Don Gray knows a thing or two about going after what he wants, no matter how far he has to go to get it.
Since 1986, his truck refinishing company – Right Truck Sales & Service – has gone far and wide to find and buy 1-ton to 4-ton trucks, box trucks, flatbeds, chassis, flat decks, power liftgates and more. His team then refinishes and resells the inventory for a tidy profit.
One of Don’s more reliable sources of truck inventory is Ritchie Bros., the world’s largest industry equipment auctioneer. “The prime reason we love Ritchie Brothers is the great variety they have at every auction,” he says.
Virtual Bidding
But you won’t necessarily find Don or his team bidding in person or kicking tires in the massive yards that hold thousands of heavy equipment pieces.
Instead, the team goes online to bid on virtual auction items located all over North America from the comfort of their office in Surrey, British Columbia, near Vancouver.
Don prefers to stick to auctions in the Southwestern U.S. – Arizona and Nevada, in particular – due to low rust risk. He’s bought from as far away as Florida when he finds that special buy that has ‘profit’ written all over it. During a recent auction in Edmonton, he paid hundreds for four power tailgates which he’ll resell for thousands. Not a bad return.
Maximizing a Profit
But as smart business owners know, nothing ruins a good deal or profit margin like high transport costs. So when Don discovered uShip for heavy equipment transport, he knew it was the right solution for him to keep shipping costs down to maximize his return, while also staying in the loop on his deliveries.
“I love the convenience of uShip. We’ve always had carriers with great communications that help us know where the shipment is every step of the way,” he says. “Knowing exactly when they’re going to arrive helps us organize our staff so we’re prepared to help offload.”
To further sweeten Don’s shipping experience, he also won uShip’s free shipping giveaway, earning $2150 CAD to transport two flatbed trucks from Ritchie Bros.’ Edmonton auction to Surrey.
As Ritchie Bros.’ exclusive online shipping partner, uShip makes it easy for buyers like Don to create a shipment listing by entering their Ritchie Bros. lot number, along with a few details on rbauction.com/shipping.
Multiple Quotes from Select Carriers
Listings that appear on uShip typically attract multiple competing quotes from thousands of select flatbed and trailer-hauling carriers, ready to transport Don’s heavy equipment. These providers meet special Ritchie Bros. requirements, including a high feedback score and low cancelation rate.
Providers are essentially lining up at Don’s virtual door to win his business.
As Don evaluates quotes and carriers on his shipments, he first considers the cheapest quotes, then earliest possible delivery date, and finally, ratings and reviews.
Once a quote and carrier are accepted by Don, the winning hauler then arrives at the Ritchie Bros. auction yard with proper paperwork, loads the purchased truck, and hits on the road.
Destination: Surrey, B.C.
“We’re a small company so we don’t have time to look into every single carrier for everything we buy. It’s basically just book and go on uShip,” he says.