Buying a Truck at Ritchie Bros.: Fees, Deposits, Titles and VIN Checks

At a Ritchie Bros. auction every lot sells to the highest bidder with no reserve, and in the U.S. you pay a transaction fee of 10% on a winning bid up to $30,000 (minimum $100), plus a $125 documentation fee on anything titled, then full payment within seven days. That is the short answer for a pickup, fleet SUV or work truck. The fees are printed in a table. The bigger risk is skipped homework: no in-person look, no VIN check, and no idea how hard the truck worked for its last owner.

Ritchie Bros. is part of RB Global, which also runs IronPlanet. Its scale is real; RB Global reported more than 14,500 items, trucks and vehicles sold at its February 2026 Orlando auction alone. We read its buyer fee page and "Read Before Bidding" page on October 15, 2026. The main rbauction.com site refuses the automated link check we run on every source, so those two pages are named in the sources without links; the figures below were read from them that evening.

1. Do the fee math, including the flat stretch

For events that opened on or after August 1, 2026, the U.S. and Mexico schedule is 10% up to $30,000, then 5.5% with a $3,000 minimum up to $75,000, then a flat $4,125. That minimum creates an odd zone. A $40,000 truck pays $3,000, since 5.5% would be only $2,200, and the 5.5% rate does not overtake the minimum until roughly $54,500. A $22,000 half-ton works out to $2,200 plus the $125 doc fee ($70 in California, $140 at Orlando), so $24,325 before sales tax and transport.

One trap we ran into: an older U.S. deposit and payment page on a Ritchie Bros. marketing subdomain is still live and still lists a different schedule, 15% up to $5,000 and a top fee of $3,638. Fees also "may vary by event," per the current fee page. Use the fee table attached to your specific event, and if two Ritchie pages disagree, ask the site before you bid.

2. Budget the deposit and the seven-day clock

That same payment page says online bidders may be asked for a refundable 25% bid deposit depending on history, and foreign bidders without prior arrangements put up 25% of expected purchases or $25,000, whichever is higher. Payment is due in full within seven days of the auction's end, and nothing leaves the yard until it clears. Non-certified funds hold your truck until the bank clears them. Late money draws 18% a year in interest, and if Ritchie resells an unpaid lot under its terms, it deducts a commission of 15% to 25% from that resale. Cash is not accepted.

3. Look at it, or accept you are buying photos

The "Read Before Bidding" page says equipment can be inspected at permanent sites and local yards starting two weeks before an auction, but only items actually delivered; each listing has an "In Yard - Yes/No" field. Unreserved means no minimum price, and it also means nobody is going to pull a truck because the bidding went your way. If you cannot see it, at least call the yard about cold starts and warning lights.

IronPlanet listings work differently. Items carrying IronPlanet's IronClad Assurance certification were visited and photographed by an inspector, and if what arrives does not match the report, you must contact IronPlanet within one business day of receiving it. One business day. Plan to be there at delivery with the report open.

4. Read the odometer, the hours, and the exemptions

Ask for engine hours if the listing or the yard can give them, because a truck that idled at job sites all day can wear its engine harder than the miles suggest. The federal odometer rule matters here too. Under 49 CFR 580.17, sellers do not have to disclose mileage on vehicles with a GVWR over 16,000 pounds, or on 2010 and older models. A medium-duty dump truck or an older Super Duty can legally change hands with no mileage statement at all, so the reading on the dash is all you get.

5. Run the VIN and the history before the gavel

Decode the VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder to confirm year, engine, GVWR class and build plant, then check title brands and insurer total-loss records on NMVTIS. On titles, the "Read Before Bidding" page says that if Ritchie Bros. cannot convey clear title, you are entitled to a full refund of the purchase price. We could not verify how long title paperwork takes to reach you after payment, so ask the yard what to expect before you plan registration or an interstate drive.

Expect ex-fleet history to read differently. Our guides on commercial use on a CARFAX and fleet auction history reports explain why records often stop at the fleet manager's shop. If it is a Super Duty you are after, the used Ford Super Duty buying guide covers the model, and our Manheim checklist compares the dealer-only auction world. As a licensed reseller with no tie to CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian, we charge around $5.50 per report for guests, $4.50 for members, or about $6.75 for both reports on one VIN, while retail usually sits between $39.99 and $44.99. Confirm at checkout. On a $25,000 truck that costs less than the doc fee, never mind the transaction fee.

Sources

• RB Global: Orlando auction results, Feb. 26, 2026
• Ritchie Bros.: United States bid deposit and payment information
• IronPlanet IronClad Assurance
• 49 CFR 580.17 (eCFR)
• NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder
• NMVTIS, U.S. Department of Justice
• Ritchie Bros.: Buyer Fees (rbauction.com/buying/buyer-fees) and Read Before Bidding (rbauction.com/buying/read-before-you-bid), read Oct. 15, 2026