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Distributor Training Expo sells out | New companies join VIPAR, Power Heavy Duty

The

Brand War ARE SUPPLIER AND CUSTOMER TRENDS IRREPARABLY DAMAGING BRAND PERCEPTION? April 2018 |

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The impact of ‘Made in America’ 28

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Volume 54 | Number 4 | April 2018

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Cover Story

@TPSMagazine /truckpartsandservice Truck Parts & Service

Editorial

Editor: Lucas Deal Equipment Editor: Jason Cannon Online Associate Editor: Bill Grabarek

The Brand War

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Design & Production

Art Director: Richard Street Advertising Production Manager: Leah Boyd production@truckpartsandservice.com

Sales

Director of Media Sales Seth Becker sales@truckingmedia.com

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Features 20 Fighting brand misrepresentation 28 Made in America

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Editorial Staff Editorials Industry Focus Tech Updates

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Editorial | Lucas Deal

Surviving the brand war

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

I

’m going to start this month’s editorial by being honest with you: The articles featured within this month’s magazine were not easy to write.

I knew they wouldn’t be — the topic of brand perception and the challenges premium brands face in today’s evolving aftermarket has been a hot-button issue for quite some time.

Still, it wasn’t until I dove into the topic headfirst that I discovered how layered and nuanced opinions truly are.

This industry is filled with extremely dedicated and passionate people who care about the success of their businesses and the industry, at large. Suppliers and distributors, alike, are emotionally invested in this business. I think that’s one of the reasons it remains so strong.

I also think it’s one of the reasons why, when it comes to the topic at hand, opinions are so varied. Everyone wants what’s best for the independent aftermarket, even if they don’t always agree on the best ways to get there.

From the sidelines I understand a lot of the industry’s opinions. I see why premium suppliers are supplementing their genuine OE aftermarket part numbers with all-makes value lines. I know why OEMs, dealers and some independents are drawn to private labels and white box parts. Customer purchasing trends are changing. You can only let so many customers walk away before you do something.

On the flip side, I can’t blame independent distributors who balk at this

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transition. No one wants to chase price.

It’s a rabbit hole with no Wonderland at the bottom (though I guess that was no picnic, either). Once you start cutting margin it becomes unbelievably difficult to get it back. There’s also the matter of customer satisfaction. If you tell a customer you’ll solve his every problem, your best chance to do so successfully is to sell him a genuine replacement part every time.

Make your customers loyal to your brand, not the one on the box The aftermarket’s concern about counterfeit and mystery offshore products seems to be the only area where most in the channel are in agreement, but those parts are so removed from the brand conversation they almost aren’t relevant. Customers who have always bought first-fit branded replacement parts aren’t suddenly shifting all the way to knockoffs.

In this world of diminishing brand

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equity, I think the future for aftermarket distributors is to focus inward. There’s nothing you can do or say to ensure the branded lines you sell will forever be viewed the way you’d like. That ship has sailed.

You have to focus on what you can control, and that’s the name on your door.

Make your customers loyal to your brand, not the one on the box. Some of this can be done with messaging. Rather than printing sales sheets exclusively pushing brands X, Y and Z, use language that says you sell “genuine OE direct replacement parts” and “offer a wide selection of all-makes products.” If you want to throw logos on those sheets I wouldn’t stop you, but it’s time to acknowledge logos, alone, don’t sell parts anymore. At least not to everybody.

Also, track absolutely everything. If a customer alters a stock order to a lowertier product, ask him why, then make a note of his response. If the new part has a 50,000-mile life cycle, check in with the customer at 40,000 miles and make sure everything’s OK. Record lifetimes for every part you’re selling. Customers will be more responsive to you and the brands you represent if you can say “our customers are averaging 68,000 miles on X and 52,000 miles on Y.” That’s not just marketing speak. That’s hard data, and its data that’s directly relevant to the customer.

You need to provide more than a good product at a good price.

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Editorial | MacKay & Company

Tradeshow Season

By John Blodgett MacKay & Company

W

e have completed the first quarter of 2018. This initial three months of the year are a trade show bonanza for the trucking industry. It starts with HDAD/HDAW in January, followed by an alphabet soup of shows and conferences: TMC (part of ATA), NTEA, TCA, MATS and ATD (part of NADA). I would spell them all out, but I only get one page for this column.

As one of the people who attends many of them, I am always impressed by the work the vehicle and component manufacturers and other suppliers put into making these shows a success. The coordination of getting booths to different cities (must be some good for-hire carriers) and staffing them with talented, knowledgeable professionals is always impressive.

I noticed many new booths this year or booths upgraded to the point I thought they were new. There was more technology incorporated into booths, such as large video displays (Truck-Lite had a large screen to display their Road Ready trailer telematics product), educational product displays (Dana displayed old and new driveshaft designs), more fun (WABCO’s truck driving simulator) and the always popular bars and deep, padded carpet (Great Dane, Hendrickson and others).

There were new products and

suppliers, including new aerodynamic trailer products (Michelin was one), predictive analytics firms and Cummins’ display of electric-powered tractors.

Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, look online at Shell and AirFlow Truck Company’s Starship futuristic-looking truck (which drives on the road today).

It is even cooler in person — I would like to see it moving down the road with a STEMCO Trailer Tail deployed, which would make an impressive profile.

This initial three months of the year are a trade show bonanza for the trucking industry.

