ARA Part Grading for Mechanical Parts
Mileage determines part quality and part grade

The Automotive Recyclers Association grading system makes it easy to identify part damage and quality for your salespeople and your customers. In the last issue of the Car-Part Scoop, we told you how to grade your sheet metal body parts based on damage codes. You can find that article in our newsletter archive. Almost half of the parts uploaded to Car-Part.com are graded, so not grading your parts may put your business at a disadvantage. Customers value part grades because they can quickly evaluate a part they want to purchase from you.

Mechanical parts, such as engines and transmissions, are graded a bit differently. Mechanical part grading is designed to pinpoint the amount of wear and tear on these parts, which is determined by mileage. An "A" grade part is one that has 60,000 miles or less or 15,000 miles or less per year (up to 200,000 miles). A "B" grade mechanical part is one that has both over 60,000 miles and over 15,000 miles per year (up to 200,000 miles). A "C" grade mechanical part is one that has over 200,000 miles.

It is possible to calculate part grades yourself, but Partmate™ simplifies the ARA part grading process considerably for all parts. Partmate, the portable inventory tool by Car-Part.com, automatically grades mechanical parts when mileage and year information is imported from Bidmate or entered manually by the recycler. Body parts are also easy to grade, with point-and-click graphics that assign a damage code and grade the parts simultaneously.

All of the damage codes and part grading information that Partmate calculates for you are automatically exported into your inventory management system with the rest of your information, which in turn uploads this information to Car-Part.com. Now, your inventory process is quicker and easier than ever before!

Car-Part Recycler Roundtables
The concept is simple: mutual advancement

You can learn a great deal from people in a business similar to yours. After all, no one understands a recycler’s triumphs and troubles better than another recycler! Car-Part’s Recycler Roundtable program helps facilitate this beneficial communication between recyclers by forming small peer groups of non-competing companies in a geographic region.

Each Roundtable group meets several times per year in person and online to address issues facing the recyclers in that group. These meetings provide a forum to address common problems, develop new ideas, receive diverse perspectives of the industry, and identify new trends in the market. Group members can compare data and practices, help each other, and receive help from their peers. Roundtables are an effective way to meet the everyday challenges in the auto salvage industry. Each roundtable chooses the issues up for discussion, and Car-Part provides free assistance to these groups by coordinating meetings and supplying a Car-Part facilitator for each group to ensure that meetings are focused and goals are achieved.

Five groups are currently operating, and there will soon be a new group in the New England/Atlantic area. Keep in mind that membership in each group is limited so early responders will have the best opportunity to join the group most convenient for them. If you are interested in joining a Recycler Roundtable, call Jim Schneider at 877-333-6152 or email [email protected].

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