Truck Parts in the Philippines: A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding What Makes Your Truck Tick
The Philippines is in the middle of a boom in infrastructure. With the massive projects underway this year, lots of work opportunities for logistics, trucking and heavy equipment companies arise. If you’re a business owner in this sector, you need to make sure that the trucks you’ll use for these projects are well maintained and in good shape for the projects to come. That means you’ll need to invest in good truck parts in the Philippines.
This article aims to help you learn the ropes in purchasing the right truck parts for your company in the Philippines. Continue reading to find out what you need to know to navigate the fast-growing market of truck parts.
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Truck Parts You Should Know About
Have you ever wondered what an alternator or a camshaft is? Here’s a list of a few common truck parts, along with the information you need to know when replacing them:
- ABS Control Unit
The purpose of an anti-lock braking system, or the ABS brakes as it is more commonly known, is to keep the wheels from skidding and locking up. This can help bring a speeding truck to a stop as quickly as possible.
The ABS control unit is the brains of the system that measures brake pressure and uses the speed of the wheel as a reference point to know when to apply and release pressure. Should this controller fail, an orange or bright yellow “ABS” warning light might show up on the dashboard of your truck.
The ABS control unit is also by far the most labor-intensive and expensive part to need to have replaced on your truck.
- Alternator
The job of an alternator is simple: it supplies electricity to your truck to maintain the proper state of charge for your battery as well as keeps things powered up. An alternator is driven by a belt and, usually, a dead alternator can lead to a red battery warning light on your dashboard. It will also lead to a loss of power in your truck until it stalls and dies.
The hard part about an alternator failing is that it is unpredictable. Once it happens, it just happens.
- Camshaft
Camshafts aren’t the kind of truck parts that usually fail. They can be the victim of collateral damage if your truck runs into issues that causes a lack of oil pressure or a significant lack of oil.
The job of the camshaft is to open and close the valves of your engine to let in air and fuel and let out exhaust gas. Should the camshaft of your truck ever need to be replaced, there is a good chance that something else has gone wrong inside your engine.
- AC Compressor
The last thing you want in your truck is a dead air conditioning system, especially during the brutal, unforgiving summer months. The most common failures in the AC system are often related to leaks. If a leak cannot be found, however, the compressor might not be fully functional.
- Radiator
The radiator is where the majority of the cooling in your engine happens. Unfortunately, radiators do have a habit of forming leaks all the time. While some people might resort to using “Stop-Leak” chemicals to plug up the leaks in their radiators, it is not advisable to do this for your truck.
These chemicals are more likely to harm your radiator and cause other problems with clogging later on. It is also worth noting that the radiator is one of the most important parts of your truck where you should not simply opt for the cheapest option.
Classifications of Truck Parts
The industry of aftermarket parts can be quite confusing. It doesn’t help that some manufacturers sometimes make parts that are the same but are available in several different packaging. It also seems that there is little to no standardization in this market on what various terms are being used to describe what the different parts actually mean. Furthermore, others are confused about the parts being offered by different trucking brands such as parts for Howo and Foton in the Philippines.
In order to tackle this, you need to be aware of the different classifications of truck parts in the Philippines: factory replacement, aftermarket replacement, genuine, private label, will-fit, rebuilt, remanufactured, white box, or all makes. Listed below are their definitions, go ahead and familiarize yourself with them:
Factory Replacement
Factory replacement parts, also known as Original Equipment Manufacturer or OEM parts, are made by the manufacturer of your truck. These components often match the parts that came with the vehicle when it rolled off the assembly line.
Aftermarket Replacement
Aftermarket replacements are parts that do not come from the manufacturer of your truck. It comes from a different company that specializes in manufacturing replacement parts for many different types of vehicles.
The manufacturer of the part can come up with an exact replica of a truck part, but it may differ slightly in terms of materials used, reliability, and quality.
Genuine
A truck part classified as genuine will be supplied by the manufacturer of your vehicle in its original packaging. Genuine parts are often available directly from the manufacturers themselves and in some cases as a parallel import.
Private Label/All Makes
Private label, also referred to as all makes or phantom brands, are truck parts that are usually provided or manufactured by one company under the brand of the manufacturer. While private label does not always mean cheaper, the quality still has to be there because these parts represent the name of the manufacturer.
Will-fit
A “will-fit” part is any truck part that is made by anyone other than the original manufacturer of the component. Often, you get what you pay for with will-fit parts; while it will fit in your truck (hence the name), there is a chance that it can hurt its performance and may not last as long as the original.