NTEA and TMC had a considerable number of presentations on new technologies and products with reviews from fleets that are actually testing all types of new products. At NTEA — primarily a show focused on work trucks — it was

impressive to see some new products focus on reducing idling time, as well as Hino’s new Class 7 and 8 trucks. At TMC, Hyliion HE Drive Axle won the 2018 Jim Windsor Technical Achievement Award with its fuel-saving electric drive-axle system, which was very impressive and not the only one being promoted at TMC. Most of the shows I attended this first quarter reported record participation by suppliers and participants, another indication of the positive economic environment we are enjoying in the trucking industry. Certainly, the mood of the vendors and attendees also seemed to be very positive.

There are more trade shows and industry events with a variety of letters coming up after the first quarter, such as ACT, GATS, NTPC, IAA and AAPEX, all with different focuses and themes but with many similar vendors. Granted you can get some insights on most of these products from the various trade publications and websites (I would recommend Truck Parts & Service), but I don’t think you get the same value as talking with a company representative and seeing actual products.

So if you have been staying home the first three months of the year to enjoy Nor’easters or Arizona and Virginia’s road to the Final Four, time to get out and find a trade show.

John Blodgett has worked for MacKay & Company for more than 20 years and is currently vice president of sales and marketing, responsible for client contact for single and multi-client projects. He can be reached at john.blodgett@mackayco.com.

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Industry Focus

Kenworth Hawaii has opened a new 14,500 sq.-ft. full-service dealership in Kailua-Kona.

Dealer News Mack Trucks has named Tri-State Truck Center as its 2017 North American Dealer of the Year.

Peterbilt Motors Company has named Allstate Peterbilt as its 2017 Dealer of the Year.

MHC Kenworth – Colorado has earned the 2017 Kenworth Dealer of the Year award.

Tri State Truck Center Freightliner/Western Star and McDevitt Trucks with its affiliate, Patriot Freightliner, Western Star, have joined forces to form Advantage Truck Group.

Four Star Freightliner has opened a new location in Midway, Fla. Kenworth Maska has opened a 28,000 sq.-ft. parts and service facility in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Kenworth La Sarre has relocated to a new and larger 12,000 sq.-ft. facility.

Eaton forms new business unit Eaton announces the formation of its new eMobility business unit. The new business unit will be part of the company’s Vehicle Segment business group and will leverage expertise from Eaton’s Electrical Sector business group for use in future development of electric

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components and power management for passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

Eaton expects the adoption of batteryelectric commercial vehicles to grow from 2 percent in 2016 to 9 percent by 2030. The company plans to invest $500 million in electrification research and

T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 8

development in the next five years.

“The trucks of the future are going to require a lot of intelligence and efficient operation,” says Larry Bennett, Eaton’s director of engineering, technology and innovation. “To achieve that efficiency, we need a lot of electrification on board.”

Industry Focus

ACOFAS schedules next tech clinic for May

FleetPride adds location, makes acquisition FleetPride has opened a new location in White City, Ore., and has acquired Road Equipment, a division of Jomar Investments, in Brainerd, Minn.

FleetPride says the White City location is its sixth facility in Oregon. Regarding the Minnesota acquisition, the company says it will merge the Brainerd store with its existing operation in the market.

“Combining these two locations enables FleetPride to add drive-in truck repair service in Brainerd, in addition to our existing driveline shop capabilities,” says Mike Harris, FleetPride senior vice president of sales and branch operations.

“This gives the customers of Brainerd a one-stop shop for the best selection of truck and trailer parts, plus all-makes aftermarket expertise that is second to none.”

The American Council of Frame and Alignment Specialists (ACOFAS) has announced its next technician training clinic will be held May 1-2, 2018, in Fort Wayne, Ind. The sessions will be held at Frame Service, 4210 Goshen Rd. (U.S. Highway 33 North) Fort Wayne, with educational presentations during the day on May 1 and May 2 by Barry Ernst of Frame Service and Andy Blair, a retired police and DOT officer, who will provide DOT-based inspection training.

For more information on the upcoming clinic, and to register, please visit www.acofas.com.

MERA updates brand identity MERA has updated its brand descriptor to MERA – The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing. MERA says the shift better reflects the vision of the organization and the position of its members in the marketplace.

“Remanufacturing, which we simply define as manufacturing with reuse, is sustainable by definition and responsible by design,” says MERA President and Chief Operating Officer John Chalifoux. “Our intent is to highlight the corporate social responsibility of manufacturing companies that produce high-quality goods a second time by reusing materials and conserving embodied energy in existing products.”

People In The News Idealease has hired Craig Winchell area vice president, national accounts.

HUBB Filters has hired Barry Steel as executive vice president, commercial Steel solutions and appointed Scott Son chief financial officer.

Meritor announces Joe Plomin has been appointed senior vice president and president, aftermarket, industrial and quality. Kevin Nowlan has been appointed Son senior vice president and president, trailer and components. Carl Anderson has been appointed vice president, finance. In this expanded new role, Anderson assumes responsibility for operational finance, shared services and accounting. Mike Lei has been appointed vice president, compensation and benefits, and treasurer.

Leyman Lift Gates has added Anita Byrne as vice president of sales.

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Jacobs Vehicle Systems has appointed Sam Fabian vice president of global operations.

Julian Currie, Minimizer human resources business partner, has been honored with the Rochester, Minn., Fabian Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year award. Minimizer also has added Geoff Cook and Scott Holm as territory managers.

Former Ford Motor Currie Company President and CEO Mark Fields has been added to the FleetPride board of directors.

AxleTech has added Rick Larkin as chief financial officer and Mike Semke as vice president of global pricing and program management.

Javier Camacho has joined the Betts Truck Parts & Service Fresno team as branch manager.

Reyco Granning has appointed Arnold Dunai vice president, sales and marketing.

