Truck Salvage yards come in all shapes and sizes. Some specialize exclusively in big rigs, while others are for personal trucks, trailers, vans, and SUV’s. These salvage yards are where damaged trucks are taken and then dissected into parts. The parts are then resold to consumers for use in functional trucks, trailers, big rigs, vans, and SUV’s. I will share with you below my experience with the truck salvage yards near me.
Map of Truck Salvage Yards Near Me
For “Truck Salvage Yards Near Me”, “Truck Junkyards Near Me or “Trailer Salvage Yards Near Me”, see the map below…
As an alternative, you may want to search for “used truck parts near me” on Google Maps. There are various types of truck salvage yards including general truck yards, heavy duty salvages , semi truck salvages, and then even down to manufacturers like GMC.
Operations of Truck Junkyards Near Me
Both truck and trailer junkyards operate locally, meaning they aren’t big box-brand salvage yards. The truck salvage yards near me buy wrecked trucks from individuals who have assessed that their vehicle is beyond repair. For some trucks they acquire, the damage is bad from an accident, but for others, it’s just a matter of the owner feeling the cost of repairs and a tow are too pricey.
Truck salvage yards often purchase wrecked trucks or trailers from insurance companies. When an insurance company has to replace a damaged truck or trailer it is responsible for the vehicle. By selling the truck to a salvo they can offset some of the cost they paid out for the claim.
So both insurance companies and private companies create opportunities for truck salvage yards. The salvo can get damaged trucks and then resell the functioning parts to the public. If the junked truck is at least running, they may fix it and flip it, or take it to auction…
If the Truck Runs it May Get Sold at an Auction
Sometimes a salvage will take a truck that runs and sell it at an auction. It likely won’t be sold by itself but with a group of other salvaged trucks. This helps spread the financial risk of both the buyer and the seller. It’s worth noting that if you are selling a truck to salvage and think it will go to an auction, you should negotiate for more than the scrap metal price of the vehicle.
Vehicles that don’t run, will get put out for pick and pull.
Before It Goes Out to The Yard It Gets Processed…
When a salvage takes in a new truck, they can’t just put it straight out to the yard. There are regulations the salvage must follow. These include draining fluids like oil, gas, anti-freeze, etc. Some fluids will get recycled according to law and others will be containerized and resold. They will also pull the battery and resell it or recharge it and resell it. Then they will tag the vehicle and set it out to stud.
How the Truck Salvage Yard Near Me is Arranged
Most truck and trailer yards do not stack vehicles as you might see in a car salvage yard. Trailers, vans, SUVs, and trucks, are simply just too big to stack, and because of this, they are often arranged in tight rows.
Some yards are organized by size or class and others by brand. It’s easier when it’s by brand, so you have a Ford, Dodge, or Chevy section for example, or even Cummins, Carerpillar, etc…That makes it more efficient for us junkers since many models of the same manufacturers use the same parts over multiple years.
Often these truck or trailer scrap yards will have an electronic searchable inventory. This allows them to find where a particular truck or trailer is located in the yard. This makes it much more efficient for consumers to find the truck or trailer parts they are looking for. The trailer salvage yard near me is a mess and hard to find what you need.
Truck junkyards often operate in two different ways: Pull the parts and sell them or pick and pull for the public. Some will remove the functioning truck parts and then store them in a warehouse and/or sell the parts online. For truck junk yards that remove the parts and store them in a warehouse, it is much easier to find what you need as a consumer. Many times you can search for your make and model of truck and the specific part.
Other salvos will just put the truck out in the lot and then let the public scavenge the trucks and remove the parts themselves. This is how the truck salvage yards near me operate. They charge a small admission fee, then let me pull the parts I need in the yard, and charge me for what I take.
A place with a large inventory of junk trucks, and used parts will make finding what you need much easier. Visiting the nearest salvage yard to uncover the extensive inventory with competitive best prices and unmatched service will be a great experience for you.
What Kind of Used Truck Parts Can You Find…
You can find so many parts for trucks and big rig trailers. There are often used truck beds, but for those, it’s easier to find a specialized used truck bed yard. The newer trucks and trailers tend to have more of the parts you will be looking for, Especially considering if you are pulling an alternator you will want it out of something newer since corrosion hasn’t set in yet.
You can get entire engines and often get a 30-day exchange warranty on it. Other than engines you can find many other used truck parts like wheels, mirrors, seats, exhaust pipes, dashboards, shifters, cabs, doors, beds, bed liners, hitches, wenches, snow plow attachments, etc. Whatever is left over from the truck that the salvage yard can’t sell will be sold off to a scrap metal plant.
Selling Your Truck or Trailer to Salvage Yards
Before you sell your truck to a junkyard near you, there are some important considerations you should make. First, determine if your truck is able to be fixed. Get an estimate on what the repair costs are and then determine the re-sale value both with and without the repairs. This will help you assess if it’s best to fix and keep, fix and sell independently, fix and sell to a truck salvage yard, or not fix and sell to a truck salvage yard.
