Swift expansion: How auctions helped fleet reach rockstar status

Prospective bidders would shuffle in front of the next unit up for auction and raise their paddles, all hoping to be the last one standing. And the ones Scherkenbach got achieved instant stardom.

The 1997 Kenworth T2000 he won through a Taylor and Martin auction hauled John Mayer’s gear around during the singer-songwriter’s peak. Back then, Scherkenbach, who still has his CDL, drove the trucks for Swift’s future ex-boyfriend, too.

The total fleet he oversees comprises 82 Class 8 tractors and 312 trailers, and they can afford to purchase brand-new trucks and trailers, but Scherkenbach said he still “dabbles in auctions” and “always keep an eye on all the Taylor and Martin auctions to see stuff that might be older, but was gently used,” the executive said.

You have to know where to look, though.

“Obviously, region makes a big difference—if you’re buying in the south, you’re going to get stuff with less rust,” he said.

Recently, the fleet owner found a real diamond in the rough—a 2008 Great Dane trailer—in Tunica, Mississippi, through an online auction hosted by Taylor and Martin. He paid $6,000, though he admitted he’d go as high as $9,000. He noted the tires were in good shape and the aluminum rims alone had an estimated value of $1,200.

Because of his experience with Taylor and Martin, he felt he could trust the trailer was decent even though he wasn’t there in person or had it inspected by a third party.

“I know my brands and I know what brands they look for,” he said. “Taylor and Martin’s very good about actually providing additional pictures if there are damaged areas.”

He added the auctioneer also provides documentation, such as paperwork on major repairs, from the previous owner.

He had a driver in the area pick up the white dry van and haul it to the Chicago area to refurbish it. Because of his high-profile clientele, the trailer had to look good.

“It’s one of the rare parts of trucking where presentation matters,” Scherkenbach. “Presentation is just as important as a service we’re offering.”

His go-to body shop added a stainless steel nose, rear doors, and landing legs, as well as a frame paint touch-up, and then it was off to fleet graphics company for a new black wrap.

One of his technicians overhauled the Hendrickson air ride suspension, replete with new bushings, bearings, and airbags.

For a truck, though, he may have still flown out, because pictures don’t tell the whole story.

“To really understand the condition of a truck, you want to sit in it, and see how it’s been maintained, and if it’s stinky or smells like a wet dog,” he said.