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Radu Pop has joined Stertil-Koni as business development manager.

Wayne McKitrick has been promoted to vice president of sales, heavy duty, for N.A. Williams.

McKitrick Fontaine Heavy-Haul has hired Greg D. Smith as vice president of marketing and business development.

Dana has added Michael J. Mack and Diarmuid B. O’Connell to its board Smith of directors. The duo replaces Terrence J. Keating and Mark A. Schulz, who retired from the board.

Dayton Parts has hired Mark Colbran as regional sales manager for Western Canada and Mark Krajewski as district sales manager.

Robin Kendrick, vice president and corporate officer of BorgWarner, has been elected to Accuride’s board of directors as an independent director.

Industry Focus

ConMet adds N.C. wheel end plant ConMet recently opened its second production facility in Monroe, N.C. The 253,000 sq.-ft. facility will be dedicated to assembling wheel-end components and supporting the growing demand in the commercial vehicle industry. The new building has been designed to easily expand if additional square footage is required in the future, ConMet says.

“ConMet has been a part of the Monroe community for 54 years, so when it came time to discuss adding another facility to support the growth in our industry, it was an easy decision to stay in Union County,” says John Waters, ConMet’s chief financial officer, vice president and general manager of metals.

Tech certification program introduced Noregon has launched a JPRO Certification program. The program is now available for technicians to increase their skillset and earn official certification for JPRO. Noregon says the certification program offers seven content modules, with each module focusing on a major aspect of JPRO’s functionality. Each module includes optional quizzes to test the user’s knowledge and prepare them for a 50-question multiple-choice final exam. Users scoring a 70 percent or better on the final exam become JPRO certified and earn a diploma, as well as patches to sew onto work uniforms.

“By offering the certification program, technicians are able to learn the ins and outs of the software and standout to employers by becoming officially certified with such a well-known and powerful tool,” says Shane Gilliam, Noregon’s vice president of sales.

Sadler Power Train honors supplier partner Sadler Power Train has named Triangle Suspension its 2017 “Power Partner of the Year” award winner. The company says the award honors its top vendor partner for excellence in products, performance, customer service and partnership.

“We’re pleased to honor this year’s award winner, Triangle Suspension. Triangle’s unwavering commitment to high-quality products and its dedication to a meaningful partnership is second to none,” says Randy Kray, general sales manager for Sadler Power Train.“We thank all of our vendor partners for their contributions to another successful year as we strive to exceed customer expectations.”

Truck Parts & Service Calendar Event information can be submitted at: www.truckpartsandservice.com/story-ideas/

April 9-11 April 20-22 April 30–May 3

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International Truck Parts Association Spring Meeting, Cleveland GenNext, CVSN Distributor Training Expo, Atlanta Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, Long Beach, Calif.

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Industry Focus

Accuride plant earns national honor

Bendix adds R&D center at Mexico facility

IndustryWeek magazine has selected Accuride Corporation‘s Rockford Operations wheel end manufacturing facility in Rockford, Ill., as a winner of the 2017 IndustryWeek Best Plants competition.

According to the magazine, the program recognizes North American plants that are on the leading edge of efforts to increase competitiveness and customer satisfaction. The Rockford facility manufactures and assembles Gunite and KIC-brand brake drums, hubs, rotors and slack adjusters.

“Rockford was a classic story of a rust-belt factory that had been starved for capital and left for dead by previous owners,” says Rick Dauch, Accuride’s president and CEO. “The plant’s ‘phoenix’-like turnaround demonstrates that American manufacturers can be competitive and profitable while paying a good wage. In my 25 years as a manufacturing and business leader, I have never been prouder of a team.”

Bendix will open a new engineering research and development center in Monterrey, Mexico, later this year.

The 7,800 sq.-ft. center, located within an existing building at the Research and Technological Innovation Park, will further expand Bendix’s North American presence. Construction of offices and test labs in Monterrey is under way, with an eye on completion in the third quarter, the company says.

“Our legacy and our future are built on the innovation and expertise of our engineering advancements,” says Richard Beyer, vice president, engineering and R&D, Bendix. “No matter their geography, the members of our talented engineering team will continue working together to maintain a strong and hands-on relationship aimed at bolstering our existing expertise and long-term strategic impact.”

MEMA, associated groups fighting for consumer choice MEMA, AASA and MERA again requested exemptions last month in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that would protect consumer choice in both vehicle replacement components and service.

The organizations say the exemption requests would allow independent repair facilities to access and service vehicle software on behalf of consumers.

“This is an important issue for MEMA, AASA and MERA, striking at the heart of consumers’ freedom to choose where their vehicles are maintained and how they are repaired,” says Bill Long, AASA president and chief operating officer and executive vice president, government affairs, MEMA. “We will continue to work with the U.S. Copyright Office to ensure that the voice of automotive aftermarket suppliers is heard on this issue.”

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TruckPro adds Colorado distributor TruckPro has acquired the assets of Midwest Truck Parts and Service of Denver and Greeley, Colo.

Midwest Truck Parts and Service has been in business since 1965 and is a leading provider of aftermarket truck parts and service in Central Colorado, TruckPro says.

“Midwest Truck Parts and Service is a very successful, privately held aftermarket truck parts and service provider and owners Howard Siegel, Robin Dow and Larry Martel built an organization with a reputation for providing exceptional service to its customers,” says Chuck Broadus, CEO at TruckPro. “We are excited to expand our footprint in this key geography, join forces with a true industry leader in the area, and welcome Midwest associates to the TruckPro family.”

NACFE announces organizational updates The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has announced an expanded organizational strategy, including an updated brand identity and website.

