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Reporter: RitchieWiki takes on the world of equipment

December 14, 2008 |

To commemorate its 50th anniversary, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has unveiled www.RitchieWiki.com, an “everything about equipment” Wikipedia. As with Wikipedia, users can use the site to research, read, add to and edit.

A wiki-type website provided the best way to collect the knowledge and expertise of the company and customers into one repository, says Clay Tippett, vice president of internet business for Ritchie. On RitchieWiki, information can be constantly added, elaborated and updated demographically by thousands of individual contributors with different information to share.

“Our goal is for manufacturers, associations, trade schools, equipment enthusiasts, industry journalists, and our customers and employees to embrace this new equipment wiki and give it momentum,” Tippett says. “We’re encouraging anyone with knowledge to edit the existing content and add new information and photos.”

Another impetus behind the website: the aging of a generation that has first-hand knowledge of the post-WWII equipment boom. “We want to capture their knowledge about equipment before it goes away,” says Ken Duncan, also with Ritchie. “We also want contractors to tell their stories.”

The free multi-lingual site is moderated by the company, which says it will not allow promotional, libelous or self-serving articles.
- Marcia Gruver

AASHTO calls for $545 billion transportation program
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has requested Congress consider increased federal funding – or an overall investment of $545 billion for use beginning in 2010 – to bolster the nation’s highway, transit, freight movement and railway programs. The current SAFETEA-LU program ends on September 30, 2009.

AASHTO’s proposal calls for $375 billion for highways, $93 billion for transit, $42 billion for freight improvements and $35 billion dedicated to funding intercity passenger rail.

According to Allen Biehler, AASHTO president and secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, this initiative will not be “business as usual.”