Brick Life

Looking for a Military Surplus Truck? Brick is Selling Some ‘Classics’

by
Daniel Nee
December 6, 2023

M35A3 from Brick’s inventory. (Photo: Township of Brick)

One of Brick Township’s surplus ex-military vehicles may become another person’s treasure by way of a particular interesting public auction which kicks off today.

Like most towns, Brick occasionally sells surplus items that have outlived their useful life in service to various departments in local government. The items, in modern times, are auctioned off using government-specific auction websites – essentially a version of eBay that complies with the various laws that govern such sales. Brick recently authorized the police department to dispose of some surplus equipment, but this time it’s more than just an old Crown Victoria cruiser or outdated radio.

Brick was among numerous towns that received former military vehicles in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. They range from the famed “deuce and-a-half” trucks that served America’s military from the 1950s to 2000s (and are still in use with a number of National Guard units) to dump trucks and bulldozers that likely saw service in Iraq or Afghanistan before being transferred to local governments. The trucks served the township in the aftermath of the storm, which devastated the community 11 years ago.

Realistically, most of the trucks are in poor condition and sitting at the Public Works yard on Ridge Road, but the auction prices generally start at about $100 – so perhaps there is a collector or someone particularly handy who could (for some reason) use one of these heavy duty pieces of armed services lore.

The full list of items being sold by the township can be found here.

Here are a few interesting vehicles Brick is selling that could, conceivably, be yours (and some history behind them):

An M929A2 Dump Truck

M929A2 from Brick’s inventory. (Photo: Township of Brick)

The M929/939 series of dump trucks was built between 1982 and 1987 by AM General, the company most famous for building the Humvee. They are still manufactured by Kia for the South Korean military to this day. More than 44,000 of the dump trucks were purchased by the U.S. military during the late Cold War period to replace earlier vehicles that were based on a design dating back to the Korean War. A link to one of Brick’s can be found here.

M35A3/M44A3 “Deuce And-A-Half”

M35A3 from Brick’s inventory. (Photo: Township of Brick)

One of the more prolific trucks to serve our armed forces for literally 70 years in different variants, the “deuce and-a-half” gets its nickname from earlier World War II-era trucks that boasted a 2.5 short-ton payload. The M44 was a single-tandem variant that was manufactured by several companies over the decades. The trucks were used by multiple branches for every conceivable purpose, from an airport firefighting variant to an improvised “gun truck.” One of Brick’s several M35/44s for sale can be found here.

XM816 Wrecker

XM816 from Brick’s inventory. (Photo: Township of Brick)

The M816 wrecker was another Cold War-era designed truck, built in the 1970s and 1980s by AM General. It was known for its hydraulic crane with an extending boom that could be modified with outriggers. The purpose of the truck was to pull medium-sized equipment, sometimes disabled, through rough terrain. Notably, the big truck gets about 5 miles-per-gallon, but it can reach speeds of up to 52 m.p.h. An example in Brick can be found here.

Military Bulldozers

Military bulldozers from Brick’s inventory. (Photo: Township of Brick)

Perfect for help closing inlets that happen to open up during 500-year storms, Caterpillar bulldozers in desert and jungle camouflage styles are among the items that would definitely not qualify as a stocking-stuffer.

Honorable Mention: 25-foot Boston Whaler

A Boston Whaler from Brick’s inventory. (Photo: Township of Brick)

This one was never in a war zone (unless one counts F-Cove), but it did serve the Brick Township Police marine unit for many years. Interestingly, these old boats were replaced by recently-retired U.S. Coast Guard 25-foot Defender-class rescue vessels which the township was able to acquire at a gargantuan discount. The new boats’ Coast Guard colors have since been replaced by Brick Police’s signature black-and-white color scheme and patrol the township’s waterways, conduct anti-burglary patrols of lagoon communities, participate in rescues and respond to accidents on the water. The old Whaler can be found up for auction at this link.

As noted above, all of the vehicles listed here (and more) can be found on the township’s surplus auction page.