Military surplus vehicles are cars, trucks, or jeeps that were once used by the military but are now being auctioned off to the general public. Typically these items are auctioned off via live or online auctions. They have reached mass appeal as of late, mainly attributed to the Internet and its incredible power to get ‘the word’ out. The exceptionally cheap prices and deals someone can potentially walk away with doesn’t hurt its popularity either. Now that you know what a military surplus vehicle auction is, knowing what they’re all about is just as important. And knowing is half the battle.
The online and especially the live military vehicle auctions are typically stocked with all types of formerly used army vehicles. Cars, trucks, jeeps, motorcycles, ambulances and even aircraft are sold at these auctions, albeit, they are demilitarized prior to sale. Generally military surplus vehicles are in good running condition. If, however, there is a malfunction, the defect is generally reported to potential bidders prior to auction. If you attend a live military surplus vehicle auction – and I’ve been to several – I advise you to bid carefully and find out as much information about the vehicle as you can prior to the bidding process. Doing a little research before the auction about the type of vehicle you wish to buy wouldn’t hurt either.
Now you’re probably curious as to why these perfectly good vehicles that once served a valuable purpose for our nation are now being auctioned off to the general public for a fraction of what the army had originally paid for them. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first reason is simple: they’re old. That’s right — like a fine wine — these cars, jeeps and trucks will inevitably hit their peak and eventually will no longer function as well as they once did, especially when it comes to the military’s high vehicle standards. The second reason is also quite simple: technology. Many of these vehicles simply do not have all the technological advancements today’s army vehicles need to have to serve their military purposes. And this cannot be easily remedied due to the high cost of alterations. Changes such as physical vehicle modifications, safety modifications, GPS capabilities are much too costly to deal with, so the military simply purchases new vehicles to eliminate the hassle. The great thing about it is that their – for lack of a better word – loss is your gain!
If you’re interested in purchasing one of these vehicles there are several websites that specialize in providing information specifically on this subject. One such website that was truly a step above the rest was GovernmentAuctions.org. I was pleasantly surprised by just how many vehicle surplus listings there were within their online database. The amazing thing about the site is that you can browse online auctions that may ship out vehicles to anywhere in the U.S. Many of the auctions listed even allow for vehicle pickup if you live close enough. If you’re looking for info on live military surplus vehicle auctions they got that too.
For the most comprehensive military surplus vehicle website on the net, http://www.GovernmentAuctions.org is definitely a site everyone should check out.