military surplus vehicles
The US Armed forces are among the largest in the world. They consist of the United States Army, United States Air Force including the Strategic Command, US Navy and the Marines. This is a formidable force. To sustain this fighting machine the US armed forces use thousands of vehicles. Some of these are ordinary vehicles like cars and trucks and in addition they also use a host of specialized vehicles for specific operational uses. These vehicles used by the Army have a certain shelf life and after that these vehicles are down graded and treated as Military surplus stores that are to be sold to the general public. This stands to reason as the US armed forces replace these obsolete vehicles by the latest machines so that the operational efficiency of the forces in any part of the world is not diminished.
Over the years the US armed forces have been disposing these vehicles to the general public. These vehicles may be sold in single pieces or in lots that may comprise of many vehicles. Disposal of these surplus vehicles by the government by auctions are an excellent source of military vehicles and equipment. However the general feeling that these vehicles are cheap may not be necessarily true. Do remember that the US Army is a highly professional force and certainly does not gift any free lunches. There are many risks in buying these vehicles and all vehicles are certainly not worth bidding for.
Military vehicles as the target of interest for all people .But other types of goods are also available like sleeping bags and boats. The procedures for buying them are the same.
The USplace army has a vast inventory of vehicles. Some of these are of a specialized nature like Armored personnel carriers and tanks. Such vehicles may not be of interest to an average man. But there are a host of vehicles that can interest an average
American like jeeps, trucks and buses. Vehicles like the 6x6 and 4x4 surplus government trucks are much in demand. They are used in almost every part of American industry from mining to construction and exploration to agriculture. Such vehicles are tough and excellent for off-the-road jobs for which they were primarily designed and engineered.
The Armys 6x6 and 4x4 trucks have a reputation that is known all over the world. Their ability y to operate in all types of rough terrain has makes them an excellent buy for operators who know their value. These vehicles including Humvee's, fire trucks, cranes and wreckers However if you wish to own of these surplus vehicles then firstly you must be alert and keep a track of the various sales that the army carries out.
The first step is that you log on to the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service's Web site at drms.com. The Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) is a branch of the. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in the Department of Defense
Which lists all surplus goods for sale worldwide; along with instructions for buying or bidding this site lists out all the surplus vehicles. Its worth your while to be familiar with this site.
The second step is to be familiar with what can be purchased. For the US Armed forces do not sell certain types of military vehicles to the general public like humvees. Humvees are High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) Humvees are currently in use by the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy
The next step is to follow the link for Sales Customers, select Buy DRMS Property and then chooses a Property Search. From there, you can search for a vehicle using a number of paths. For example, you can search by Commodity Category, then select Ground Transportation Equipment and hit Submit Search.
The list is quite exhaustive and covers a lot of equipment. You will have to spend some time to locate what you want. Having identified the item or vehicle you can go ahead to bid for it. Before that you must have thorough knowledge of the product and it limitations if any. You may like to order a catalogue for the items but that in my opinion is a waste of time because they are likely to confuse you as they covers regions and other details that may not be of interest to you.
The last step is the most important. Having zeroed on to what you want to but you must know who is to be contacted and where the vehicle is available for you to see and inspect. For this you will have to go personally and contact the persons concerned who will tell you how the auction or sale is going to be effected.
There is one point of general interest that you must be aware off. It is that your priority to buy the vehicle is last. This is so because the army first offers these surplus vehicles to other branches of the military and government, followed by the state and local governments, and also sometimes to nonprofit groups. This is termed reutilization of products. Only items not selected for use by all those mentioned above are put up for sale to the general public.
Also remember that because of safety concerns, the government does not sell surplus military-equipped jeeps, humvees (hummers) or any other off-road vehicles to the general public.
Also do check out any vehicle thoroughly before you negotiate to buy it - condition varies and sales are final. Goods are never taken back.
There are a host of companies who specialize in selling Military surplus vehicles. These companies are professionals in the field. It may not be bad idea to contact one of them as it will save a lot of time and hassle for you. But expect to pay a little more for the services they provide.
A lot of companies sell information about government surplus sales. The same information is available free to anyone who can access the web site or call the toll-free number. Avoid such companies and be your own master.
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