In the field of trucking and logistics, the technical condition of trucks has a direct impact on the profitability of the business. Every truck downtime due to a breakdown is not only lost profit, but also potential fines, lost customers and damaged reputation. That’s why the serviceable condition of the vehicle should be a priority for every fleet owner.
In addition, untimely replacement of worn out components leads not only to deterioration of the car, but also causes complex breakdowns of the most important components in the future. In turn, this threatens not only downtime of the vehicle, but also costly repairs.
Online purchase of spare parts – convenience, efficiency and benefits
Today, more and more truck owners prefer to buy spare parts online. This approach saves time, simplifies selection and provides access to a huge range of parts – from original to analogs.
Buying parts online is a modern, convenient and cost-effective solution for truck owners and fleets. This approach allows you to quickly find the right parts, minimize selection errors, compare offers and order components with delivery.
The advantages of online shopping for spare parts include:
- A wide selection of components. A large assortment is one of the main pluses of online shopping. Online platforms offer original manufacturer (OEM) parts, quality analogs from third-party brands, and parts that are often not available from offline sellers. The choice is not limited to one warehouse, because reputable online platforms work with dozens of suppliers, so the probability of finding the right part is very high.
- Convenience of selection by VIN. Most modern sites offer a search by VIN-code, which eliminates errors in selection. You enter the number, and the system automatically suggests suitable parts. This method is especially relevant for trucks, where it is important to take into account the specifics of each configuration and year of manufacture.
- Time saving. When buying parts online, you do not need to go shopping, call warehouses and wait for the seller’s answer. The order is placed in a few clicks directly from your PC, phone or other gadget. This is especially important for fleet owners and logistics companies, where every minute of downtime leads to losses.
- Transparency of prices and the ability to compare costs. On the sites you can compare the prices of different manufacturers, study the characteristics and reviews, which makes it possible to make the right choice. Often online platforms offer more favorable prices than retail outlets, as they work directly with distributors and do not spend on renting retail space.
- Shipping. Online stores offer a variety of delivery options – from self-delivery to delivery by courier or transportation company.
- Reviews and ratings. Before placing an order, you can familiarize yourself with the opinions of other customers, which helps to avoid buying low-quality or inappropriate components.
Also, many online trading platforms offer their regular or new customers bonus programs, discounts on the first order. This allows you to significantly save on fleet maintenance in the long term.
Selecting spare parts by VIN code
When looking for online truck parts, it is important to choose the right one. VIN-code (Vehicle Identification Number) refers to the most reliable and accurate way to select parts suitable for technical parameters and design. It is a unique vehicle identification number assigned by the car manufacturer.
VIN-code is a kind of “passport” of the vehicle. It consists of 17 alphabetic and numeric symbols, which encode important information about the technical parameters of a particular truck.
By specifying the VIN-code you can find out about the make and model of the vehicle, as well as:
- the type of body and engine;
- who is the manufacturer and in which country the assembly was made;
- in what year the car was produced;
- factory number and features of the equipment.
Thanks to these data, you can accurately determine what parts will fit the truck of a certain make and model, which eliminates errors during the order.
VIN-code can be indicated in the technical passport, on the frame or body of the truck; on the windshield (driver’s side), between the cab and the engine compartment, on a plate at the top of the dashboard. Sometimes the manufacturer duplicates the VIN in several areas for reliability.
Why use VIN code when buying spare parts
Searching with the indication of the VIN-code has certain pluses. These are always:
- Accuracy. The customer is guaranteed to get exactly the part that is exactly compatible with the truck.
- Convenience.
- Safety. Eliminates the purchase of unsuitable parts that will damage the system of the car or lead to failure of units and mechanisms on the road.
Ordering components with the VIN-code will avoid wasting money and idle time of the vehicle, will keep the truck in excellent technical condition.
Originals and analogs: what is the difference
Each owner of a truck sooner or later has to face the task of what components to choose – original or analog (non-original). From the correctness of this choice directly depends on the reliability of the equipment, safety on the route and financial costs for maintenance. To make an informed decision, it is important to understand what original components and analog parts are and how they differ.
What are originals
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts are manufactured either by the car manufacturer itself or by an official supplier working under license from the manufacturer. They are fully compliant with the quality standards, dimensions and materials used in the assembly of the vehicle.
Such spare parts come with the automaker’s markings and are used during the initial assembly of the vehicle. When replaced, they provide 100% compatibility and have a long working life.
The advantages of original spare parts are:
- Full compliance with technical requirements.
- Reliability and high quality.
- Absolute compatibility with a particular model and configuration.
All original spare parts have a manufacturer’s warranty. It is important to know that often the price of original components will be higher than analogs.
What are analog spare parts
Analogs (non-original parts, aftermarket) are produced by third-party companies that are not official partners of the car concern. They can be produced according to the original drawings, but most often – with some simplifications or differences in design, materials.
Among the analogs you can find both high-quality components that are not inferior to the original, and cheap parts with a minimum service life. Among the advantages of analogs can be noted:
- affordable prices;
- a wide choice of manufacturing companies.
Among the disadvantages are noted not always perfect compatibility with the nodes, different levels of quality. Analog spare parts of low quality do not have a manufacturer’s warranty.
How to make the right choice
When choosing between an original and an analog, it is worth considering several factors:
- The purpose of the part. If we are talking about key nodes, such as the braking system, steering, engine, it is better to choose original or proven brand analogs. For secondary elements (fasteners, decorative overlays) budget analogs will do.
- Operating conditions. In case of intensive or extreme operation of trucks (long trips, off-road, transportation of heavy loads) it is better to use parts of original production.
- Origin and supplier. It is important to buy both original and analog parts from trusted suppliers, with documents, warranty. This minimizes the risk of buying counterfeit or low-quality goods.
Buying spare parts from HD ProParts
Quality and reliability of spare parts come to the forefront when it comes to truck repair and maintenance. But equally important is the right choice of platforms where the parts will be purchased.
More and more owners and service centers in the U.S. are choosing HD ProParts online, a trusted partner with an excellent reputation for supplying high quality parts.
The advantages of buying parts online from HD ProParts include:
- Providing a warranty. The company cooperates only with trusted suppliers and official distributors. All parts are in the factory packaging, have a serial number, quality certificates.
- Convenient online catalog. You no longer need to go shopping or search for components in catalogs manually. HD ProParts website provides convenient search by VIN code, quick access to OEM catalog numbers, filtering by make, year and model, as well as always up-to-date prices.
- Availability of our own warehouses. Thanks to this all parts are always in stock.
- Prompt delivery within the USA. Parts are delivered just in time, which is especially important for business profitability and lack of truck downtime.
- Competitive prices and discounts for bulk orders, special conditions for regular customers.
- Wide assortment. In the catalog you can find both original auto parts and certified analogs of high quality.
HD ProParts managers will help you to quickly select the necessary part by VIN-code, check its compatibility.
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