It's actually "Plastruct" - should help with searching if you have the company's name right.
I find having a range of thicknesses at hand to be pretty much a necessity. Either company offers 'sample' or 'variety' packs of sheet that are great for detailing, where a smaller quantity of materials in a greater variety of thicknesses will better serve you than a huge pile of uniform plastic. Don't ignore the rod and tube, either. Special shapes (H-beams, angle strip, hex rod, etc.) are great, but less than a necessity, generally.
For basic vehicle building, something in the .040"-.060" range is a good middle ground, but both thicker and thinner stock have their uses (yes, even the paper-thin .010"). Of course, ideal thickness depends on what, exactly, you're building. Obviously, you'd have trouble making heavy troop armour with 1/4" stock, just as you'd find building a hollow tank hull a nightmare using only .010" sheet.
As for where to buy
in bulk... Just how much qualifies as 'bulk' in your mind? For a few tank conversions (even full scratchbuilds), a couple of standard Plastruct/Evergreen packs will likely leave you with material to spare. For avid scratchbuilders who
truly want plasticard in bulk, you really need to go through a semi-industrial (industrial, but willing to deal with individuals and has a small enough minimum order size) plastic supplier that stocks HIPS. The material cost is far lower from these suppliers than the hobby companies, but the order size means a higher initial expenditure. I'd only recommend exploring such an avenue if you're sure you'll use a large amount or can split an order with other local (to avoid further shipping costs) modelers. A dozen 2'x2' sheets is a LOT of material for 28mm scale projects.
A common pseudo-bulk buying strategy is to snag plastic signs from the hardware store - "for sale" and the like. The larger signs are usually about 18"x24" of ~.030" thick polystrene and only cost a couple bucks. Although it's not generally as stiff as modeling HIPS, it still can be worked with the same methods, welded with the same solvents, etc. I always keep a sheet on hand for bulking out larger forms (strengthened internally with sprue supports and triangular gussets of the same sheet) before I move to my smaller modeling sheet stock.