Why Fire Departments Are Searching Nationwide for Pumper Tankers

If you have a pumper tanker sitting in your station, there’s a good chance it’s worth way more than you think…

Over the past few years, demand for used pumper tankers has skyrocketed. New apparatus lead times can stretch three to four years, prices are continuing to climb, and many rural departments simply can’t wait years or justify the cost of buying new. At the same time, dwindling volunteer numbers mean departments need an apparatus that can do more with fewer people. That’s exactly where a pumper tanker fits in.

A truck with significant water capacity that also provides pumping capability can replace the need for multiple pieces of apparatus in certain situations. For the rural volunteer department without a reliable hydrant network, that can make a big difference.

Your Department May Be Leaving Money on the Table

At Garage, I talk to fire chiefs who used to sell their retired apparatus through local auctions. The problem is that trucks that sell at those auctions end up going for a fraction of what another fire department would be willing to pay for them. At a local auction the buyer isn’t another department. It’s a private buyer who purchases the truck dirt cheap and then resells it to a fire department at a much higher price.

Garage allows departments to sell directly from one department to the next.

That means the selling department has the opportunity to recoup more of the taxpayer or fundraised dollars originally invested in the apparatus and put that money toward its next truck, equipment, or career staffing. The buyer gets to speak directly with the department that actually operated the truck and hear the full history from a chief who can tell them exactly how it was maintained, what issues it has had, and why it’s being sold.

A Pumper Tanker That Sold in One Week

Take Plattekill Fire Department in New York. I first met Chief Mancuso at a fire conference upstate and told him that his department’s 2009 pumper tanker could be worth more than $300,000. After putting the truck through Garage’s online appraisal tool, he found out that estimate was right.

When the truck hit the market, seven buyers reached out on the first day. By the end of the first week, it was sold!

He couldn’t believe the amount of interest, but when you think about what these trucks offer, it makes sense. Fire apparatus are custom-built, and there aren’t endless numbers of high-capacity tankers with serious pumping capability available at any given time.

When the right one comes to market, a department may look at it and see exactly what it needs: water capacity, pumping capability, and a truck that can provide its community with better protection while requiring fewer apparatus and fewer drivers on scene.

2009 HME Ahrens-Fox Pumper Tanker

Yes, Even a Tanker From the 1990s Can Be Valuable

Another great example was a 1998 Seagrave pumper tanker from Southeastern Adams Volunteer Emergency Services.

Most people wouldn’t expect an apparatus built in the 90s to command a good price. However, age is only part of the equation.

If the mileage is low, the truck has been maintained properly, service records are intact, it can still fill a major need for a department that doesn’t have the luxury of a municipal hydrant network.

1998 Seagrave Marauder Pumper Tanker

Know What Your Truck Is Worth Before You Sell It

Know What Your Truck Is Worth Before You Sell It

Before selling your pumper tanker, take a minute or two and put it through Garage’s appraisal tool and make sure you’re asking a fair price.

Your old truck could be exactly what another department has been searching for, and getting the right value for it could help fund your next apparatus, equipment purchase, or staffing need for years to come. At the end of the day, it’s about keeping funds in the fire service and getting apparatus into the hands of departments that need them to protect their communities.

P.S. Yes, I know you West Coast folks call it a pumper tender… let’s agree that whatever you call it, they’re worth a pretty penny right now.