Truck Parts for Tradies

A guy walks into an auto parts store and says “I need a gas cap for my truck out there.”
The guy behind the counter takes a look outside, thinks for a second, and says…

“OK, sounds like a fair trade.”

Let’s be honest… buying parts can be a considerable investment in keeping your truck / office / diner / second home on the road.

So, lets look at two questions for finding the right parts for your vehicle.

How do I balance value and quality?

As the old adage goes, “If you think quality parts are expensive, try buying cheap ones!”

You can go to a wrecker or dismantler and buy very affordable used parts. But what is the history of that part? What stress has it been put under? How reliable will it be? Some of them will be fantastic and fit for purpose. But how do you know?

There is a chance that cheap parts wont fit the job. But OEM parts often don’t fit the budget.

What can I do to decide?

1. Use a value/quality matrix. A simple test is to evaluate for yourself where each options fits on a value/quality matrix. Orange is twice the price of green but only marginally better in perceived quality. Is that quality gap worth double the price? Yellow is two thirds of the value of Green but only one third of the quality. Maybe in this instance, green is the best balance.
   
   
2. Find a supplier you trust. Find a parts partner, or two, and build a great working relationship with them over time. The reliability and service that comes from having working partnerships is a large part of the value vs quality question. Active Truck Parts near Denver, Colorado, suggest that the key to finding truck parts is finding the truck part provider that offers high-quality parts at a price that fits your budget. How can you find that provider? Use the internet, get on the phone, and compare inventories.
   
   
3. Be prepared financially. Another part of the answer to this question starts well before you ever need a replacement part. It is imperative that the cost of maintaining your vehicles and tools is built into your pricing structure for the work that you do. That way you are more likely to have funds available when you need them. Easier said than done you might say. But if you cannot charge enough for your work to cover more than your direct costs, it won’t be long before you are looking for another way to make a living. 

Do I buy Used or New?

This is similar and related to to the previous question, but worth covering in its own right.

Some would encourage you to consider new truck parts as the superior option. New parts offer the shine and value of an unused part but require a higher investment on your end.  New parts have no wear and tear, have not been exposed to the stress of the job, and are more likely to come with a guarantee.

And while buying new truck parts can provide the benefits of quality and reliability, wreckers and dismantlers can often provide used or refurbished truck parts for a lower price compared to new parts. When highly monitored and proven processes are used in the remanufacturing process, choosing used truck parts allow you to save money without sacrificing on quality. 

Clearly some parts are better purchased new and others will be fine being replaced by a used part. This isn’t a one-off decision. It may be a decision you make on a regular basis.

Again, it may come down to the relationships you have built in the industry. Do you trust your used parts supplier to only sell you parts that will do the job and last the distance?

One way to choose is to mentally run the parts through a number of factors, including cost, risk and impact.

How to evaluate the value of new vs used parts:

1. Cost: How much is each option? What is the price difference?
2. Availability: How easy/fast can we get the part?
3. Quality/Probability: How good is it? How likely is it to fail?
4. Impact: How critical is it? What is the impact of failure? 
5. Recourse: What options will we have if it fails? Will failure be easy to fix?

Every situation will be slightly different. In the example shown, a new part is twice the price of the used or refurbished part. It is more readily available as your local supplier has it in stock. The likelihood of failure isn’t a significant point of difference, but if it does fail the impact is serious. This alone makes the new part look more attractive.  Added to that is the 24 month guarantee, which in this case, may be enough to prefer a new part.

This decision might become easier if we used a weighted score to show the impact of each question. Let’s add a scale of 1-3 point in favour of each option.

In the weighted example we can see the impact of our own ratings for each option. By our own evaluation it seems clear that a combination of factors that matter to us mean we prefer the new part in this instance.

You may decide there are other, more important factors, and you may rate things differently. Either way, it is good to have a means by which to decide. Most likely this will become more intuitive over time.

Where to get Truck Parts

To help you form partnerships that add value to your operation, here are a number of new and used parts suppliers. Have a look at their website. Call them or even visit them and see who you relate to and have confidence in.

New & OEM Parts

TRT – Tidd Ross Todd

For truck parts, trailer parts, heavy transport service and repair, trailers and low loaders, crane sales and service, TRT will keep you moving. TRT is a privately-owned, family business, specialising in the design, manufacturing, and engineering of large specialty trailers, truck and trailer parts, truck and trailer mechanical service and repair, crane sales and service, trailer sales and heavy transport and equipment design and manufacture.

TRT are the distributors for Manitowoc and Kobelco Crawler Cranes, and have the longest operating Grove crane dealership in the world.

Hamilton Head Office
48 Maui Street, Pukete Industrial Estate, Hamilton
Phone: 07 849 4839
Email: trt@trt.co.nz

TRT Auckland
59 Ash Road Wiri
Phone: 09 262 0683
Email: aklparts@trt.co.nz

TRT Christchurch
6 Brydone Road, Hornby South
Phone: 03 741 2261
Email: ccparts@trt.co.nz

United Truck Parts

We specialise in Japanese parts and are NZ’s largest supplier of new Japanese Truck and Bus Parts both original and aftermarket.