“With ‘NACFE 2.0’, we believe we can add a great deal of value in guiding the development and eventual implementation of future technologies,” says Mike Roeth, NACFE executive director.

In addressing future change and technology, Roeth says NACFE will introduce Guidance Reports, which will be similar to its popular Confidence Reports and attempt to provide detailed research on the potential and likely performance of future efficient technology.

NACFE also has upgraded its website, making all of its reports and research materials available on one site.

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Industry Focus

Ecco enhances website Fontaine Modification hits safety milestone

© 2018 Prestolite Electric Inc.

Fontaine Modification announces its Williamstown, W.Va., facility has surpassed 3,000 days without a lost-time accident. The streak began the day the operation’s doors opened in 2009.

“Quality work begins with a safe working environment for our employees, which is why safety is the top priority at Fontaine,” says Chris Reynolds, Williamstown Modification Center general manager. “Maintaining high standards and achieving this significant milestone is something we’re very proud of.

As a whole, we’re a very close team that works together to ensure everyone can perform at

their highest level, which translates into top customer service and satisfaction.”

The 15,000 sq.-ft. Williamstown Modification Center features 12 truck bays. The location is focused on supporting Hino Trucks’ Williamstown assembly plant. Fontaine says it provides painting services, installs truck commodity products, and performs wheel and tire swaps on Hino trucks. Fontaine Modification credits the strong working relationship between the modification center and the Hino team for contributing to its successful safety streak.

Ecco Safety Group (ESG) introduces its new website designed to showcase its position as a worldwide leader in commercial vehicle safety solutions and emergency safety systems.

“ESG’s new website showcases our comprehensive breadth of product line and our commitment to exceeding industry standards,” says Doug Phillips, CEO. “The new website is a true reflection of our company’s successful growth in countries around the world.”

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Industry Focus

Levine Auto & Truck names top suppliers San Diego holds ‘Mitchell 1 Day’ San Diego County held Mitchell 1 Day last month in celebration of Mitchell 1’s 100-year anniversary.

“Mitchell 1 has a proud heritage of innovation, leadership and dedication to excellence that has been accelerating the vehicle repair process for 100 years,” says Dave Ellingen, president of Mitchell 1. “Our technology is continuously evolving as we expand our product offerings to provide the repair solutions that service professionals need to be successful. We have tremendous gratitude for our current Mitchell 1 employees, as well as recognize everyone who has been a part of the Mitchell 1 team in the past. We look forward to the next 100 years of innovation and continuing to help our customers gain efficiency in everything they do.”

Distributor Training Expo sells out The GenNext and Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) Distributor Training Expo has sold out for the third consecutive year.

This year’s event will allow 30 aftermarket suppliers to train 200 distributor sales professionals over the course of two days. GenNext and CVSN say every single classroom session, training expo period, keynote presentation and networking break will be filled with students and industry professionals, ensuring everyone involved is able to maximize their experience at the event.

Organizers say event attendees are capped due to food, beverage, lodging and budget costs, and that each year the event has been held it has been able to grow 15 to 20 percent while still selling out.

“That’s what we signed up for,” says Minimizer Marketing Director and DTE Chairman Steve Hansen. “It’s exhausting but when I leave I know I literally trained 200 aftermarket distributor salespeople and that’s a great feeling!”

The event is scheduled for April 20-22, in Atlanta.

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Levine Auto & Truck Parts held its annual awards last month and honored its top staff members and vendors for “Going the Extra Distance.”

This year, the company says four key vendors were identified for their Outstanding Service and Representation, Sales Support and Quality Products: ■ Tool Vendor of the Year was CTA Tools, accepting the award from Dolan-Lynch Sales was Ryan Bomaster.

■ Heavy Duty Parts Vendor of the Year was Gates, accepting the reward for Gates was Dick Sablitz.

■ Paint and Auto Body Vendor of the Year was PPG, accepting the award for PPG was Marlon Montenegro.

■ Auto Parts Vendor of the Year was FM Motorsports, accepting the award for FM Motorsports was Craig Hackenson.

Trudell Holdings joins VIPAR Heavy Duty Trudell Holdings Inc., is the newest company to join the VIPAR Heavy Duty network of distributors as a stockholder.

Established in 1971, Trudell Holdings operates out of its headquarters in De Pere, Wis., and from locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. In addition to its Trudell Trailer locations in the Midwest, Trudell Holdings also recently acquired Northeast Great Dane LLC with locations in New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.

“The management team at Trudell is focused on honest, open and trustworthy customer relationships,” says Jim Pennig, vice president of business development, VIPAR Heavy Duty. “Their entire team is committed to treating each customer with respect while providing them superior quality products and services. We look forward to helping Trudell expand their business with the industry leading brands we represent and are pleased to welcome them to the VIPAR Heavy Duty family.”

Power Heavy Duty expands in Louisiana Fleet Supply Warehouse is the newest company to join Power Heavy Duty.

Based in Houma, La., Fleet Supply Warehouse has been providing highquality brand name filters, belts, batteries and exhaust products to the oil field, shipping and on-highway industries for more than four decades. The company operates from a 63,000 sq.-ft. warehouse to provide timely and reliable delivery service to much of southern

Louisiana including New Orleans, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.

“The experienced management and sales team at Fleet Supply Warehouse have the product knowledge and proven expertise to meet the unique needs of each customer,” says Mark Iasiello, general manager, Power Heavy Duty. “We are pleased to welcome them to the growing family of Power Heavy Duty distributors.”

