WHAT IS YOUR TRUCK WORTH?
HANDS-ON APPRAISAL
By Jim and Alex · free · written report · 24h turnaround
Jim and Alex each review your truck and its photos on their own, then compare notes and agree on one value. Two independent expert opinions catch what one might miss, so you get a number you can rely on. Written report, usually within 24 hours.
Hands-on AppraisalINSTANT ESTIMATE
A couple of minutes · free · no account
Answer a few questions and get a value right away, backed by real fire truck sales and today's market. Less accurate than a hands-on appraisal, but a good starting point.
Two free ways to find out: an instant estimate in a couple of minutes, or a hands-on appraisal from Jim and Alex with a written report within 24 hours.
Why is there no book value on fire trucks? Find out why.
Is there a blue book for fire trucks?
No. Car values come from millions of near-identical sales. Fire trucks are built around each department's own needs and far fewer change hands, so a single price printed in a book would be a guess dressed up as a fact. A range based on comparable sales and current listings is the honest answer.
Why there is no book value on fire trucks
Almost every truck is one of a kind
Departments design apparatus around their own district: the chassis, the body, the pump, the water tank, the ladder, the compartments, the hose beds, the lighting and the paint. Two pumpers from the same year and the same maker can be genuinely different machines, built for different jobs.
What affects a used fire truck's value?
Every department has its own needs, so a feature that is essential to one buyer is irrelevant to the next:
- Tank size. A department that needs 1,000 gallons may pass on a 750-gallon truck, and a department that only needs 750 may not want to pay for more.
- Pump, drive and gearbox. Pump size, 4x4 or two-wheel drive, automatic or manual.
- Chassis and body. Custom or commercial chassis, and who built the body.
- Miles and hours. A low-mileage truck that idled at scenes for years can be more worn than its odometer says.
- Records. Maintenance history and current pump and ladder test certificates.
- Colour and lettering. Some buyers repaint anything and some want red; for a few it is a deal-breaker and for most it is not. We cannot tell which buyer is next.
- Equipment, age rules and location. What comes with the truck, age limits some departments must follow, and how far it has to travel.
We have not found a single percentage that holds for any of these: the right buyer pays more for a feature they need, and the wrong buyer pays nothing for it. Together they are why two trucks that look the same on paper can sell for very different amounts.
Few sell, and no two match
Far fewer fire trucks change hands than cars, and each is different, so a truly close comparison is rare. That is why a book value does not exist, and why we show a range instead of one number: the range is the honest answer.
For typical asking prices by vehicle type and age, see the age table in our Used Emergency Vehicle Marketplace Report, and our guide to what your used fire truck is worth.
How do I find out what my fire truck is worth?
Our instant estimate compares your truck with our database of past sales and current listings, and adjusts for age, mileage, pump, tank, condition and more. We also test it against real sales so we know how far to trust it: in our latest test, about 3 in 10 sold within 20% of the estimate and about 4 in 10 within 30%. Condition, options and local demand account for the rest.
That is why we also offer a hands-on appraisal: Jim and Alex each look at your photos and details on their own, weigh the things a formula cannot see, then compare notes and agree on a number, with their reasoning. Two independent opinions catch what one might miss.
Request a hands-on appraisal