0800 268 611

Auckland
4 Marphona Cre Takanini, Auckland
Phone: 09 268 6115
Email: sales@unitedtrucks.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH
Unit 8 – 4 Distribution lane, Sockburn
Phone: 03 366 9438

Multispares Truck Parts

Auckland 
9 Vestey Drive, Mt Wellington, Auckland 1060
Phone: 0800 404 100
Phone: 09 270 0715
Email: ak@multispares.co.nz

Hamilton
1388 Arthur Porter Drive, Te Rapa NZ
Phone: 0800 404 100
Phone: 07 850 0850
Email: hm@multispares.co.nz

Wellington
48-56 Seaview Road, Lower Hutt, Wellington
Phone: 0800 404 100
Phone: 04 576 2060
Email: wn@multispares.co.nz

Christchurch
48-56 Seaview Road, Lower Hutt, Wellington
Phone: 0800 404 100
Phone: 04 576 2060
Email: wn@multispares.co.nz

Dunedin
Unit 3, 14 Teviot Street, Andersons Bay 9012
Phone: 0800 404 100
Phone: 03 455 9700
Email: dn@multispares.co.nz

Truck Stops

KEEPING TRUCKS MOVING with Outstanding, On-Time Parts & Service Support.

0800 802 273

Whangarei
7-9 Union East Street PO Box 863 Whangarei 0140

North Shore
12 Cowley Place Rosedale Auckland 0632

Auckland Central
Cnr Great South Road & Vestey Drive Mt. Wellington PO Box 22117 Otahuhu

Auckland South
2 Tacoma Road, Wiri PO Box 97325 Manukau 2241

Auckland Volvo
Alliance Truck & Bus Services 7-9 Langley Road, Wiri PO Box 76 326 Manukau City 2241

Hamilton
12 Quentin Drive Hamilton Lake Hamilton 3204

Mt Maunganui
1 Portside Drive Mount Maunganui PO Box 4229 Tauranga 3116

Mt Maunganui Volvo
56 Hull Road Mt Maunganui PO Box 5307 Tauranga 3150

Rotorua
Cnr Vaughan & Marino Roads, Te Ngae PO Box 7208 Rotorua 3042

Gisborne
Total Parts & Service Ltd 34 Banks Street, Awapuni PO Box 2240 Gisborne 4010

Taupo
Napier-Taupo Highway 5 PO Box 1245 Taupo 3351

New Plymouth
McCurdy Trucks 72 Connett Road, Bell Block New Plymouth 4373 PO Box 3243 New Plymouth 4341

Napier
45 Ford Road, Onekawa PO Box 3320 Napier 4142

Whanganui
Emmetts Truck Services 357 Heads Road, Castlecliff Whanganui 4500

Palmerston North
15 Malden Street Private Bag 11027 Manawatu Mail Centre Palmerston North 4442

Palmerston North Volvo
Emmetts Truck Services 799 Tremaine Avenue, Roslyn Palmerston North 4410

Wellington
21 Barnes Street Lower Hutt PO Box 30470 Wellington 5040

Nelson
2 Packham Crescent, Nayland PO Box 2132, Stoke Nelson 7041

Blenheim
13 Liverpool Street, RD4 Riverlands Industrial Estate Blenheim 7274

Christchurch
38 Waterloo Road, Sockburn PO Box 11104 Christchurch 8443

Christchurch Volvo
15 Parkhouse Road, Wigram PO Box 16096, Hornby Christchurch 8441

Queenstown
Queenstown Commercial Vehicle Services Ltd BP CoachPark 131 Gorge Road PO Box 963 Queenstown 9300

Cromwell
147 McNulty Road Cromwell 9310

Dunedin
89 Otaki Street PO Box 2186 South Dunedin 9044

Invercargill
Cnr Bond & Spey Streets West Invercargill PO Box 473 Invercargill 9840

Used Parts and Truck Dismantlers

Vernon & Vasey

NZ’S LARGEST DISMANTLER & IMPORTER OF TRUCK PARTS

• New and aftermarket body parts, automotive lamps and automotive accessories
• All engines are tested on Dyno Machines to ensure they meet industry standards
• The largest range of new and used Japanese & European truck parts

0800 878 257

Pukekohe

18-24 Crosbie Rd, Pukekohe 2120
Phone: 9 237 1138
Email: sales@vernonandvazey.co.nz

Palmerston North – Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts / Haulage Truck Parts

55A Malden St
Palmerston North 4414
Phone: 6 354 2478
Email: sales@haulagetruckparts.co.nz

Christchurch

2 Racecourse Rd, Sockburn
Christchurch 8023
Phone: 3 343 1631
Email: salessi@vernonandvazey.co.nz

LorryLand

0800 23 23 33

For Truck Parts Phone:
BRAD 027 643 3462
JOE 027 643 3464
OFFICE 067 624 796

19 Rugby Road, Tariki 4388

Cavanagh Truck Spares Limited

We specialise in the wrecking and dismantling of American, European and Japanese Trucks. Heavy to Light Commercial.

SALES ENQUIRIES:
Bill: 0274 963 957
Craig: 0274 963 951
Email: cavtruck@gmail.com

Bay of Plenty 

10 Landscape Road, Te Puke

Auckland Truck Parts

YOUR NEW, USED & AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT ISUZU TRUCK PARTS SUPPLIER.

We carry a vast range of parts from engines, gearboxes, diffs, starters, alternators, flywheels, cabs, panel parts, trim parts, lamps, mirrors, tyres, rims etc. We also source from Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia for our customers regularly.

Phone: (09) 267 8071​
Email: aucklandtruckparts@xtra.co.nz
Address: 23 Holmes Rd Manurewa, Auckland 2102

Skilton Truck Parts

Specialising In New And Used Japanese Truck Parts And Mechanical Repairs

0800 SKILTON (754696)

Phone: 09 294 8900
Email: skiltontruckparts@gmail.com
87 Creek Street, Drury