Heavy Equipment

Government Boom Truck Auctions: 119 Boom Trucks Sold on GovDeals From April to October 2026 at a Middle Price of $10,100, Knuckle Booms at $20,000, and a 2020 International Knuckle Boom Brought $63,000

By UX Auctions Editorial Staff

Boom trucks are one of the best-kept values at government auctions. On GovDeals alone, 119 boom trucks sold from April 19 to October 29, 2026, at a middle price of $10,100, and nearly half of them, 58, went for less than $10,000. Knuckle boom trucks, the folding cranes that load logs, brush, drywall and pipe, brought a middle of $20,000 over the past year, and the top of the market reached $63,000 for a 2020 International knuckle boom from the City of Metter, Georgia, and $74,800 for a 2015 Freightliner with a Hiab crane.

Cities, counties, states and utilities run boom trucks hard and replace them on a schedule, and when one rotates out of a public works yard or a utility fleet it goes to auction, usually online and usually with a low starting bid. That steady stream makes the government market one of the best places to buy one. Public works departments use knuckle booms to pick up brush and storm debris, water and sewer departments use straight-boom crane trucks to set pumps and pipe, and transportation departments use them to handle signs and barriers, so the same few makes and crane brands come up again and again.

The prices on GovDeals show how wide the range runs. Of the 119 boom trucks sold there from April through October, 58 brought less than $10,000, 33 sold between $10,000 and $20,000, 19 between $20,000 and $40,000, and nine brought $40,000 or more, led by a 2013 Western Star 4700 tandem-axle boom truck at $69,100 in Braddock, Pennsylvania, on July 9. The 77 sold directly by government agencies brought a middle price of $8,100.

Photo: City of Raleigh, North Carolina, GovDeals listing. A 2009 International 7400 with a Pac-Mac knuckle boom loader and dump body, sold for $18,200 on September 14, 2026.

What the knuckle booms bring

Knuckle boom trucks are the stars of the category. Fifty sold on GovDeals over the past year at a middle price of $20,000, and the late-model ones bring strong money: the City of Metter, Georgia, got $63,000 for a 2020 International HV607 knuckle boom on December 26, 2025, Franklin, Tennessee, got $61,000 for a 2010 Freightliner M2 106 on December 3, 2025, and Gulf Shores, Alabama, got $46,000 for a 2022 Freightliner M2 on May 5, 2026. Covington, Tennessee, sold a 2019 Freightliner M2 with a knuckle boom for $35,001 on August 3.

The best buys come from the busiest public works fleets. Metropolitan Nashville sold a 2016 Freightliner M2 106 knuckle boom for $10,900 on September 8, a 2013 for $12,700 on August 11 and a 2011 International 4300 for $6,250 on August 18, and Columbus, Ohio, sold a 2014 Peterbilt 382 knuckle boom for $6,800 on October 28. For a crew that picks up brush or debris, those are working trucks at a fraction of the price of a new one.

A white 2010 Freightliner M2 106 knuckle boom truck with a dump body, sold by Franklin, Tennessee. — Photo: Franklin, Tennessee, GovDeals listing. A 2010 Freightliner M2 106 knuckle boom truck that sold for $61,000 on December 3, 2025.

A white 2022 Freightliner M2 knuckle boom truck with an orange boom and a black dump body, sold by Gulf Shores, Alabama. — Photo: Gulf Shores, Alabama, GovDeals listing. A 2022 Freightliner M2 knuckle boom truck that sold for $46,000 on May 5, 2026.

A white 2016 Freightliner M2 106 knuckle boom truck from Metropolitan Nashville's surplus lot. — Photo: Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, GovDeals listing. A 2016 Freightliner M2 106 knuckle boom truck that sold for $10,900 on September 8, 2026.

Straight-boom crane trucks and loaders

Straight-boom crane trucks sold at a middle price of $7,800 across 99 sales on GovDeals over the past year, and the top ones were serious machines, including a fully operational 2003 Terex T340XL crane truck at $59,000 in Phoenix on August 12 and a 2007 Ford F-750 with a National crane at $45,000 in Burnet, Texas, on October 4. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, sold a 2016 Freightliner 108SD Lightning Loader, a grapple truck built for brush and bulk pickup, for $45,000 on September 11.

The smaller trucks are where first-time buyers start. The State of Washington sold a 1999 Ford F-450 boom truck for $7,605 on October 20, the State of Iowa sold a 1994 International 4900 for $18,200 on September 25, and Miami-Dade County sold a 2000 Sterling LT750 boom truck for $10,100 on August 22.

A white 1999 Ford F-450 utility truck with a white boom crane, sold by the State of Washington. — Photo: State of Washington Surplus, GovDeals listing. A 1999 Ford F-450 boom truck that sold for $7,605 on October 20, 2026.

A white 2016 Freightliner 108SD Lightning Loader grapple truck with a yellow body, sold by Cedar Rapids, Iowa. — Photo: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, GovDeals listing. A 2016 Freightliner 108SD Lightning Loader that sold for $45,000 on September 11, 2026.

Which makes hold their value

The chassis matters as much as the crane. Freightliner boom trucks brought the highest middle price on GovDeals, $17,600 across 26 sales, because so many of them are newer M2 and 108SD models. Ford boom trucks sold at a middle of $7,452.50 across 30 sales, with the heavier F-750s at $15,700.50, and Internationals at $6,551.50 across 24 sales. Trucks with Hiab, Fassi and other knuckle cranes brought a middle of $14,500.

Bucket trucks are their own market

Buyers searching for boom trucks often mean bucket trucks too, the aerial lifts utility and tree crews use, and that market is even bigger. GovDeals sold 229 bucket trucks over the past year at a middle price of $7,100. At the very top, the State of New York sold a 2015 International 7600 MOOG bridge inspection truck for $208,000 on October 1, and the State of Washington sold a 2005 International 7600 Aspen bridge inspection truck for $127,500 on July 24. A 2019 Ford F-550 4x4 bucket truck brought $44,900, and Raleigh sold a 2012 Freightliner M2 with a 70-foot Altec tree-service bucket for $41,000.

Where government boom trucks are auctioned

GovDeals carries the most, with cities, counties, states, utilities and school districts all listing there, and UX Search counted 153 GovDeals listings matching "boom truck" in early November. JJ Kane, which sells utility and municipal fleets, had 83, Purple Wave had 158, Proxibid 230, Municibid 24 and IronPlanet 11. UX Search looks across all of them at once, so one search for "boom truck" or "knuckle boom" brings up every live listing with its closing time.

What to check before bidding

The best boom truck buys go to bidders who read the listing closely and see the truck in person when the seller offers a preview. Look for the crane's make, model and rated capacity, the boom's reach, the hour meter on the power take-off or the crane, and any annual crane inspection records the agency includes. Run the boom through its full range and set the outriggers if the seller allows it, and check the hydraulic cylinders and hoses for clean, dry fittings. Trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating over 26,000 pounds need a commercial driver's license to drive on the road, so plan the trip home before the auction closes; many buyers bring a driver with a Class B license or hire a hauler.

The short version

Government boom trucks are a strong value at auction. On GovDeals, 119 sold from April 19 to October 29, 2026, at a middle price of $10,100, with 58 under $10,000, and knuckle boom trucks brought a middle of $20,000 over the past year, topped by a 2020 International at $63,000. Freightliners hold their value best at a middle of $17,600, and bucket trucks sell at a middle of $7,100. GovDeals, JJ Kane, Purple Wave and Proxibid carry the most, and UX Search finds them all in one search.

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