In the event you feel it best to go the truck junk yard route then it is important to do the following:
- Remove all of your personal belongings from the truck
- Return the license plates yourself to DMV
- Cancel your registration and insurance
- If you have a full tank of gas siphon as much as you can out and keep it
- Find your title because you will need it to sell your truck or trailer
- Look up the value of your truck or trailer in Kelly Blue Book
Negotiating With a Truck Salvage Yard Near Me
They will likely start by offering you the scrap steel price for your vehicle…
If you feel your truck still has valuable components they can resell, you should negotiate for higher than the scrap metal value. If it runs or has only recently been taken off the road, negotiate up. For more tips on getting the maximum value, read this.
When you are dealing with a truck junkyard it’s important that you are honest about the condition the vehicle is in. It will make the whole process go smoother if you are forthright with them. They may also ask you to provide photographs if you are negotiating a price over the phone.
If you can get them to commit to a price over the phone…hold them to it. Many of these places will try to bait and switch you when the wrecker arrives to pick up the vehicle.
Salvage Truck Parts – Pros and Cons
Advantages of Used Truck Parts at Junkyards
The truck junkyards near me like Tim Jordan’s Truck Parts, which also does truck sales, carries a featured inventory of used parts really cheap. It’s often that you can find alternators for $18, batteries for $12, and a door for $60. Every salvo charges differently, but you will save significantly from purchasing new. This will also be better tan buying aftermarket truck parts.
In addition, you get the advantage of often getting original manufacturer–assembled parts. This is why people who restore trucks or cars go to auto salvage yards; to get parts that have been produced by the manufacturer. These original used truck parts could have more value than a replacement part you would buy at an auto store.
Disadvantages of Buying Used Truck Parts from the Junkyard
At times you may find used truck parts that don’t last very long. When you purchase used parts you don’t have any idea how many hours have been logged on that part. You could check the odometer on the truck (if you have a small tester battery with you), to get an idea, but it’s still hard to know if your used part is at its end of life. It’s important before you part to try and examine and test as much as you can for this reason.
When you purchase used truck parts they do not come with a warranty, they are sold as is. The other thing you can’t guarantee is that you will find what you need even after walking around a salvage yard all day. To bypass the warranty issue, you should ask if warranties are offered. If they are it’s normally 30 day exchange or credit, but never cash back.
Truck Salvage Yards Near Me – Conclusion
When it comes to selling your vehicle or looking for used truck parts there is a lot to consider. It’s best to do your research and call around to different truck junkyards to get what you want. You can also find much of what you need online if you are savvy enough when you search. Junkyards in general are the best place for parts. You can get cheap parts, manufacturer-assembled, and maybe even a warranty.
Additionally, supporting a junkyard supports the environment and the vehicle recycling industry. Navigate through a truck salvage world where auto parts can epitomize excellence, and every piece, including used heavy duty parts and heavy truck parts, also can stand as a testament to quality.
While there are some drawbacks and shady characters in the business, for the most part, you will find great people who do fair business. If you are selling a truck and negotiate in good faith, they will do the same. That’s my experience from the truck salvage yards near me.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do Truck Salvage Yards Work?
Truck salvage yards buy junked trucks that are beyond repair. They sell the functioning parts back to the public for reuse on working trucks. They get their inventory from private owners, auctions, insurance companies, and businesses. There are different types of truck junkyards for light duty, medium duty, and heavy duty trucks.
How Much Will a Junkyard Pay for a Truck?
The price for junked automobiles fluctuates daily based on scrap metal market prices. You can expect between $300 and $400 for a pickup truck or SUV. For a Semi truck, you may get over $1000 depending on the weight. Other factors that determine the price are the year, completeness, functioning parts, and damage.
Do Scrap Metal Yards Buy Trucks?
A scrap metal yard will take a junk truck. The value of the truck will be determined by its weight in scrap metal. There are higher-paying alternatives you should consider first before selling your junk truck for scrap metal. Scrapping a truck is often the easiest way to get cash, but not the most lucrative.
What Should I Bring to the Junkyard?
When visiting a Junkyard you need to have the right tools to pull the parts you need. The best strategy is to remove your parts from your current vehicle first and set aside the tools needed. For general junkyard trips for pulling parts here is what is in my tool bag:
- Impact Driver
- Sawsall
- Wretches
- Ratchets
- Sockets SAE and Metric (depending on vehicle origin)
- Extensions
- Pliers
- Hammer
-
Screwdrivers
- Penetrating fluid
- Breaker bar
- Gloves
- Small portable battery for testing
Can you Negotiate with a Truck Junkyard?
Most junkyards will have fixed prices for popular parts like starters, alternators, batteries, doors, motors, transmissions, etc. You can ask for a price sheet, but many of them are posted like a menu on the wall. In my experience, if you are a regular and purchasing many parts you can ask for a discount. The more you know about car parts and their condition will help you get a better price.
