Oakland International Airport’s surplus baggage tugs have become unlikely internet celebrities.
The Bay Area hub is offloading more than a dozen electric tractors through government auction sites, with opening bids hovering near $750 each. What began as routine fleet retirement has mutated into a social media phenomenon, as users across platforms fantasize about repurposing the slow-moving runway workhorses for civilian life.
Shannon Jean, a businessman who spotted the listings, fired off a tweet that helped ignite the frenzy. “They sell for next to nothing,” he wrote. “What’s the use case for making money, entrepreneur?”
The vehicles in question are compact electric tractors, the kind typically seen hauling luggage carts and cargo across airport tamps. Oakland’s listings include several 2008 models, according to the auction details. Government agencies regularly liquidate aging ground-support equipment at the end of its service life, making the sale itself unremarkable — but the public reaction has been anything but.
On Reddit, one user envisioned a hyperlocal taxi service with limited range. “I’d buy one for $700 just to cruise around the neighborhood. Need a lift like 3 blocks away? I gotchu,” they wrote.
Another Reddit user saw Halloween potential. “Someone should get one for an Austin Powers costume. Drive the kids around in it on Halloween,” they suggested.
The jokes kept coming. “Finally something to tow my mother in law around,” a third Reddit user cracked.
Colin Stroud took the fantasy to LinkedIn, where he posted about the vehicles’ neighborhood curb appeal. “Imagine the aura of driving one of these around your neighborhood,” he wrote.
The enthusiasm faces one substantial obstacle: speed. Baggage tugs typically top out between 4 and 15 mph depending on model and power source, with electric variants generally clustered at the lower end. A cross-country road trip would require extreme patience and abundant vacation days.
Not all commenters were fixated on joyriding. One social media user offered a practical alternative based on family experience. “We had one we put a snow plow on to do our long driveway. Had a pretty common Ford 4cyl engine so was easy to maintain,” they shared. “That and my dad worked as an airport equipment mechanic for many years.”
The Oakland auction is hardly an isolated case. Government surplus sites show a diesel-powered cargo loader in Indiana with a $4,500 asking price, while Boise Airport has listed several baggage tractors at roughly $500 apiece. The routine nature of these sales underscores how unusual the viral response to Oakland’s listings has become.
The California Post reached out to Oakland International Airport for comment on the unexpected attention. The sales appear to be standard surplus liquidation with no special circumstances attached.