Tech Updates

TRAINING NECESSARY FOR RETROFITTING ADVANCED SAFETY SYSTEMS

B

endix Commercial Vehicle Systems has recently released a technical bulletin addressing the likely future training required for the retrofit installation of advanced safety systems in the commercial trucking industry.

“With electronic stability control — ESC/full stability — now a requirement on Class 7 and 8 trucks, the foundational components for more advanced safety systems, such as collision mitigation technology, will be in place on a rapidly growing number of vehicles,” says Lance Hansen, Bendix North America regional vice president, fleet/trailer sales and service engineering. “So being able to upgrade in-service vehicles already equipped with ESC, with powerful safety solutions like collision mitigation and other advanced driver assistance technologies, will play

a huge role in increasing adoption levels and putting greater numbers of safer trucks on the road.”

Advanced driver assistance systems bring together a variety of component technologies, including speed and directional sensors, radars, cameras, electronic control units (ECUs) and control valves across the braking system. Bendix says this means that maintenance and installation require a broader knowledge base and a deeper understanding of how they interact with other components, as well as the vehicle itself.

Although many technicians are highly capable, with solid technical and mechanical skills, Bendix adds thorough training is a significant consideration when properly preparing them for the unique technical challenges associated

SAFETY RECALLS Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018 Freightliner MT45G and MT55G custom chassis built with certain uStart Ultra Capacitors. The bracket that secures the capacitor to the battery tray may damage the capacitor and allow water to enter the capacitor, causing corrosion or a possible electrical short. An electrical short can increase the risk of fire.

Hino Motor Sales is recalling certain 20182019 NE8J, NJ8J and NV8J trucks. The terminal bolts that secure the main fuse terminals within the fuse block may not have been properly tightened, possibly resulting in electrical arcing and overheating, or an engine shutdown. An electrical arc or overheating can increase the risk of a fire. An engine shutdown can increase the risk of a crash.

Kaufman Trailers of NC is recalling certain 2018 Kaufman Double Deck Car Hauler trailers, model

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with these systems.

Examples of training for the component technologies could include proper mounting locations, alignment, calibration of sensors, harness routing and J1939 communication.

All these elements will better equip tomorrow’s retrofitting technicians, Bendix says, as classroom or online training, alone, typically won’t be enough to prepare them to do the job right.

“Retrofitting in-service vehicles with leading-edge, fully warrantied driverassistance systems will mark a major step forward in terms of driver, vehicle and highway safety,” Hansen says. “Getting to that point, however, requires recognition of the unique nature of retrofits — and the need for experienced suppliers, installers and OEMs to support these efforts.”

The following are safety recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

numbers FE-3/7K-44 and FE-3/7K-47. The axles may have incorrect spindles which may fail, resulting in the detachment of a wheel and hub from the trailer. A wheel and hub detachment can increase the risk of a crash.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, “Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages,” and number 207, “Seating Systems.” If the seat or seat belt attachments fail in the event of a crash, the seat occupants have an increased risk of injury.

Mack Trucks is recalling certain 2018 Anthem (AN), Granite (GU) and Pinnacle (CXU, PI) trucks.

An electrical overload condition may cause the light control module (LCM) to fail, resulting in the loss of the exterior lighting, interior dashboard lighting and the windshield wipers. Loss of lighting or windshield wiper function can increase the risk of a crash.

Morgan Truck Bodies is recalling all 2013-2018 Morgan Truck Bodies built on Isuzu, Kenworth, Mercedes, Chevrolet, GM, Freightliner, Mitsubishi and Peterbilt chassis. Water may enter part of the wiring harness and affect the turn signal operation. Incorrect turn signal operation may increase the risk of a crash.

Micro Bird is recalling certain 2015-2018 T-Series transit buses. These vehicles are equipped with at least one three-place seat that has Type 1 (lap belt) seat belts. In the event of a crash, the seats or seat belt attachments may not remain secured to the floor. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of

Navistar is recalling certain 2016-2019 IC bus CE school buses equipped with 8.8-liter liquid propane gas (LPG) engines. The LPDM relay for the propane booster pump and the scavenge pump may intermittently fail, causing the fuel pump to stop. If the fuel pump stops, the bus will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

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By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

Cover Story

The

Brand War 16

T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 8

Cover Story

As customer acceptance of private label and white box products increase, brand-centric aftermarket distributors face extreme pressure to evolve.

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T

oday’s independent heavy-duty aftermarket was founded on brands. For decades, aftermarket distributors built their companies from the ground up on the brands they sold. More often than not, these brands represented the best components available in the trucking industry — manufacturers with OEM first-fit positions, and names synonymous not only with the product categories they served but, in some cases, also invented.

For a long time, there was no better gauge of an independent distributor’s standing than a stacked supplier line card.

It appears those days are numbered.

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Cover Story While many distributors remain firmly committed to supporting and promoting the genuine brands they serve, the aftermarket customer is changing. A proliferation of new aftermarket suppliers and a rapid uptick in the availability of private labeled and offshore white box products have weakened brand loyalty across the industry. End user purchasing preferences are shifting, and while total cost of ownership remains a popular customer adage, when units are down, the draw toward lowest price has never been stronger.

The independent aftermarket, long viewed by its participants as the last bastion of the branded, genuine OE aftermarket part, has been disrupted. While the upheaval didn’t happen overnight — lower cost suppliers have been serving the aftermarket for as long as there’s been such an industry — the accelerated rate at which these unidentified, low-cost products are being released and accepted by end users has left distributors scrambling, urgently attempting to restructure their businesses to maintain gross margin and revenue totals around which they’ve built their businesses.

For an industry in flux, determining the next correct step is best undertaken by first understanding the previous one.

