As we've discussed in the first two articles (Overview, Post #1), when you are looking at the "cost" of a fire truck, there is much more to consider than the truck's purchase price. But, this article will focus on just that.

Buying a fire truck is not like purchasing an item off the shelf at Wal-Mart. It's not even like buying a car or over-the-road truck. Fire trucks can be customized in great detail, with manufacturers offering over 10,000 options. Pricing can vary dramatically based on this customization.

With this in mind, the "spec" process of designing your fire truck is vital. This process is more like designing a custom house, except with fire trucks, there are usually many decision-makers involved.

How Can You Actually Buy the Truck?

Once you have settled on a design, a few purchasing paths open up:

• Do you select and then negotiate with a specific manufacturer?
• Do you go out to bid for the purchase, using the spec you have designed?
• Do you use some sort of buyer's co-op, like HGAC, Sourcewell, or NPPGov?

Don't Forget Liquidation Value

Obviously, the truck's purchase price is a big part of the Total Cost of Ownership of the Fire Truck. It is vitally important during this stage of the process to consider also the liquidation value. Selecting the correct specifications during the truck design phase can significantly alter the truck's value during component #6 — its eventual liquidation.

We have seen examples where spending an additional $20,000–$25,000 on the right items in the truck's design can result in over $100,000 of additional value when the truck is sold or traded in.

How We Can Help

Our team at Brindlee Mountain is ready to assist during this process by providing a Guaranteed Buy Back Quote as you are designing and ordering your new truck. Contact us at 256-776-7786 or simply fill out this form, Sell Your Used Fire Truck, and we are glad to work through this with you.