auction, especially when it comes to this 2012 Cat 740B Articulated Dump Truck, this Portable Impact Crusher, or this 2000 Volvo WG Quad/A Straight Boom Truck.

Take a look at the quarry, aggregate, and mining equipment available during IronPlanet's September 15 auction. Read the carefully-prepared item descriptions, then go BIG and buy with confidence.

Coming up next week on May 11-12, 2016. A huge two-day onsite Kruse Energy and Equipment Auction, hosted in Odessa,Texas. Look for a great selection of drilling rigs, well service rigs, frac pumps, drilling components, vacuum trucks, vacuum/kill trailers, heavy haul trucks/trailers and construction equipment! Bid online or onsite. Click HERE for directions and details. Registration begins Thursday, May 5, 2016 at Kruse Energy’s Odessa Yard.

Join us Thursday, April 28 for our end of the month online auction with over 1,300 pieces of equipment! This week, we are featuring mining equipmeAlso, look for 17 professionally-maintained trucks from Walmart, including 3 spotter trucks! Preview all items here and line up your Priority Bid!  

Check out some interesting industry headlines from the last week of January:

Halliburton Focusing on Higher-Dollar Customers During Downturn:President (Platts)
" The low oil prices of the past year, which are expected to continue in 2016, have led oilfield services giant Halliburton to focus on larger, higher-dollar customers, a top executive said Monday. Those customers typically have "fairway acreage in the [top] basins and stronger balance sheets," company president Jeff Miller said during a quarterly conference call. In North America, where the downturn that began in mid-2014, but sharpened late that year, and has been most severe, Halliburton's top 17 customers comprise 50% of its revenues, Miller said."  Read more

We compiled some of the top stories for you! Check out this week's compelling industry headlines: 

Komatsu to Purchase Equity of Service Company for Mining Equipment in Mexico (World Coal)
"Through a Komatsu Group company, Komatsu Ltd has entered the definitive agreement, based on the basic agreement with Mitsui & Co., Ltd (announced on 27 April 2015), for Komatsu to purchase 60% of equity of Road Machinery Co., S.A. de C.V, Mitsui's subsidiary in Mexico, which services Komatsu mining equipment. On a premise of approval of concerned authorities, Komatsu is working to complete the purchase for approximately February 2016.” Read more

Check out these Featured Items from the December 10th Site Energy Auction.  All items are located in North Dakota.