The Recycled Vehicle
 
All vehicles arriving at Maritime Auto salvage are labeled and put in one of three categories: 
1) the Parts vehicle,  2) the Rebuildable vehicle and 3) the End-of-Life vehicle. How a vehicle best fits one of these categories is based on the condition and type of damage upon its arrival to the facility.  
  
A parts vehicle will have all its useable parts carded, tested and entered into the computerized inventory system.  The parts vehicle is then put through the shop for processing.  

Rebuildable vehicle are deemed safely repairable units, that when repaired will meet all safety standards.  Before a rebuildable vehicle is sold, attempts are made to identify all the damage that the vehicle has sustained, as well, efforts are made to locate the parts necessary to rebuild the unit.  

An End-of Life vehicle is striped of any last remaining parts that may be useful, then it is crushed. These crushed vehicles are then sold to companies for its steel, copper, aluminum, etc.  These compounds are then used to produce many new products, including new vehicle parts. 
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Where do the Recyclable Vehicles Come From ?
 
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 The vast majority  of  vehicles obtained by Maritime Auto Salvage are the result of a collision.  

1) Insurance Co. - many insurance companies sell to auto recyclers either on a bid or contract basis.  These vehicles will range from rebuildable vehicles and parts vehicles, to total burnt hulks with no salvageable parts. 

2)Vehicle Auctions - various members of the automotive industry, body shops, automotive recyclers alike attend auctions to find quality  salvage vehicles that can either be rebuilt or dismantled for parts. 

3) General Public - many car owners looking to dispose of older vehicles that are no longer of use to them or require major work often call an auto recyclers in hopes that the vehicle may be of some value to them. 

4) Donations - currently a program is in place for recyclers to obtain vehicles through the Kidney Car Foundation.  This method operates such that a person wishing to dispose of a  vehicle, contacts the Kidney Car Foundation, who in turn contacts a participating automotive recycler. The recycler purchases the vehicle then arranges for the removal and safe disposal of the vehicle. The vehicles are removed free of charge by the recyclers and a donation is made to the Kidney Foundation on the behalf of the vehicle owner. 
 
Arrival - Pick Ups
 
Once confirmation that a vehicle is available for pick-up, all necessary information such as year, make, model, VIN number and location of such vehicle is determined and recorded, the vehicle is then given a stock number that will track it and all its parts throughout the remainder of its life.  Vehicles are towed into our facility from areas all over the maritime provinces.  A company owned Top-Kick truck picks up as many of these vehicles as possible.  At times when either the demand for pick ups is high or when it is geographically more feasible outside towing companies are hired to deliver these vehicles to Maritime Auto Salvage. 
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Fluid Removal
 
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 All fluids such as CFC's, antifreeze, oil and transmission fluids and fuels are removed from each vehicle that enters the salvage yard.  This is primarily for environmental and safety reasons.  All fluids are removed in a safe manner and as much fluid as possible is recycled and re-used within the company or sold.  

CFC is recaptured by certified technicians, which are properly trained in its safe removal, reuse and/ or safe disposal, while meeting all government requirements. All the oil and transmission fluid reclaimed during the dismantling process is stored and used as needed.  The fuel which is drained from each vehicle is used to operate company vehicles which are used within the facility, as well anti-freeze is drained, filtered and stored in recycled anti-freeze containers and resold to customers. 
 
Battery  and Tire Removal
 
All batteries are removed from vehicles and stored in a water proof area to prevent water run off.  The batteries are then tested for usefulness, and if they are good they are resold.  The batteries that are not reusable are sold to companies who recycle them into their basic parts such as lead, plastic and dispose of them in an environmentally safe manner.  
  
Wheels and tires are removed from the vehicle and are separated.  The wheels are put into inventory and given stock locations, while the tires are inspected to determine whether they can be resold, if so they are labeled by size, priced and available for customers to purchased. Scrap tires are disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. 
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Parts Removal
 
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 Stage 1:  Inventory - Quality Control 

Before any parts are removed, the vehicle must first be carded and entered into a computerized inventory system.  The inventory  system generates worksheets which are specially designed for vehicle make and model. The worksheets list all major part types and the carder examines the vehicle part by part, noting the condition.  During this detailing process it is essential that the condition especially any damage is clearly identified.  Details would include things such as rust, dents or paint problems or that other parts such as radios, wiper motors, alternators and starters have been tested.  Selected recyclable part types are then priced and entered into the computer system as recyclable units.  

Stage 2:  Processing 

Vehicles are then put through the shop for dismantling,  at the time the vehicle worksheet is pulled.  As the dismantling process takes place, parts are tested and where applicable specifics such as engine compression is recorded and noted in the inventory system.  Parts that are removed in the shop are then cleaned and put in a warehouse location. 

** It should be noted that certain parts such as alternators, starters, axle shafts, engines, transmission, and radiators for example have core values.  A core is a part that is not usable in its current state. These unusable parts are sold to core dealers who rebuild them for resale and therefore continue the recycling process. 
 
Parts Inventory
 
Inventory  control is an essential part of operating an effective recycling yard.  With an average inventory of  800-1000 parts vehicles in the yard and thousands of warehoused parts, it is absolutely imperative that all inventory is closely monitored and regulated. Any time a parts status changes, whether it be changes in the parts condition or a location change inventory records are updated to ensure a high degree of accuracy is maintained at all times.  There are only select personnel who can access inventory functions within the system.  This allows for greater control over record maintenance, which is of utmost importance.  

The computerized inventory system which Maritime Auto Salvage uses is produced by ADP - Hollander, allows the salvage yard to produce and maintain records in a user friendly fashion and is essential for such a high inventory based operation. 
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Part Sales
 
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 Maritime Auto Salvage has two retail store outlet locations.  The first is operated out of the main plant in Glenholme, Nova Scotia, Canada.  While the second is a store named " The Parts Place" which is located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.  

The Maritime location caters to a very broad geographic area.  With the use of a 1-800 number it attracts retail and wholesale customers from areas all over the four Atlantic provinces -  New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Maritime also services a substantial number of customers from Central and Western Canada.  The global market is expanding every year and Maritime is very proud to be able to service customers from countries like the USA, Germany and Japan. 

 Many customers are also obtained through an inventory interlink system called EDEN, which is a collection of automotive recyclers throughout Canada and the USA who have agreed to share inventory information.  

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