GSA Auction

[Steelkilt]

Has anyone had experience buying a truck at a GSA auction? What are the prices like, and the quality of the vehicles?

[rustyk]

I haven't, but I used to insure a lot of "public entities", meaning cities, counties and governmental agencies.

They get first crack (generally at a fixed price), so finding a decent buy means crawling through the remains, carcasses, and residues, in the hope of finding something overlooked. What the public entities generally preferred were pickups, medium-duty (preferably 4x4) trucks, heavy equipment, SUVs, and 4-door sedans. The tighter the budgets (as in today's conditions), the more bones and the less flesh left over.

Few auctions allow much testing prior to delivery, but public entities have that privelege, as well as the custodians' opinions of what crap and what's not.

That's not to say there aren't reasonable bargains out there, but it takes a lot of work and even more luck. I haven't been to auctions (conflict of interest), but those I know who have settled on the best way is to buy two or three compatible units, figuring to cannibalize and make one good. That doesn't always work out, but sometimes parting out has recovered the funds. A lot of work in any event.

[SaGutz2005]

I have only had experience with a DEA auction,,,but I figure the feds are symilar throughout all agencies. We got a really nice 18 wheel race car transporter , that had barely 75K miles for a 1996 Kenworth w/Cat 375 and Eaton-Fuller 10 speed. The DEA/FBI had openup every cabinet and crevise in the rig, but did have the brains to run and drive the unit once a month for the 18 months it was in impound, so other than Sun baked tires, it made a 1200 mile run from El Paso to Ca when we won the bid......we did a ton of research and comparrison pricing on symilar units before the final bid..then rounded up by a couple of hundred odd dollars and won it! Never had an onsite inspection but the chance turned out well....Hope your efforts turn out the same ......

[SaGutz2005]

PS...forgot to add..that Gov't employees that drive the truck ,,,,,,,beat the crap out of them ...so they can get a new one ....so beware that it may have a short life left! The rig we got at auction was new and used By a racer,,,so I guess He took good care of His toys!....a shame he did some others things that got him 7-10 in the federal pententary at Las Crusis, NM......