In 1979, a pumper named Pete Lawonn expressed to his friend Bob Kendall that it was time for him to sell a vacuum tank so he could upgrade his pumping rig. The dilemma was, he didn’t want to sell it locally and create competition for his business in the small town area he served. Ideally, he wanted to sell that truck to someone already in the business that needed a tank for a second truck.

The more they talked, it became obvious that there needed to be a central hub for communication among people who work in the liquid waste industry. From that discussion, Pumper Trader was born and with it classified ads were submitted, deals by phone were made, and pumping trucks and equipment were swapping hands across the country.

Now, 46 years later, Pumper Trader and the many other publications like PRO that spawned from that initial idea still serves as a source of communication, and the classified ads still help new and old pumpers and restroom operators alike find the equipment they need to grow their businesses.

To provide another avenue of buying and selling, COLE Publishing has recently launched Pumper Trader Auctions. This online platform allows you to post a truck for live auction and gives you complete control over that sale. You get to choose when the auction starts, how long it will last, set reserves and provide the description and details along with photos of your truck. 

For the seller

The process begins by filling out an online form at pumpertrader.com. (There’s no word limit on the seller’s description.) Once the form is submitted, our team will review your listing to ensure accuracy and compliance with our terms. After approval, your auction will go live on the scheduled start date.

During the auction, buyers can bid in real time. When the auction ends, we’ll notify you of the outcome. If your item sells, we’ll contact you with the winning bid amount and bidder’s contact information. If your optional reserve price isn’t met or no bids are placed, we’ll notify you of that as well.

For the buyer

For bidding, you’ll need to create an account using your first and last name and register as a bidder through our trusted payment processor, authorize.net. After verification, you’ll be able to browse auctions and place bids. You can also sign up for notifications to stay updated.

A sniping clause allows you the ability to respond to last-minute bids. If a bid is placed in the final two minutes of the auction, the auction’s end time will be automatically extended another two minutes. If you’re the highest bidder when the auction ends, you’ll be notified of your win.

We’ll automatically process the buyer’s premium using your registered payment method. This fee is paid to COLE Publishing and is calculated as follows:

 • 7% for bids under $50,000

• 6% for bids between $50,000 and $100,000

• 5% for bids over $100,000

• A minimum buyer’s premium of $750, and maximum of $15,000

 After successful payment, we’ll securely share your contact information with the seller and vice versa.

Equipment matters

So whether you’re starting a new business and searching for your first moneymaker, or adding another vehicle to your fleet to expand operations, keep Pumper Trader Auctions in mind. From 1979 to present day, it’s our goal to help pumpers buy and sell the equipment they need and this new online platform makes doing so even easier. 

Check out the platform and start shopping at pumpertrader.com/auctions, and thanks for reading this month’s issue of PRO!