Auction Timing Question

[MamaPoplor]

Do school districts *in general* retire buses en masse at the end of the school year (i.e., we’ve seen the high point in supply for the year), or do they retire them in a trickle throughout the year? I’m trying to understand how the supply side of the auction equation works, because while I’ve seen the advice to wait for winter for better prices, given the level of demand right now, we don’t want to wait and be left with options that are few and far between. I also understand that COVID impacts everything, so who knows what will happen, but appreciate what input you can provide!

[Danjo]

My experience is based on transportation co tractor Student Transportation of America. I found that they decommission buses throughout the year. But that’s a bus yard with over 300 buses serving many small districts that have individual decommissioning criteria. In smaller organizations it could happen on a fiscal cycle, so if a transportation manager is just dying to replace it would happen at the beginning of the fiscal year or it could happen in a use it or lose it situation at the end of the year.

It seems like with Covid the supply started to dry up in the tertiary market on Craigslist for instance, at least that’s my impression.

[MamaPoplor]

Thank you so much Danjo! That really helps!