Caltrans and Granite Construction Surplus Equipment Went to Public Auction in Sacramento and Fresno

On Saturday, Sep 12, 2026, Bar None Auction sold large equipment packages from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Granite Construction through its Sacramento and Fresno facilities — government surplus and contractor-owned fleet offered to the public at online auction, with no dealer license required to bid [1].

The Caltrans surplus package included work trucks, fleet vehicles, and construction equipment. It arrived just one week after the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) brought a significant offering of vehicles and equipment to Bar None's Fontana facility. In addition to Caltrans and LADWP, Bar None works with the California Department of General Services and the cities of Fremont and Sacramento, underscoring a steady pipeline of public-agency surplus moving through public auction [1].

What was on the block

Granite Construction's consignment — the company is one of the nation's leading infrastructure and construction firms — brought an extensive lineup of heavy construction equipment: motor graders, wheel loaders, skip loaders, excavators, scrapers, dozers, compactors, skid steers, lifts, and more. Together, the Caltrans and Granite packages gave contractors, equipment dealers, and individual buyers the chance to bid on government and contractor-owned equipment in a single online public auction [1].

How the public sale worked

The auction was open to the public, and bidders did not need to be licensed equipment dealers to participate. Prospective buyers registered on the Bar None Auction website, where they could review inventory, equipment details, photographs, and video. In-person preview days were held at both the Fresno and Sacramento locations on September 10 and 11, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. [1]

"California government agencies continue to turn to Bar None Auction for the efficient disposal of surplus vehicles and equipment," said Jeff Huber, the company's marketing director. "Through competitive and transparent public auctions, broad buyer exposure and decades of experience managing government assets, our process provides agencies with a proven way to maximize asset recovery, maintain public accountability and responsibly return value to taxpayers." [1]

The surplus channel

Bar None Auction, founded in 1993, conducts monthly public auctions specializing in heavy equipment, commercial and utility trucks, automobiles, and industrial support assets. The company holds auctions nearly every week across the Western United States, with permanent facilities in Sacramento, Fresno, and Fontana, California, and Woodburn, Oregon [1]. The Caltrans sale illustrates how public surplus moves: an agency retires fleet, an auction house catalogs and previews it, and the open bidding — online, with public preview — converts used taxpayer-funded assets back into revenue.

Terms

• Government surplus: vehicles and equipment retired by public agencies and sold to recover their remaining value.
• Consignment: equipment an auction sells on behalf of an owner (here, Granite Construction) rather than owning outright.
• Asset recovery: the practice of recouping value from retired equipment through resale or auction.

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