Rebuilt
A rebuilt truck part is made by simply replacing the worn-out components from your old truck parts. This is a process done by a rebuilder and your truck’s old part cannot be rebuilt because it is too worn, they end up using a part from another truck.
Remanufactured
The term remanufactured typically refers to a truck part that for all practical purposes has been completely remanufactured to the standards of a new part. The mechanical tolerances of a remanufactured part have been restored and now meet the standards of an OEM part.
White-box
“White box” is a term in the auto repair industry that can refer to bargain basement components. They are usually sourced from other countries, most often from China. You can find almost any common replacement part for most mainstream trucks in white box form. While they are usually at a fraction of the price of an OEM part, they are far less reputable than even aftermarket brands.
Myths about Truck Parts
Understanding all of this can make it difficult even for the most well-informed truck owners and operators to know which type of truck parts is the best for their vehicles at different points in their life.
As a result, myths and misconceptions are bound to happen in the market for truck parts. Here are a few common myths about truck parts and how you can avoid them:
Myth #1: All truck parts are made equal
Just because a piece looks the same as a genuine truck part from the Philippines does not necessarily mean they are of the same quality. According to experts in the industry, the years of engineering, testing, and system level understanding that goes into genuine parts cannot be replaced by functionality and fit.
According to sourcing managers for truck parts, original parts are generally components of a system that have been engineered and designed to work together as a whole. Variables such as mechanical properties of the materials and tolerances in the manufacturing processes are what separate original truck parts from others. When all of the parts of a truck are working together the way they were engineered and designed, it results in a safe system. Changing the components of a system can present a threat to the ability of the truck to operate safely.
After-sales support of the truck part is also an important differentiator. Services that fall under after-sales support often include the training, the documentation and technical support, the warranty of the truck part, and whether the manufacturer of the part has specific experts for their products.
Experts explain that because the manufacturers of certain branded parts have invested a lot of money, time, and effort in the products they sell including marketing support, field support, training, engineering, research, and development, they are going to be better than a similar, but a lower quality truck part. The manufacturers of OEM truck parts create specifications and tolerances to make sure that their products perform to its fullest and will last a long time.
All truck parts are not created equal. The same function and fit does not mean you are buying a quality part.
Myth #2: What matters most is the price
The value in a truck part comes not only from the price you have paid for it but also its availability. You should look at the value a truck part brings to your vehicle and not necessarily the cost. Remember that cost is a component of value, and value means getting the truck back on the road in a timely manner and allowing your drivers to remain productive.
It can be dangerous to look for parts solely based on its price. It is a good habit to only consider OEM proprietary parts for your trucks when they are damaged or when parts need to be replaced. When you choose your truck parts not only based on its price, you know that you are getting better performance and more value from them as well as your trucks once the repairs are completed.
The time to repair your truck should also be a factor when picking a part for replacement. Your truck mechanic probably does not want to have to replace a part again in a month if he is going to spend hours replacing it. In addition, selecting the wrong type of truck part in the Philippines can result in an on-road failure, a premature failure, or another trip to the shop.
Cheaper does not always mean better. Choosing a lower priced product might be cheaper in the short run when it comes to your initial investment, but if you end up having to replace the part three or four times over the lifetime of your truck, it might not be such a good deal.
Myth #3: Brand Matters
It is more important to consider who you are buying a truck part from rather than the name on the box it comes in. It is up to you as the one who is going to use the truck to do the due diligence and find out where the truck part comes from, the quality of the part, and everything else.
Do not be fooled by an attractive box; always check the quality of the product inside.
In order to avoid falling prey to these myths and misconceptions, try and state the specification or brand that you are looking for rather than picking and choosing whatever is on the shelf of your local store. Always make sure that your supplier can get you the part you want on time when you need it.
Understand the product that is being sold to you and understand what it is that is being put in your truck. Do not hesitate to ask your suppliers questions if you are not familiar or if you are not comfortable with the brand or the product. Do your due diligence and make sure that you are getting the performance you are expecting out of the truck part.
Get the Best Truck Parts at Truckstop!
Even after doing all your research and familiarizing yourself with all the common pitfalls, buying truck parts in the Philippines can still be a daunting task. While you can take all the precautions you can, the only way you can really be sure that you’re buying quality truck parts is with expert help!
Autokid provides truck parts under the brand, Truckstop: Parts and Accessories. We provide the largest selection of truck parts for you and other truck owners and operators. We provide a variety of truck parts for brands like Foton, Howo, Mitsubishi and Isuzu trucks in the Philippines.
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