Vehicle Remarketing Logo

Auction Crew Stands Up to Winter Storm to Prepare Auction for Sale Day

FLINT, MI - They're no strangers to the challenges of winter weather, but the lot crew at Flint Auto Auction braved an unusually bitter storm in early February in order to get the auction ready for sale day.

by Staff
February 25, 2011
2 min to read


FLINT, MI - They're no strangers to the challenges of winter weather, but the lot crew at Flint Auto Auction braved an unusually bitter storm in early February in order to get the auction ready for sale day.

Facing howling winds, driving snow and bitterly cold temperatures, the employees at Flint Auto Auction succeeded in clearing the lot and running more than 1,200 cars and trucks through the auction lanes on Wed., Feb. 2, to the amazement and applause of the hardy customers who battled the storm themselves to attend the sale.

Ad Loading...

"Preparing the auction for the sale on the 2nd was an amazing accomplishment, that stretched the limits of even the hardiest and most experienced members of our crew," said auction owner Bill Williams, Jr. "They say that the test of a person's strength only comes in the face of great challenge, and this storm was definitely a challenge of epic proportions. We appreciate all they did to bring the cars out of the cold and into the auction arena!"

On the day of the sale, Flint received nearly a foot of snow. Steady winds of 20 mph blew the snow into drifts, with gusts reached speeds of 35 mph. The high for the day was 23 degrees.

"We ran 1,281 vehicles through the lanes that day, and sold 428. It was a superhuman effort on the part of everyone involved--including the dealers who came to sale--considering that the weather shut down the rest of the city that day!"

The following week, the auction staff was relieved to see sunshine, although the temperature reached only 16 degrees by the start of the sale

Flint Auto Auction has been serving dealers since 1953. Located north of the Detroit metropolitan area, Flint Auto Auction serves dealers in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and beyond. In addition to dealer auctions, they also provide reconditioning, body and mechanical repair, marshaling and inspection services. More information on Flint Auto Auction can be found at www.flintaa.com.


Topics:Operations

More Operations

Collage of CAR speakers
Used Vehicle Valuesby Chris BrownApril 27, 2026

CAR2026 in Two Words: Velocity, Value (Part 1)

The 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing convened with a mandate to involve a new constituency — fleet managers — and an updated mission to demonstrate unrealized value in de-fleeted vehicles.

Read More →
Graphic promoting CAR 2026 roundtables featuring headshots of five speakers and topics including Wall Street trends, fleet data, upfits, fair market value, and AI in remarketing.
Operationsby Chris BrownMarch 31, 2026

CAR 2026: Get the Wall Street Update on the Key Players in Remarketing

From a Wall Street analyst's take on remarketing's key players to whether fleets need their own version of Carfax, CAR 2026's afternoon roundtables will answer key operational and industry questions.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for CAR 2026 panel on data-driven value in commercial vehicles, featuring five industry experts and session details for April 16 in Cleveland.
Fleetby Chris BrownMarch 31, 2026

CAR 2026 Session to Uncover the Missing Data That's Costing Fleets at Disposal

Work trucks lose value at remarketing, not because they aren't worth more, but because the data to prove it rarely makes it to the auction.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A rental car rolling through a UVeye overhead vehicle inspection terminal.
Operationsby News/Media ReleaseMarch 13, 2026

TSD Mobility, UVeye Partner On Automated Vehicle Inspections

The enhanced technology allows rental car operations, dealerships, and auctions to compare a vehicle’s condition at pickup and drop-off within the same rental or loaner record.

Read More →
Graphic promoting a CAR 2026 conference session showing four speaker headshots above the title “What Really Moves Vehicle Value Now — And What Doesn’t” with automotive conference branding
Operationsby Chris BrownMarch 11, 2026

CAR 2026: What Really Moves Vehicle Value Now — And What Doesn’t

A panel at the 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing will examine how resale value is created across the vehicle lifecycle and which traditional remarketing practices still deliver ROI.

Read More →
A collage of two photos of day cab trucks above a checklist for maximizing resale values.
Used Vehicle ValuesMarch 1, 2026

How To Maximize TCO and Resale Value in Day Cab Fleets

Smart operational and spec'ing decisions can dramatically improve both the total cost of ownership during use and the resale value when it's time to remarket day cabs.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Image of rows of cars and a shopping cart.
Used Vehicle Valuesby Chris BrownMarch 1, 2026

How to Drive Better Returns on De-Fleeted Vehicles in 2026

Smart remarketing begins before vehicles enter the fleet, and is built on strong data and stronger FMC partnerships.

Read More →
Summary table of January auction sales report.
Used Vehicle Valuesby News/Media ReleaseFebruary 9, 2026

Auction Sales Kick Off 2026 In High Step

Winter snowstorms and frosty freeze-overs could not slow down the hot vehicle auction action nationwide in January.

Read More →
Arun Rajagopalan's, CEO and co-founder of Motorq, headshot is placed above text about the 2026 CAR conference.
Operationsby Chris BrownFebruary 6, 2026

CAR 2026: Rethinking Vehicle Valuation Through Health Data

How can vehicle-sourced performance data change the way fleets assess condition, time de-fleets, and set remarketing expectations? A seminar at the 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR) has answers.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A star B2X logo sits on a white and blue background with arrows pointing to the right.
Operationsby StaffJanuary 29, 2026

Bobit Business Media Inc. (BBM) Launches B2X Rewards

B2X Awards is one of Bobit's newest initiatives dedicated to increasing engagement across the company's sites.

Read More →