Serial Number Guide Gives Fast Track Iron Users Fast, Free SN/VIN Lookups
Members of Fast Track Iron, Sandhills Global’s dynamic dealer network, receive exclusive access to the Serial Number Guide, among many other perks. This tool enables users to quickly verify the model year of any asset, whether it’s a construction or farm machine, truck, or trailer. This information is valuable for machine spec decoding or posting wholesale listings, pre-trade offers, or Want-To-Buys.
How It Works
If you’re a Fast Track Iron user logged in to a Sandhills mobile app or trade site such as MachineryTrader.com, you’ll see the Serial Number Guide button on the home screen or homepage. Click it, and either upload a photo of a serial number or vehicle identification number plate or enter the SN or VIN manually. When you upload a photo, the system uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to read the SN/VIN and locate the right asset. If more data is needed, you will be prompted to select from a few options or enter specific information, such as the asset manufacturer’s name.
If the number you provide is valid, the Serial Number Guide will display the asset’s validated year, make, and/or model. Sandhills’ SN/VIN database continues to grow, providing access to additional information over time.
The Serial Number Guide has also improved its decoding ability when an SN is shorter or longer than usual. For example, if you enter only the last several digits of a Caterpillar or Komatsu SN, the system might find the full number in the machine's historical data.
Get Historical Asset Records, Too
If historical asset data is available for an SN/VIN, you will also see a Historical Records section with one or more sets of records. Each set may include the manufacturer, model, year, location, condition, hours or mileage, event type (such as a note that the asset was put up for sale), date(s), and price.
As a Fast Track Iron user, you will also see a View Historical Records link on individual trade site listings. Click the link to instantly verify the asset’s SN/VIN and display any associated events. Whether you start by clicking the Serial Number Guide button or a View Historical Records link, the information you see is the same that’s available from the Historical Equipment Search app in the Sandhills Cloud.
Free VIP Values & Market Reports
Sandhills also offers Value Insight Portal (VIP), a free tool for obtaining fast, accurate auction, market, and asking values on trucks, trailers, RVs, and equipment. To use it, click the floating VIP button at the bottom of any Sandhills trade site or app, or go directly to a page like VIP.TruckPaper.com or VIP.MachineryTrader.com.
You can click the Get Market Reports link on any trade site homepage to obtain market trend insights or subscribe to specific reports. You can also log in to AuctionValues.com for continuously updated, aggregated auction results from across the U.S. and Canada. Contact your Sandhills rep for more information about any of these tools and services.
A version of this article first appeared in Sandhills Magazine. You can find current and back issues in the Sandhills Magazine Archive.