AxleTech produces its aftermarket gear components in Chicago and says its aftermarket brake kits are built to OE specifications.

What forced this industry change?

There is a chicken-and-egg quality to the independent aftermarket’s brand erosion dilemma: Are customers deliberately pulling away from premium brands (and their higher margins for distributors) and seeking lower priced alternatives in a clear effort to cut costs; or have suppliers created such an abundance of price points that customers are subconsciously altering their longtime buying habits to capitalize on better prices?

“I think it’s a combination,” says Steven Prigal, president at All Roads Fleet Service & Supply. Prigal’s business, which recently rebranded after 60-plus years as The Brake Service Group, operates four locations in the New York City metropolitan area. Across those facilities, Prigal says he is seeing more customers narrow in on individual unit price — “cost today, not the cost over the long term,” he says — when making purchasing decisions. However, he also acknowledges there are more new suppliers “attacking the industry at the low end” and forcing established aftermarket suppliers to respond.

“Some customers have always – Steven Prigal, president at purchased on price,” adds Jay All Roads Fleet Service & Supply Boggerman, president at Plaza Fleet Parts. Boggerman says

[Customers narrow in on individual unit price] cost today, not the cost over the long term.

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Plaza Fleet’s position as a brand house focused on premium aftermarket products has always somewhat insulated it from bargain shoppers, but there’s no question they’ve always been out there.

“We’ve had some come through over the years, always looking for the cheapest price,” he says.

Yet it’s important to note that even with its focus on brands, it’s not as if the independent distribution channel has never catered to the price-conscious customer. The tradition of stocking A and B lines — A being a genuine OE replacement part and B an all-makes branded alternative — is nearly ubiquitous throughout distribution, and many distributors also have operated in-house machine shops to rebuild, repair and remanufacture specific components at lower, C-level price points. This structure worked for distributors because it offered enough choice for budget-conscious customers, but was still heavily tilted toward A lines and their value “over the long term.”

Not coincidentally, it is that same uneven scale that is now allowing so many new aftermarket suppliers, private labels and white box products to prosper. By entering the market at price points between the lower tiers and touting themselves as all-makes level equivalent, these lines have quickly become favorites for price-centric customers and have shown

Cover Story

Truck-Lite’s state-of-the-art domestic and global production facilities allow the manufacturer to produce components that meet and exceed all performance and safety standards.

the ability to even draw in customers who were previously loyal to upper-tier branded parts.

On the chickenand-egg conundrum, Fleet Brake President John Bzeta gives the supply chain the edge in implementing the aftermarket’s overhaul.

He references the availability of new products at non-traditional distributors, such as truck stops, auto warehouse stores and online, as well as nationally available OEM private label brands, that enable dealers to sell extremely low-price value lines with the backing of a trusted truck maker’s brand.

“When a dealer is selling a product, right or wrong, a lot of customers view that product as an OE [genuine] item,” Bzeta says.

“We see that all the time,” adds Prigal.

“A customer will see a part in a dealership and think if they’re selling it there, it’s the same” as what was installed on his

to well over a dozen. And a lot of that is the same product but different name brands,” says Michael Konrad, sales and marketing manager at Bremskerl.

There’s also the issue of how these new products force changes from premium brands. Sales erosion doesn’t only occur at the distributor level.

Customers pulling away from genuine OE aftermarket products forces those manufacturers into a precarious position: Chase – Jay Boggerman, president at Plaza Fleet Parts their volume losses with lower priced alternatives, or double down on the importance of quality and vehicle. “That’s not always the case, but try to bring customers back. it’s so hard to teach them.”

Caught in the middle Private labels have boomed for indiWhile the independent aftermarket vidual dealers and distributors as well.

“Looking specifically at friction, in the overwhelmingly prefers the latter, it has last 18 months we’ve seen [the market] Continued on page 22 go from five or six aftermarket offerings

Some customers have always purchased on price. We’ve had some come through over the years, always looking for the cheapest price.

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Cover Story

What’s in the box?

Fighting brand misrepresentation

I

f brand erosion leaves distributors frustrated, brand misrepresentation leaves them furious.

OEM private labels draw the most ire.

Rapidly expanding throughout the industry, OEMs have turned to private label brands as a tool to attract customers typically loyal to the independent distribution channel. As manufacturers of vehicles not components, OEMs are sourcing most of these new product lines from many of the same suppliers serving the independent distribution channel and, thanks to their size, are able to purchase at volumes independent distributors simply cannot match. Those savings are then passed through to the dealer channel, allowing them to go to market supporting a national aftermarket brand with products that directly compete with or are identical to independent branded lines but priced for noticeably less.

Independent distributors say this

strategy weakens their business by sowing brand confusion. Some customers are more loyal to truck badges than they are to product logos. When an OEM puts its brand equity and cachet behind a product line, even one with a different name, it’s a legitimate customer draw.

But where brand is really weakened, says Fleet Brake President John Bzeta, is when that private label box is opened and a premium brand part is found inside. It doesn’t matter if the part in question is a genuine OE replacement or a lower-tier

item, once the customer sees the logo they assume the brand’s quality, he says.

“Think of it like this,” he says. “If you see a computer with an apple on it you think ‘That’s an Apple computer.’ The logo fundamentally represents quality. It earns your trust.”

Distributors add such brand misrepresentation is further exacerbated by private label quality standards. Though one common misconception the independent aftermarket levies on OEM private label brands is not true — that these brands

When you buy [white box] parts, you have no idea what you’re getting.

You might get a branded part, but you also might get some import part that will last two weeks.

