A guide to truck, trailer, bus & coach auctions and buying at auction.

Trucks appear for sale at auctions for many reasons like insolvent company liquidation, repairable write offs, written off and for parts only, ex government or ex lease, as part of a clearing sale or excess stock from truck dealers. Truck trailer auctions are a popular way to pick up heavy equipment at much lower than new retail cost.

Always enquire the history of the vehicle and most reputable auction centres will supply details on title and
ability to be registered otherwise this should be researched.

Popular makes found at auction:

• Bedford • MAN • Mack • Mercedes-Benz • Mitsubishi • Nissan
• Volkswagen • Daihatsu • Ford • Hino • International • Isuzu
• Kenworth • Mazda • Mitsubishi • Nissan • Toyota • Volvo • Iveco

Tips for buying a used truck:

Application - What are you going to use it for - interstate, regional or local? The first challenge is to find a used truck with the specifications that most closely suits your needs. Also consider future needs of your new workhorse.

Mileage - How much life’s left in the truck? Many consider lower-mileage trucks be up to one million km and a really low mileage truck is in the region of 400,000-600,000 km.

Budget for an overhaul - Factor in a margin for future overhauls to engine and drivetrain.

Exercise due diligence - Look for tell tale signs of low maintenance like dry grease points, poor oil quality or damaged belts which may indicate a lack of maintenance or concern for condition.

Some truck and coach auction centres may also allow a mechanical pre inspection by a technician or provide a detailed report from their own mechanics which is well worth enquiring about.

Current Online Auctions

Coca-Cola Brass Mack Truck Pocket-Knife, Rare! Visit Auction

AU $31.00 (4 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 19:35:00 EST Bid now | Add to watch list

1960 Ford " F " series Campervan plastic truck Visit Auction

AU $26.99 (10 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 20:03:26 EST Bid now | Add to watch list

coca cola truck 22.5 cm long like new Visit Auction

AU $8.02 (3 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 20:03:31 EST Bid now | Add to watch list

Brand New BIG Remote Control Construction Truck 60010 Visit Auction

AU $7.05 (6 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 20:14:01 EST Bid now | Add to watch list