The most common pushback I hear about cores is “it takes too long.” I understand where that comes from. If pulling cores means sending someone out to every car with a toolbox and a list, it does take too long.
But that’s not how a good core program works. Every vehicle that moves through your operation passes through natural touchpoints where the right person, the right tools, and the right data are already in place. Pulling cores at those moments isn’t extra work. It’s incremental time.
Let’s go back to the basics of cores: Identification, Recovery, QC, and Packing. Cores are a contact sport. This post covers the five contact points where cores fit into the workflow you already have, whether you’re identifying them or pulling them.
Start here: which contact points fit your operation?
Every operation has vehicles arriving and vehicles leaving. What happens in between varies a lot by business model. Find yours, then jump to the contact points that matter most to you.
| Business model | Primary contact points | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full-service | Vehicle/core inventory, time of dismantle, core returns, loose parts | Data-driven picks at inventory; harvest cores whenever a vehicle is on the lift. |
| Self-service | Vehicle/core inventory, core returns, pre-crush | Run the VIN on arrival; charge cores at the counter; pull cores before the row goes to the crusher. |
| Scrap processor | Vehicle/core inventory, pre-crush | Most never stock vehicles, but a VIN-based core inventory still flags what’s worth pulling. Segregate a core flow from the straight-to-crush flow. |
| Hybrid | All five | Map each vehicle track and decide who handles cores, and where. |
The five contact points in your workflow
Contact point 1: Vehicle/core inventory
Not long ago, the parts puller or dismantler was the key to a successful core program. Today, your vehicle inventory person is your most important asset. They have the data to identify value before anyone picks up a wrench.
- For parts dismantlers: days on hand (DOH), quantity on hand (QOH), and request and sales history tell you whether, and when, a part belongs on the core list instead of the shelf.
- For recyclers who don’t inventory parts: the VIN and instant core value lookup give you enough information to make smart labor decisions.
- For yards that don’t inventory vehicles at all: most scrap processors and many self-service yards never assign a stock number. You can still run every VIN through core software like CorePro when the vehicle crosses your scale, and flag the cores worth pulling before it heads to the yard or the crusher. That’s a core inventory, even without a vehicle inventory.
Bottom line: I would rather spend a few minutes at the front end making good decisions with good data than pour scarce labor hours into removing low-value parts.
Contact point 2: Time of dismantle
This is the perfect opportunity for full-service dismantlers, and for anyone who dismantles when a major component sells. The keys are simplicity and efficiency. Your software tells you which parts are worth removing, and your dismantler has the lift, the tools, and the skills to remove them far faster than in the field.
Think about access. If you’re tearing down a vehicle for the drivetrain, you can now reach the ABS module, rack and pinion, steering pump, alternator, starter, A/C compressor, and brake booster. Don’t forget the interior: ECMs, instrument clusters, and EPS columns.
Nobody sells an engine with all the accessories still on it. If the dismantler pulls a few extra cores while dropping the engine, that time is incremental. The vehicle didn’t come into the bay for cores. They just happened to be right there. And if you already have duplicates or triplicates of those small parts on the shelf, the dismantling bay is the one place you can trim overstock before it ever reaches a rack.
Contact point 3: Core returns
Core returns are a chance to collect value on top of the price you already got for the original part. Every big-box parts retailer charges a core on its parts. Many recyclers only charge cores on the basics: alternators, A/C compressors, and starters.
That’s a mistake. Steering components, advanced electronics, brakes, and ABS modules often carry substantially higher core values. If you sell a rack and pinion, why wouldn’t you want the returned core back? Use downtime at the counter or in the returns area to identify value in what customers bring back.
This isn’t just for full-service yards. Self-service operations are often the most consistent at charging cores, and every returned core is one more part for the box.
Contact point 4: Loose parts inventory
Our industry suffers from a disease called overstock. Our yard management systems show quantity on hand, number of requests, and days on hand, yet I’ve visited hundreds of yards with parts piled higher and deeper on the shelves. In my experience, almost every recycler is overstocked. It’s only a matter of degree.
Overstock has real costs:
- Failure rates rise. Gaskets and seals dry out on parts that sit through seasons, driving up returns.
- Parts go missing. Crowded shelves make parts hard to find, and every missing part means lost labor and a disappointed customer.
- Safety suffers. Engines and transmissions stored in the aisles mean employees are manhandling heavy parts in tight spaces.
Search your inventory by location, minimum price, and days on hand, and turn overstocked parts into cash for your next vehicle purchase. And remember: core companies are customers too. I’m always amazed when a recycler says they can’t sell us a core because they’re saving it for a customer. A core buyer pays the freight and never sends a part back.
Contact point 5: Pre-crush
This is the prime opportunity for self-service yards and auto scrap processors. Self-service vehicles are usually up on wheel stands, so most cores are easy to reach. Customers have often done part of the dismantling for you, and with the engine or transmission gone, engine-bay parts and racks are much more accessible.
Two lessons from the field:
- Keep cores off the drain rack. It’s not an ideal place to remove cores, and you don’t want to slow down draining.
- Segregate vehicles. For scrap processors, running two vehicle flows (one for core recovery, one straight through) is critical to recovering cores without holding up the line.
Keep the flow moving: color-code your vehicles
High-volume yards can’t afford a core program that slows vehicles down. Some self-service and scrap operations take in over 1,000 vehicles a month. The answer is to identify cores as each vehicle arrives and make that decision visible to everyone downstream.
Vehicles collect a lot of markings in crayon, paint, and chalk, and loader operators can’t decode them from the cab. Consider colored magnetic caps on the roof instead. They work in every season, and once loader operators and core technicians know what each color means, vehicles can be sorted with minimal movement.
Make it a habit, not a project
The five contact points work because they don’t ask your team to do something new. They ask your team to notice value at moments they’re already handling the vehicle. Start with the one or two points that fit your model, measure the results on your next few core boxes, and build from there.
Back to the full guide: Auto Core Competency
Next: The 7 Deadly Sins of Cores
Want help mapping cores to your workflow? Talk to the RAS cores team.
