Even people who are relatively new to the auto auction world have heard that the government is selling pickup trucks at auctions on a regular basis. This leaves many people wondering why the government would even do this. Depending upon the type of auction there are actually several reasons that local, state, and federal agencies sell pickup trucks at public auctions.
2 Types of Auctions
The first thing to understand is that there are two different types of auctions. The first are seized vehicle auctions. At these auctions the government is selling a variety of vehicles which have been previously seized for one reason or another and never reclaimed by the owner. It could have been seized in a standard traffic stop or could have been used in the commission of a crime. It could even have been abandoned and never reclaimed. Regardless of the reason, the government doesn’t want to pay for long-term storage for these vehicles. This makes the easy solution a pickup truck auction. Plus, sense simply getting rid of the vehicle safety government money they are not very concerned about the final purchase price the winning bidder pages.
The second type of auction is used fleet vehicle auctions. This is actually the most common type of government pickup truck auction. Every year local, state, and federal agencies purchase new pickup trucks. At the end of their life these agencies then sell their used pickup trucks to the general public. Not only does this offer tax payers and opportunity to take back some of their spent tax dollars but also provides a unique opportunity to save money on a reliable used vehicle.
Why Does the Government Sell Pickup Trucks at a Seized Vehicle Auction?
1. Pickup Trucks are Rarely Used as Undercover Vehicles
One of the primary reasons government agencies sell pickup trucks at a seized vehicle auction is because they have no other use for it. Unlike SUVs and everyday cars trucks are rarely used as undercover vehicles they are also rarely used by the police or government agency for daily tasks. This means once they have a seized truck in their possession there simply isn’t anything for them to do with it.
2. Storage Quickly Becomes Expensive
Since the government had little or no use for used pickup trucks they are only option, if they want to keep them, is to store them. Storage quickly becomes extremely expensive which is why the government opts to sell pickup trucks at auction rather than keep them in storage. This is particularly true considering government agencies have very little use for these vehicles in the first place. It is much more cost effective for them to sell pickup trucks at auction instead.
Why Does the Government Sell Pickup Trucks at a Fleet Auction?
1. Provides Tax Payers a Chance to Benefit from Government Purchases
The government sells pickup trucks at fleet auctions for a variety of reasons but one of the initial reasons this practice began was to provide taxpayers with an opportunity to benefit from government purchases made with their tax dollars. Not only do government agencies prefer to purchase domestically manufactured products whenever possible but they also try to sell used items to the general public since the general public paid for them. In most cases, the government will add their pickup trucks to a regular former fleet vehicle auction so the listing will likely have both trucks and cars at a single auction.
2. Strict Standards Across all Government Departments
The final reason the government sells pickup trucks at auction is because there are strict standards across all governmental departments in regards to truck maintenance, age, and mileage. This is done primarily as a method of cost control. While most government agencies won’t use a pickup truck until the end of its effective lifespan, they use industry averages to determine when they should sell a pickup truck.
