At its June auction in Houston, Ritchie Bros. recorded a 30% year-over-year increase in both gross transaction value and bidder registrations. The two-day unreserved auction attracted 12,000 bidders and generated more than $56 million in gross transaction value.

“Our marketplaces continue to drive record-breaking demand, with online equipment views per lot for our Houston auction up 84% from our June 2020 event,” Alan McVicker, regional sales manager for Ritchie Bros., said. “This unprecedented demand is driving strong pricing across all equipment categories. In this week’s Houston sale, we saw particularly hot pricing for truck tractors and vocational trucks. We also achieved great returns for a package of 65 pipelayers, despite the volatility in that industry. We encourage consignors to contact us today to take advantage of this 2021 seller’s market.”

Approximately 87% of the equipment in the Houston auction was purchased by U.S. buyers, including 52% sold to Texas buyers, while international buyers from countries such as Australia, Vietnam and the United Kingdom purchased the remaining 13%. With 100% of bidding done online, Ritchie Bros. experienced a 22% increase in watchlist adds per lot and a 39% increase in PriorityBids per lot.

Five Big Sellers

• 2017 Caterpillar PL87 pipelayer – $545,000
• 2008 Caterpillar 587T pipelayer – $380,000
• 2017 Caterpillar PM622 cold planer – $220,000
• 2015 Peterbilt 389-day cab heavy haul truck – $150,000
• 2019 Peterbilt 365 tri-drive day cab heavy haul truck – $112,500

Auction Quick Facts

• Gross Transaction Value: More than $56 million
• Total Registered Bidders: 12,000
• Total Number of Lots: More than 4,000
• Total Number of Consignors: More than 600