Pennsylvania's Online Heavy Equipment and Vehicle Auction

Pennsylvania General Services Secretary Donald T. Cunningham Jr. recently announced the opening of the state's first online heavy equipment and vehicle auction for local governments. As part of Gov. Edward G. Rendell's focus on helping local governments cut costs, this auction will allow local governments to purchase sorely needed vehicles, trucks and heavy equipment from state surplus at prices substantially lower than the cost of a new vehicle.

This innovative online strategy builds on the Rendell Administration's larger use of technology to replace the cumbersome sealed paper bid format of previous municipal auctions. The e-auction will substantially reduce administrative costs and allow more municipalities to take advantage of the program. About 130 municipalities participated under the sealed paper bid system. The state will now use e-mail, telephone and fax to reach out to all 2,648 municipal governments in the state and invite them to participate in the auction.

"Helping local government to cut operating costs has been a clear and consistent focus of the Rendell Administration," Secretary Cunningham said. "We are pleased to be able to use technology to give all 2,648 local governments in the commonwealth the opportunity to cut operating costs by purchasing state surplus equipment."

The bidding period for the auction will run from April 26 to May 3. On-site inspections of vehicles will occur on April 28.