Hundreds of trucks and trailers owned by bankrupt Celadon Group were part of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers’ two-day sale in Houston.
The auction, held Tuesday and Wednesday, sold 370 tractor trucks, as well as 350 dry van, reefer and flatbed trailers.
Used trucks and trailers from Celadon were part of the auction. Celadon shut down in December, becoming the largest over-the-road trucking company in North America to declare bankruptcy. More than 2,500 drivers and 1,400 other workers lost their jobs.
Along with heavy-duty trucks and trailers, the online-only auction included everything from farm and construction equipment to oilfield equipment.
More than 460 consignors sold equipment during the auction, including a complete retirement dispersal for Zoch Construction Inc., based in Centerville, Texas.
“Our Houston auction this week was a great showcase of our ability to continue to drive demand in uncertain times,” said Alan McVicker, Ritchie Bros. regional sales manager, in a release. “All bidding was done online to ensure the health and safety of our employees and customers. Regardless, we saw record attendance for this time of year and solid pricing across most equipment categories, including oil and gas-specific equipment.”
The auction attracted more than 8,600 registered bidders from 62 countries. Buyers from the United States purchased 93% of the equipment.
The top buying states for the Houston auction were Texas, California and Florida. The top three buying countries were India, Italy and Peru, which purchased a combined 7% of the equipment. Approximately 22% of purchases were made through Ritchie Bros.’ mobile app.