18-Wheeler Catalytic Converter Scrap Value – Legal Sales with Good Prices

18-wheelers are thought to have really expensive catalytic converters. These vehicles are extremely big and people think that will have three- or four-times bigger cats than a passenger car. But is this true? We doubt it and we'll try to show you why a certain cat converter may not cost a lot of money as scrap.

Today, we'll be speaking about 18-wheelers and their catalytic converters' scrap value. These converters are pretty expensive, but they don't cost thousands of dollars. Why? Because everything depends on the amount of precious metals they contain. And it's not always that great if you take an average 18-wheeler.

Here's what we are going to discuss today:

1. What are average catalytic converters in an 18-wheeler and where are they placed?
2. How much should a converter from a big truck cost?
3. How can you legally sell a catalytic converter from your 18-wheeler?
4. Will you have to buy a new cat converter instead of a deleted one?

Let's get started!

Types and sizes of 18-wheeler catalytic converters

You should know that the price of a scrap catalytic converter depends much on its size. But it's not always the deciding factor. Sometimes, big cat converters in trucks or buses are just big but not full of precious metals. A buyer will always check the serial number before offering a certain price for a catalytic converter.

And if one model of the 18-wheeler may have a really big and expensive catalytic converter, the other one may offer much worse options. So, how will you distinguish between cat converters with good and bad reselling prices? We'll cover that a little later.

Here's what you should know about cat converters from 18-wheelers:

• these catalytic converters may be placed in various places according to the truck's construction, sometimes they are hidden under heat screens and other covers;
• these converters may have different shapes and sizes - they may be torpedo-like converters, big bread-loaf cats, or big-sized cubes;
• the main part of these scrap converters is a ceramic honeycomb - this is the filter that contains all precious metals;
• only OEM catalytic converters may be sold at a good price, aftermarket cats may cost $20 to $50 depending on the model;
• the majority of 18-wheelers will also have pre-cats that are located near exhaust manifolds, these pre-cats are not very expensive, but still, they cost some money;
• as the majority of 18-wheelers are diesel vehicles, you will have DPFs in these cars, they are basically converters with additional filters and they can also be sold as scrap;
• unfortunately, the big size of an 18-wheeler catalytic converter does not always mean that it's an expensive part.

We know many cases when huge box converters were sold for $100 just because their serial number indicated a low amount of precious metals in the honeycomb.

In most cases, recycling companies and other buyers will measure the amount of platinum, palladium, and also rhodium. Other metals and materials are not as valuable. They can see it after researching the serial number or just looking at the model of the truck.

Your first task is to ensure that you have the OEM converter in your 18-wheeler. If the converter is aftermarket, it won't be really good for selling and you can just go to a local scrapyard to get at least some money for this part.

How much can an 18-wheeler scrap converter cost?

The price range is so big that naming a certain average figure is hard. Though, we know that the average price for the 18-wheeler catalytic converter will be around $450 for the main cat and $120 for every pre-cat.

If you have a model of the converter with a low amount of metals, you will sell it for $100 or something like that. But if you are lucky enough and your cat converter contains a lot of palladium and rhodium, you can trade it in for $800 or even more. But the average price is about $450 and it will change according to the market.

Here are some factors that can sharply influence the price:

• prices of the precious metals on the market - you can't control this, just look at the overall situation and maybe wait a little if the prices are too low;
• damages and holes in your cat - badly damaged catalytic converters are really hard to sell at a good price because they are very risky to buy;
• also, the availability of other cat converters is important, recycling companies won't offer a lot of money if they have a big choice of scrap cats;
• one more important factor is the state you are in - some states forbid selling and buying old cats, so you'll have to ship them to some other state;
• finally, the chosen buyer may be the most important factor for the scrap price of the converter you have in your hands.

The last factor is not only important because of its weight in the price of the converter. It's the factor that you can take full control of. For example, if you don't like the price some buyer offers for your cat, you shouldn't sell it. You should find another buyer who will offer a better price.

Now you know that there are basically two ways how you can sell your cat converter at a better price:

• wait until the price of the metals gets better;
• find another buyer to get a better price offer.

We believe the second option is better because it won't make you wait for months until the price of rhodium recovers, for example.

Companies that buy catalytic converters

It's time to think about where you can sell your 18-wheeler converters. Maybe, the first option you are thinking about is a scrapyard. And you should forget about it. These companies are not professionals and they won't offer good prices. They just resell the truck cats and never recycle them because they don't have any license and equipment for this.

Also, different middlemen and private buyers are not always the best choice. Though, you can check if their price offers are good or not.

Avoid selling your catalytic converter to exhaust shops and part stores. They are going to offer you the minimum prices.

Here's what we think is the best option:

• take the catalytic converter off your 18-wheeler;
• take some pictures of the cat, weigh it and measure the size;
• find recycling companies that are ready to buy the cat converter from you;
• on their websites, quote to get the price (send the pictures and information about the converter);
• after that, wait until these companies send their price offers to you;
• then, compare the offers and sell your 18-wheeler converter directly to a certain company.

Recycling companies are usually optimal buyers of old catalytic converters because they offer the best prices and never try to trick you. They understand that there are other companies, so they compete with each other to get the right of buying your converter.

This is the easiest way to sell your scrap catalytic converter from a big truck and get the maximum possible price. The last question: can you just use the money for your pleasure? Or will you need to buy another catalytic converter instead of your old one?

Can you just delete a cat converter from your 18-wheeler?

Well, no, you can't. According to the rules of pretty much every state, every vehicle that was initially equipped with cat converters should still be equipped with converters. And this is not that hard to check during the annual fog test.

So, you will have to buy another catalytic converter instead the old one. The prices for OEM converters for an 18-wheeler may start with $900 for smaller models and go up to $3,000 and even more for the most expensive variants. Also, the labor will not be cheap at all.

But you may choose aftermarket catalytic converters. Yes, their resale value as scrap converters is extremely low, but their initial price is affordable, too. They may cost $200 to $600 and they may still be OK for fog tests.

If federal police catch you without a catalytic converter in the needed place in your 18-wheeler, the fines will be ten times higher than the price of an original catalytic converter, so there is no need to risk. Yes, they can only do it during a fog test, but the best decision is to not play with this.

Final words

Every modern 18-wheeler is equipped with a catalytic converter or DPF system. These parts may be sold after they stop working properly. They still contain a lot of precious metals that can be extracted during the recycling process. To sell the cat converter from your 18-wheeler, you will need to find the recycling company that buys these cats. And then you should just quote online to get the price offer.

Be careful and don't sell your catalytic converter to guys who just want to resell them to recycling companies and easily earn some hundred bucks on something that belongs to you.