Should I wait to advertise my used fire truck or ambulance?
So your new truck is ordered and your dealer is telling you it will be 24 months before delivery happens. After the shock of learning that it will be 2 years, you soon wonder what to do with your current apparatus. Should you advertise it now or wait until your new fire truck or ambulance delivery gets closer? Can your community afford to release your current apparatus or emergency vehicle now or wait until later?
Many first responders are struggling with this very question today. Most opt to hang on to the vehicle for as long as possible, however some have immediately advertised it, sold it and released it when their new vehicle was delivered. Some sellers are willing to release their used apparatus prior to taking delivery of the new truck.
Odds are though that most will hang on to their truck until delivery and training can be completed on the new truck. The situation doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. Manufacturers continue to push out their delivery times due to strong truck sales and component & work force shortages.
When should you advertise it for sale?
That’s the golden question that only you, your staff and community can really answer. Early in 2022 we entered into a “sellers market” meaning that there are more buyers than trucks available. Buyers waiting on a new truck are actually purchasing a used truck to get them through the new truck delivery wait. Large cities that generally never purchase used are doing just that right now. There is no shortage of demand for used pumpers, tankers, rescues or aerials.
Unfortunately, we can’t tell if you can afford to be down a truck because you made the decision to sell it right away. There are benefits to both sides of the decision. Advertising your emergency vehicle for sale early will give you the benefit of good ad exposure, maximizing your sales dollars and the possibility of keeping your truck right up to the point that your new one arrives. Waiting will adversely effect the amount of buyers that see your truck advertised for sale.