Heavy Duty Truck Parts - Researching Semi Truck Accessories and any
Commercial Truck Part
The time has finally come where you need truck parts for your commercial vehicle.
Although you know what part you need to complete the repair, what should you be "looking for" in that part?
There are thousands of "horror stories" out there about honest people that got ripped-off by dishonest vendors or repair facilities when they purchased their commercial truck part.
How to avoid getting take advantage of? Although there is never any guarantee that problems won't arise, any reputable dealer or independent will take care their customer (which is you!) if an issue does occur.
A word on Repair Facilities:
When you find an excellent dealer or independent repair facility, it is important to build a solid trusting relationship with them. This not only gives you the comfort of knowing that your commercial vehicle is being repaired properly, but as your relationship grows, you will find that the repair facility will go above and beyond your expectations to complete the repair as quickly, effecient, and cost effective as possible. If you do your own repairs out of enjoyment or necessity, these excellent shops will normally help you with competetive parts pricing and technical assistance.
Being an A+ customer for an A+ shop not only means dedicated repeat business, but also includes customer satisfaction with pricing and a current account balance.
However....
Below are a few steps that I have found valuable when dealing with heavy duty parts:
1.) Always price check any expensive item - Although the repair facilities I mentioned above are excellent, there are times when they just do not have access to the truck parts you need at a competetive price. And if you have commercial truck or semi at a shop you are unfamiliar with, price comparison is a very smart action.
This does not mean that cheapest is best. If your shop does an excellent service for you, it is most often worth the extra dollars in a rare situation when they are more expensive than other avenues. You must use your common judgement and remember; you want great parts and great pricing, but relationships work both ways between shops and customers.
2.) Find out if your parts are OEM or aftermarket- I have no problem with quality aftermarket parts. However, the key here is quality, and often that is what is lacking in many situations. For example, lets say the commercial truck part you need in this case is an emergency relay valve for your rear air brakes. An OEM (original equipment manufacturer) valve cost approximately $65.00. You can purchase and aftermarket brand X (made offshore) for normally about 50% of what an OEM valve cost. This sounds like an excellent deal.
But
What if that offshore valve only lasts 1/10 as long? I know this sounds like something any intelligent person would already know, but often it is not worth the cheap price. I learned the hard way, and have installed hundreds of OEM and aftermarket valves. My final opinion is:
Most of the time, if it sounds like it is not expensive enough, it usually is of poor quality. This of course is not 100% the case, but just be careful not to let your good judgement be clouded with dollar signs!
3.) Make sure you have an acceptable warranty on your Heavy duty truck part- Most quality parts are backed by at least a 1 year warranty. That meant if the commercial truck part is installed in a reputable shop, the part and labor to replace should be covered. If you installed the part yourself, most often you will not be reimbursed for your labor, but the part will be covered 100%. Some parts (such as semi truck accessories) do not carry such an extensive warranty. As a rule of thumb, the more expensive the part (and the more you sweat over it before you buy it!), the better the warranty. Just be sure to check the warranty before commitment to buy so you know quality is being pursued.
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