SUPPLIER & CORE ACCEPTANCE POLICY


Operational Policy: Acquisition, Compliance & Core Quality Gatekeeping


Effective Date: November 2026


Approved By: Brian Bachand, Chief Executive Officer


1. Purpose & Scope

This policy establishes the minimum quality, legal, and environmental standards for all vehicle acquisitions, core purchases, and supplier deliveries to Westover Auto Salvage. Our target acquisition inventory focuses on vehicles 15 years old and newer (currently 2011 to present), though older legacy units may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

As a fully certified, high-compliance automotive recycling facility, Westover Auto Salvage enforces strict gatekeeping protocols to protect our workforce, maintain our environmental leadership, and guarantee the integrity of our OEM inventory.


2. Legal Title & Verification Requirements (Non-Negotiable)

Under no circumstances will Westover Auto Salvage accept, unload, or purchase any vehicle without clear, verified legal documentation.

  • Mandatory Title Policy: Every vehicle accepted on-site must be accompanied by a valid, legally transferable state Title (or state-issued Certificate of Salvage / Bill of Sale for Scrap where legally sanctioned).
  • VIN & Ownership Auditing: Prior to offloading, receiving staff must verify that the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the dashboard plate matches the presented documentation exactly.
  • Notary & State Compliance: All lien release documentation and title transfers must adhere to Massachusetts Notary Public guidelines and state motor vehicle recycling registry protocols. Vehicles with altered, missing, or mismatched VINs will be turned away immediately and reported per statutory mandates.
  • Right of Refusal: Our business reserves the right of refusal to accept a junk, scrap or end of life vehicle in the event the above compliances are not met or that the vehicle arrives with unexpected or not communicated or agreed upon hazardous materials or in a state that threatens the safety of our people, the community or our facility. 



3. Core Acceptance Criteria & Target Inventory

Target Vehicle Profile

  • Primary Focus: Model years 15 years and newer (2011+).
  • Secondary / Special Inventory: Select legacy models evaluated based on regional market demand, rare components, valued commodities or parts recovery, or specific heavy-duty application.


Vehicle Intake Quality Triage

Upon arrival, every prospective donor vehicle undergoes an initial triage inspection before being logged into our Solera / Hollander inventory management system:


Assessment Area

Acceptance Benchmark

Action on Defect


Engine & Drivetrain

Visual check for uncracked blocks/cases; fluid level check; pre-dismantling compression/oil pressure test when accessible.

Flagged as "Core/Rebuild Only" if cracked or seized; graded accordingly.

Structural Integrity

Uncompromised primary subframe mounting points and frame rails.

Heavily rotted or structural safety risks routed directly to scrap processing.

High-Voltage / Hybrid

Original factory traction battery casing intact without breach or thermal distortion.

Immediate HV isolation logging; marked for certified high-voltage handling.

Hazardous Contamination

No uncontained active biohazards or chemical spills inside the cabin.

Refused entry until professional remediation is completed by the supplier.


4. Environmental & Environmental Compliance (Certified Intake)

As a certified recycling facility, Westover Auto Salvage enforces a labor-intensive, multi-stage compliance intake process for every vehicle accepted into the yard.

Vehicle Intake ➔ Title/VIN Audit ➔ Fluid Triage ➔ EPA 609 Recovery ➔ Mercury/Hazard Removal ➔ Inventory Tagging


  • Refrigerant Recovery (EPA Section 609):     All incoming vehicles with active AC systems must be processed through certified recovery equipment by a Section 609-certified technician prior to component teardown. No vented refrigerant is tolerated.
  • Total Depollution Protocol: Vehicles are immediately routed to dedicated depollution bays. Technicians execute complete total fluid extraction—recovering 100% of engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant, brake fluid, and fuel into dedicated bulk storage tanks.
  • Hazardous Materials Mitigation: Removal of mercury switches, lead-acid batteries, SRS airbag modules, and hazardous wheel weights occurs before vehicles enter general storage or dismantling staging.
  • High Voltage Procedures: HV Vehicles have their own isolation and depollution protocol. During this depollution stage the vehicle traction battery is logged in and tagged and removed from the vehicle. It is then handled, prepared and stored according to chemistry in its own section. The vehicle is then marked completed like normal inventory and recorded but also is assigned a new ARA placard stating its new current dismantle ready state.


5. Third-Party Supplier & Vendor Obligations

Brokers, auto auctions, tow companies, and independent core vendors selling to Westover Auto Salvage must adhere to the following operational standards:

  1. Accurate Condition Grading: Vendors must provide transparent disclosures regarding engine run-status, fire damage, flood exposure, or frame rust.
  2. Delivery & Unloading Safety: Delivery drivers must comply with yard speed limits, wear required PPE (steel-toe footwear and high-visibility vests), and follow yard operator staging signals during crane or loader unloading. The must also follow best management practices for safe travel, unloading and storage of high voltage vehicles with proper communication to the front office.
  3. Core Return Standards: Cores returned for credit (engines, transmissions, steering racks, used parts, etc) must be fully drained of all fluids, complete as originally sold, and returned in the Westover Auto Salvage warranty parameters within the agreed account timeframe.


6. Policy Enforcement & Defect Resolution

  • Right of Refusal: Westover Auto Salvage reserves the absolute right to reject any vehicle, core lot, or delivery that fails to meet title, environmental, or structural safety criteria.
  • Supplier Non-Compliance Tracking: Vendors or Parties that repeatedly after corrective course of action, to go against or violate this Acceptance Policy will be notified of discontinued or hiatus of partnership with Westover Auto Salvage. Communication is Paramount, Mistakes may happen but bad decisions are a choice. This policy is implemented to create best outcomes and results for all parties involved.