Semi Truck Catalytic Converter Scrap Price And Some Factors To Consider

You may have heard that catalytic converters cost a lot of money. They contain precious metals and they can be used for recycling. Scrap cats are sold to recycling companies that make everything possible to take the precious metals out of the converter. So, an average price of a passenger car converter (scrap) is around $200 and some converters may even cost $1000 and more.

But what about the semi trucks? We know for sure that they have diesel engines that also require catalytic converters for cleaning gasses. And yes, these converters cost some money. In most cases, people tend to think that big trucks will have big converters that contain a lot of metals. So they should be more expensive when sold as scrap. But things are not so clear.

Here's what we are going to talk about today:

1. Are the semi truck converters worth anything?
2. How much can you get for a scrap converter from a big truck?
3. Some ways to sell your converters if you don't need them.
4. Cat converter theft problem and some dangers for you.

Let's get started!

Why do companies buy semi truck catalytic converters?

The idea to buy a catalytic converter is very simple and transparent. Companies want to get the precious metals out of the cats. Mainly, they hunt for platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

According to recent data, the prices for these metals are as follows:

• platinum - $35 per 1 gram;
• palladium - $76 per 1 gram;
• rhodium - $644 per 1 gram.

The prices may vary because the markets are moving every day. So if the precious metals that are found in your converter get more expensive, the companies will offer you more money for your scrap cat.

So, the main idea for the recycling companies is to earn money by reselling the precious metals they can find in the converters. In a semi truck converter you will find around 7 grams of platinum, 6 to 7 grams of palladium, and also 1-2 grams of rhodium. Some trucks will have more metals and so they may ensure more money after being recycled.

How much do they pay for a scrap converter from a semi truck?

The scrap price of a catalytic converter that you have taken from a semi truck depends much on whether this converter is damaged or not. Also, some trucks will have initially more expensive cat converters than others. Recycling companies easily distinguish between the converters with a lot of precious metals and the cats with barely any precious metals. They just need the serial number of the part.

Here's what we can tell you about the price of a semi truck converter:

• the average price is around $250;
• but the scrap price may be much lower if the converter is damaged or rusty;
• for some models, the price will be higher, up to $700;
• if you don't have a serial number on the part, the price will drop sharply;
• also, the price depends on who you sell your old converter to.

Want to know the exact amount of money you can get for the converter? It's not that hard. You can just send the quote to any companies that buy these parts. They will send you the price offer and you will have the information. Of course, if you don't like the price, no one will make you still sell the old cat. Just inquire about the price in different companies and you will see the exact amount of money they are ready to pay you. And sometimes it's absolutely enough for decision making.

Where to sell your cat converter from a semi truck at a higher price?

You will have a couple of options. But it's vitally important to choose exactly the option that will give you more money.

Firstly, you can use local scrapyards. Yes, those strange companies that buy old cars and take them apart for scrap parts and metal. They will gladly buy your catalytic converter, but they will offer you something like $40 to $60 because they have no idea if they can get a lot of metals out of the cat. They will then resell the converter at a higher price to some other companies.

Secondly, you can sell the converter privately to a private person. We are pretty sure that a middleman will buy it from you. The thing is that melting the catalytic converter to get the precious metals out of it is not an easy task. So people can't do that in their workshops. They will then sell the converter to some recycling companies and will try to make money just by reselling your old cat. On average, they will offer $100 to $120 for a cat.

Thirdly, you may find recycling companies and try to sell the converter to them. This is the best way in terms of the money you can get. In this case, you will sell the converter directly to the company that recycles these parts and then sells the precious metals. No middlemen, no foxy scrapyards, just you and the final buyer. Here, you can get $200 to $250, on average.

Also, the third option is best because these companies will not try to deceive you and offer a low price. You can always check whether they offer a decent price for your semi truck cat converter. And now we'll tell you how.

Making more money with your old converter

To sell an old semi truck catalytic converter is not that easy. But if you use modern ways of selling online, you will not spend a lot of your time on that. Also, you will not have to worry much because most of these companies care about their reputation and will offer you some fair prices.

Here's what you will need to do:

1. Take off the converter from your semi truck. You will not be able to sell it if it's still in the truck. Also, don't steal the converters from other trucks - this is a criminal offense and you will go to prison for that.
2. Take pictures of the converter. Make sure that you have pictures with a serial number, and one of the pictures should show the inside of the old cat.
3. After that, find some websites that buy converters from people. They will have the opportunity to send the quote online.
4. Send the pictures with some basic information about your cat converter. This will help them estimate the amount of money they can offer.
5. After that, you should just wait until you get the offers.
6. The last thing is to compare the offers and to choose the company that is ready to give you more money than any other company on your list.

We decided not to prepare a list of companies for two reasons. Firstly, you will be sure that we advertise some of the companies. And secondly, you will be able to find a dozen of such companies once you google them.

So, now you know how to sell your cat converter from a semi truck at the highest possible price. Never agree to $40 that a local scrapyard or some middleman will offer.

Cat converter theft - the big problem

Semi trucks are prone to catalytic converter theft. This is a big problem and it's being monitored by the police. If you ever try to steal a catalytic converter from a truck, you should know a couple of things.

The converters are hidden and are not easy to access. So you will spend a lot of time locating the cat converter and then you will need some instruments to silently take it off which is apparently impossible.

Also, truck drivers try to never leave their trucks alone in the places where catalytic converter theft is possible. They will be in the truck and they may even have a gun with them. So you will just risk your life.

One more thing, the companies that buy catalytic converters are sometimes very suspicious to their clients and they want to know that the catalytic converter you try to sell wasn't stolen. If they suspect you are trying to sell a stolen converter, they will call the police and you'll be arrested and then jailed. It isn't worth it.

Final words

Semi truck catalytic converters will be still worth some money when they are old and don't work properly. If you had to replace the cat converter in your semi truck, you should know that the new cat is very expensive. Just sell your old converters to get some money back. Don't put it in your garage for a long time - it doesn't make sense.

Of course, some catalytic converters will only become more expensive when the precious metals grow in price. But you never know what the market is going to show tomorrow. So it's better to take what you can take today.