Salvage

Salvage companies play an important role in the truck parts market for trucks that have aged over 5 years. Semi salvage yards sell truck parts ranging from truck hoods, truck bumpers, wheels, used cabs and complete used trucks. They buy trucks from insurance companies, fleets and individuals after they have been wrecked and the cost to repair is not feasible or when the truck’s useful life has expired or many other reasons. Semi salvage yards then will part out the truck or take out the major components like engines, transmissions, axles and sell them separately. Some semi salvage yards will even allow the buyer to take their own truck part off that is needed.

Semi salvage yards will also carry new aftermarket parts lines to supplement the used truck parts they carry. Many will take a major component, like a used transmission, and overhaul it with the ability to sell a reman transmission, with a warranty. The same holds true for used engines to reman engines, used axles to reman axles.

With all this in mind semi salvage yards are in the business of locating truck parts from truck parts dealers, distributors, independents and others. Salvage companies are sometimes looked at as the low cost repair shop because of their ability to acquire parts from the used truck inventory that is on site.

Collision centers can sometimes be the salvage yard’s biggest customer. They will buy used heavy duty truck and trailer parts to reduce cost of large wrecks. Insurance companies also encourage this because of the cost reduction.