Despite its name, the newest equipment sales Web site, TrencherCentral.com, doesn't just specialize in trenchers. Launched in late August, the site lists a range of equipment for sale, from trenchers to road boring equipment to backhoes. Like newspaper classifieds, those selling equipment can pay to list their equipment on the site for a fee, and potential buyers can browse the ads free of charge.
As the Web site states, TrencherCentral.com acts as a venue where interested parties learn about equipment that is available for sale. TrencherCentral.com doesn't own, handle, certify, or verify any of the information posted in an ad — it is instead up to the buyer and seller to reach an agreement about their transaction.
Don Plauche, owner of TrencherCentral.com, has been in the trencher business for 32 years and in the used equipment business for seven. “We wanted to create a new technology that will put buyers and sellers together,” he says.
When visiting the site, the user can choose the Quick Search option to click on a category of interest, such as excavators, which links to a list of manufacturers for that type of equipment. Choosing a manufacturer brings up a list of equipment advertised for sale. This works great if the potential buyer is searching for a specific piece of equipment from a particular manufacturer.
The potential buyer also has the option of the Search Filter, which can be found by clicking on the blue Equipment Search tab. Using drop-down tabs, the buyer can choose a category, manufacturer or keywords to narrow a search. This works great for the user trying to see an entire list of trenchers without having to choose between manufacturers. Similarly, if the user is only interested in manufacturers, choosing a specific manufacturer on the drop-down tab will bring up all of its equipment. This filter allows the user to be specific or more general according to category or manufacturer, and he or she can obtain an entire list without having to hit the Back button to choose another manufacturer. A search for “excavator” brought up all 35 ads, alphabetized by manufacturer, which allowed comparison of the different models and prices without having to go back and forth between windows. Plauche says the company plans to continue to refine searches to allow a user to search for equipment by dealer.
The equipment ads give information a buyer needs to know — model, year, price, hours, a description of the item, and contact name and information, including phone and e-mail. This allows the buyer to call or e-mail the seller directly to ask questions about the equipment and find out more information. The ad shows up to four photos of the equipment listed, so for many pieces of equipment the viewer can see a picture of the equipment from four different angles. Scrolling over the smaller pictures with the mouse enlarges the photo in the larger frame. Clicking on “View Details” brings up other details about the seller and equipment: serial number, mailing address, Web site and fax number.
Browsing equipment for potential purchase is free and easy — the user doesn't even need to sign up or log in. Those wanting to advertise can create a user name and password by clicking on the “To Sign Up Click Here” link on the homepage. The cost of an ad is $14.50 per month and special pricing is available for purchases of 15 ads or more. Plauche emphasizes: “You can change the information as much as you like. Even if you sell something, you can put a new piece of equipment up.” So, if a piece of equipment sells quickly, the advertiser can replace it with another listing to get his money's worth out of the purchased space.
A first-time seller can sign up and place an ad within 10 minutes of visiting the site. Aaron Carpenter, technical manager for TrencherCentral.com, created and maintains the Web site and estimates that the time it takes to fill out information and upload photos will take 5 to 10 minutes once familiar with the site.
Links to financing and trucking services are included in the site, putting important information at the user's fingertips. Carpenter says more features will be added in the future to give users more options. For now, he says simplicity is key. “We want to keep the front end as straight and narrow and easy to use as possible,” he says. And simple it is — browse, sign up, post ads and pay by credit card without relying on a sales representative. Of course, sales reps are available if needed to negotiate a price for more than 15 advertising spots or to buy a banner ad.
