Transportation Equipment and Supplies (except Motor Vehicle) Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of transportation equipment and supplies (except marine pleasure craft and motor vehicles). Illustrative Examples: Aircraft merchant wholesalers Railroad cars merchant wholesalers Ships merchant wholesalers Motorized passenger golf carts merchant wholesalers Boats (except pleasure) merchant wholesalers
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Wholesale Trade 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Wholesale Trade sector comprises establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The merchandise described in this sector includes the outputs of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and certain information industries, such as publishing. The wholesaling process is an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise. Wholesalers are organized to sell or arrange the purchase or sale of (a) goods for resale (i.e., goods sold to other wholesalers or retailers), (b) capital or durable nonconsumer goods, and (c) raw and intermediate materials and supplies used in production. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. These warehouses and offices are characterized by having little or no display of merchandise. In addition, neither the design nor the location of the premises is intended to solicit walk-in traffic. Wholesalers do not normally use advertising directed to the general public. Customers are generally reached initially via telephone, in-person marketing, or by specialized advertising that may include Internet and other electronic means. Follow-up orders are either vendor-initiated or client-initiated, generally based on previous sales, and typically exhibit strong ties between sellers and buyers. In fact, transactions are often conducted between wholesalers and clients that have long-standing business relationships. This sector comprises two main types of wholesalers: merchant wholesalers that sell goods on their own account and agents and brokers that arrange sales and purchases for others generally for a commission or fee. (1) Establishments that sell goods on their own account are known as wholesale merchants, distributors, jobbers, drop shippers, and import/export merchants. Also included as wholesale merchants are sales offices and sales branches (but not retail stores) maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products, and group purchasing organizations primarily purchasing and selling goods on their own account. Merchant wholesale establishments typically maintain their own warehouse, where they receive and handle goods for their customers. Goods are generally sold without transformation, but may include integral functions, such as sorting, packaging, labeling, and other marketing services. (2) Establishments arranging for the purchase or sale of goods owned by others or purchasing goods, generally on a commission basis are known as business-to-business electronic markets, agents and brokers, commission merchants, import/export agents and brokers, auction companies, group purchasing organizations (acting as agents), and manufacturers' representatives. These establishments operate from offices and generally do not own or handle the goods they sell. Some wholesale establishments may be connected with a single manufacturer and promote and sell the particular manufacturer's products to a wide range of other wholesalers or retailers. Other wholesalers may be connected to a retail chain, or limited number of retail chains, and only provide a variety of products needed by that particular retail operation(s). These wholesalers may obtain the products from a wide range of manufacturers. Still other wholesalers may not take title to the goods, but act as agents and brokers for a commission. Although, in general, wholesaling normally denotes sales in large volumes, durable nonconsumer goods may be sold in single units. Sales of capital or durable nonconsumer goods used in the production of goods and services, such as farm machinery, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and industrial machinery, are always included in wholesale trade. |
| 423 | Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods subsector sell capital or durable goods to other businesses. Merchant wholesalers generally take title to the goods that they sell; in other words, they buy and sell goods on their own account. Durable goods are new or used items generally with a normal life expectancy of three years or more. Durable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as motor vehicles, furniture, construction materials, machinery and equipment (including household-type appliances), metals and minerals (except petroleum), sporting goods, toys and hobby goods, recyclable materials, and parts. Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling durable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. |
| 4238 | Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of construction, mining, farm, garden, industrial, service establishment, and transportation machinery, equipment, and supplies. |
| 42386 | Transportation Equipment and Supplies (except Motor Vehicle) Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423860. |
| 423860 | Transportation Equipment and Supplies (except Motor Vehicle) Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of transportation equipment and supplies (except marine pleasure craft and motor vehicles). Illustrative Examples: Aircraft merchant wholesalers Railroad cars merchant wholesalers Ships merchant wholesalers Motorized passenger golf carts merchant wholesalers Boats (except pleasure) merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts--are classified in Industry Group 4231, Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of marine pleasure craft--are classified in Industry 423910, Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers.
Index Items
Aeronautical equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Aerospace equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Aircraft engines and parts merchant wholesalers
Aircraft equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Aircraft merchant wholesalers
Boats (except pleasure) merchant wholesalers
Carts, golf, motorized passenger merchant wholesalers
Draglines, ship, merchant wholesalers
Dredges, ship, merchant wholesalers
Dunnage, marine supplies, merchant wholesalers
Engines and parts, aircraft, merchant wholesalers
Engines and turbines, marine, merchant wholesalers
Golf carts, motorized passenger, merchant wholesalers
Guided missiles and space vehicles merchant wholesalers
Locomotives merchant wholesalers
Marine supplies (except pleasure) merchant wholesalers
Military vehicles (except trucks) merchant wholesalers
Motorized passenger golf carts merchant wholesalers
Navigational instruments (except electronic) merchant wholesalers
Propulsion systems, marine, merchant wholesalers
Railroad cars merchant wholesalers
Railroad equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Ships merchant wholesalers
Space propulsion units and parts merchant wholesalers
Subway cars merchant wholesalers
Tanks and tank components merchant wholesalers
Transportation equipment and supplies (except marine pleasure craft, motor vehicles) merchant wholesalers
Transportation machinery, equipment, and supplies (except marine pleasure craft, motor vehicles) merchant wholesalers
Turbines, transportation, merchant wholesalers
Yachts (except pleasure) merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
The WMS optimizes inventory levels for diverse transportation parts by managing complex SKU variations across multiple warehouses. It ensures rapid picking and accurate tracking of high-value equipment, reducing spoilage and lost inventory.
The OMS streamlines order fulfillment for B2B wholesale clients by coordinating delivery schedules and inventory availability in real-time. This integration allows businesses to handle large volumes of custom orders efficiently without manual intervention.
Data Intelligence provides predictive analytics to forecast demand trends for seasonal transportation supplies and emerging vehicle requirements. These insights enable strategic restocking and reduce the risk of stockouts or overstocking specific equipment categories.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 423860.
National Association of Dealers of Commercial Vehicles and Marine Equipment
A major industry organization representing wholesalers and dealers of truck, bus, and marine equipment across the United States.
U.S. Small Business Administration - Transportation Equipment Wholesale
Official government guidance and statistics on the transportation equipment wholesale industry including market trends and business requirements.
Wholesalers.com - Transportation Equipment and Supplies Directory
A comprehensive online directory connecting businesses with verified suppliers in the transportation equipment and supplies sector.