U.S. Class 8 dealer parts and service sales

– John Locke, master purchaser at Point Spring & Driveshaft

2014

2015

2016

$11,210,785

$12,009,875

$12,682,986

Service, parts and body shop sales as percent of total sales

33.0%

28.9%

33.6%

Service, parts and body shop sales as percent of total gross

80.0%

77.2%

82.6%

9.9%

10.7%

10.9%

Service, parts and body shop sales

Warranty (percent of total service, parts and body shop sales)

Source: American Truck Dealers

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T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 8

Cover Story

have no quality, safety and performance standards. It is true, however, that quality standards vary for each OEM and generally fall closer in line to middle- and lower-tier aftermarket lines than genuine replacement parts.

Another white-hot button issue for independent distributors in the brand war are white box lines. Found throughout the OES and aftermarket channel, white box lines are the industry’s true unknown — unlabeled products sold for extremely low prices with no warranty, customer support or performance guarantees.

An assumption exists within the independent distribution channel that most of these parts are sourced from overseas manufacturers who are not beholden to any quality and performance standards used by premium aftermarket brands, or even private label lines. These are the “put them on and hope” lines, says John Locke, master purchaser at Point Spring & Driveshaft.

“When you buy those parts, you have no idea what you’re getting,” he says.

“You might get a branded part, but you also might get some import part that will last two weeks.”

Fortunately for independent aftermarket distributors, their concern over unknown white box products isn’t an opinion they hold alone. North American truck and component manufacturers also have concerns about these products, and the potential safety risks they pose to the transportation industry.

Tim Kraus, president and COO at the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), says his organization’s parent group, the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), is actively lobbying in Washington for “minimum acceptable standards” to be established for aftermarket parts to ensure all components in the North

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American marketplace meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). He adds “there is a difference between lower-priced products and truly

low-price products,” and in the case of the latter, he says HDMA and MEMA are “opposed to it because where is the culpability?”

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Cover Story

The Brand War

Continued from page 19

little say. The industry is tied to brands it cannot control. Its value proposition and business model are built on selling the performance, safety and customer support that comes with premium aftermarket brands.

Many distributors believe private label and white box lines lack the volume potential to neutralize the margin losses that come from abandoning top brands.

Others question the go-to-market strategy, and how a business that positions itself as a premium supplier can undercut its own sales philosophy within the marketplace.

On that note, Boggerman adds, “We are not in the market to sell inferior product. We are not going to sell something we can’t stand behind.”

Boggerman’s statement also highlights another challenge distributors face when considering a deviation from branded inventory exclusivity. When a branded part fails, a distributor has a supplier’s support (through a warranty or customer service team) to fall back on.

When a white box or distributor-sourced product fails, managing the customer’s

Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA) and parent organization Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) both support the creation of minimum standards for products entering the North American aftermarket industry.

circumstances is his and his alone.

“One thing we’ve noticed is when customers have concerns with a new part. If it’s a branded part, they’ll usually check around a little and see if something else is wrong. But with the white box stuff, when something goes wrong, they immediately blame the part,” Bzeta says.

He adds for some of Fleet Brake’s most popular part numbers the company has gone solely to genuine ‘A’ lines and “sales and margins increased, and warranty rates disappeared.”

John Locke says both margin and philosophical factors keep Point Spring & Driveshaft focused on the premium

One thing we’ve noticed is when customers have concerns with a new part. If it’s a branded part, they’ll usually check around a little and see if something else is wrong. But with the white box stuff, when something goes wrong, they immediately blame the part.

– John Bzeta, president at Fleet Brake

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space. According to Locke, the company’s master purchaser, Point Spring’s guiding principle regarding its inventory always has been performance and end user satisfaction. The distributor wants to sell the best and wants its customers to rely on it for exactly that reason. He acknowledges that approach has cost Point Spring some price hunters over the years — “we’ve walked away from some business, too,” he says — but in doing so also has ensured the company that the customers it has kept are loyal and value Point Spring for more than just a good price.

Says Locke, “Once you start dropping price, there’s always someone out there who’s willing to go lower.”

For what it’s worth, most brands in the heavy-duty aftermarket are well aware of the predicament facing their independent channel partners. The reputations and acclaim of many of the industry’s top brands were cultivated by the praises of their distributors.

“We spend a lot of time selling the value of genuine parts, focusing on lifecycle and how you pay more upfront but have less issues over time,” says Brian Cordle, business development manager at Haldex. “We cannot do that alone.

We rely on our distributors’ partners to continue that education with our customers.”

Some suppliers also compliment independent distribution channel partners

Cover Story for their persuasive efforts with end users to recognize the importance of replacing like-for-like when maintaining safety system components.

“The thing I always try to talk about with our customers is that nobody ever tracks the near misses. Nobody ever tracks those situations where a driver misses an accident by five or 10 feet,” says Keith McComsey, director of marketing, customer solutions, wheel end at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Solutions. “But if you take that vehicle and you replace that driver’s friction material with a lowerlevel product, now that 10-ft. miss may very well become a statistic.

“I think distributors understand that,” he says. “That it’s hard to justify good, better, best when we’re talking about safety.”

“When [a customer] goes with the OE product, they know they are always going to get the product that provides the best possible results,” adds Daniel Beretta Piccoli, sales and marketing manager at Fras-le.

But because that is an option and not a requirement, manufacturers of genuine OE safety components note they are still

Brake Parts Inc. (BPI) says it remains committed to validating the “quality of all raw materials” found in its OE and aftermarket products.

facing an uphill battle against aftermarket suppliers who are not beholden to similar performance and quality standards.

Konrad says there may be a risk in safety (e.g. longer stopping distance; delamination, causing cracked rotors; severe fade) with low-cost economy product. “These pads are typically produced by offshore manufacturers who may not have the proper R&D capabilities and/or use sub-par manufacturing methods or have little to no quality control in order to reach the economy price level,” he says.

We spend a lot of time selling the value of genuine parts, focusing on lifecycle and how you pay more upfront but have less issues over time. We cannot do that alone.

We rely on our distributors’ partners to continue that education with our customers.

– Brian Cordle, business development manager at Haldex

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It is on that concept of safety where industry groups are speaking up. Tim Kraus, president and COO at the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), says HDMA and its parent organization, the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), support a growing aftermarket supplier base, so long as new businesses entering the market uphold performance and safety levels used by established companies.

Kraus references the organizations’ concerns with unbranded and unidentified white box products in saying, “If you buy a product like that, who is going to stand behind it? Who is there if something happens. When you buy a premium brand, you know they are going to stand behind it.”

What should distributors do?

Independent distributors are not without options in fighting brand erosion.

Some distributors have remained committed to premium brands and their built-in margin advantages but have altered their sales and marketing strategies to better inform customers not only on the products they sell, but also on why they don’t sell others.

“You can’t make customers buy quality, but you can lean them toward it,” says Locke. “We want them to know when

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Cover Story they are buying these cheap products that [the products] likely aren’t going to last.”

In using this tactic, Locke says many of Point Spring’s premium supplier partners have been helpful in providing educational materials on their products, and their superior performance against relatively unknown competitors entering the marketplace. Suppliers themselves also note this information can be persuasive and reassuring for distributors who were considering adding unproven lines in the face of sales losses.

“We try to make them aware if they are bringing in product from offshore that it must comply with federal safety standards to be sold here,” says Brad Van Riper, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Truck-Lite. “If it doesn’t and something happens, the distributor can be liable.”

Superior quality and performance validation is still a differentiator for some customers and is not something to be ignored, suppliers say.

At Brake Parts Inc. (BPI), National Sales Manager for Commercial Vehicles Rob Miles and Director of Friction and Product Development Jerry Forystek

Automann makes its logo visible on all components, packaging and boxes to help customers identify its products.

say their company remains committed to validating “quality of all raw materials” as well as its “strict performance and noise standards,” and is assertive in publicizing that information to both distributors and end users.

“While we promote our products in many ways … the more important question is what we promote, such as the fact that all BPI manufacturing facilities are ISO/TS certified and that our friction products comply with environmental laws, including those in California and Washington,” the duo says. “BPI separates itself from the competition with extensive product testing to ensure the quality and performance of our brake components.”

In situations where education alone cannot reclaim margin losses, branded

We try to make them aware if they are bringing in product from offshore that it must comply with federal safety standards to be sold here.

– Brad Van Riper, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Truck-Lite

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PA R T S & S E R V I 3/20/18 C E | 1:01 A p rPM il 2018

Cover Story all-makes value lines allow distributors to be more competitive with price-conscious customers without abandoning their commitment to genuine OE brands.

Several genuine suppliers now offer all-makes value lines within their aftermarket portfolio, while other aftermarket-exclusive suppliers have debuted their own brands with their own quality standards to provide distributors a value alternative to private labeling or white box lines.

“We’ve noticed when you launch a price-point brand, it doesn’t cannibalize too much business from the genuine brand because a lot of the target customers aren’t going to be looking for that product,” says AxleTech Vice President of Global Aftermarket Sales Robin Stow.

Bremskerl puts its aftermarket friction products through exhaustive OE testing to verify their performance before releasing them in the market.

Regarding new aftermarket brands, this is where a supplier such as Automann comes in.

According to Vice President CJ Khanduja, Automann builds its product offering based on distributor and end user demand. When Automann is alerted to categories where aftermarket options

are needed, Khanduja says the company searches globally for suppliers who can produce product at the quality and inventory standards Automann requires.

Once a potential supplier is found, the company initiates a detailed evaluation phase where components are tested several times to ensure performance and

Does ‘Made in America’ matter?

Another independent distribution marketing tactic undermined by brand disintegration is the partiality and favoritism toward American-made products.

When asked why, supplier and distributor representatives’ opinions were mixed.

One major hindrance is simply price point. Expanded aftermarket pricing tiers have widened the cost gap between premium brands and their value line competitors, making it harder for fleets to justify additional costs for locally made products.

Truck-Lite Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Brad Van Riper says his company still has success promoting its American-made products among first-owner fleets. When only evaluating genuine OE lines, “Made in America” remains a differentiator. In cases where a customer is driven more by component unit cost, Van Riper says country of origin is less of a customer priority.

There’s also the issue of what actually constitutes an exclusively American product, says Robin Stow, vice president of global aftermarket sales at AxleTech. He says buyers need to be aware of the differences between a premium brand aftermarket supplier with a global supply chain, versus a domestic supplier operating exclusively as an importer.

But even then, Stow says the number of customers who claim to value American products and then follow through by purchasing them seems pretty slim, adding, “I don’t think we always see

28

them purchase like that.”

That said, Stow acknowledges AxleTech still stamps ‘Made in the USA’ on all of its domestically manufactured product and tries to promote that native manufacturing with any customer who shows an interest.

John Locke wishes all other manufacturers would do the same. Locke, master purchaser at Point Spring & Driveshaft, says he believes a sizeable portion of his customers are still motivated to buy American made parts. They just can’t always find them.

“A lot of domestic manufacturers are dropping the ball in labeling their product,” he says. “If you’re going to pay for all of that labor to manufacture your products here, you should have [Made in the USA] plastered all over it.”

Locke says he notifies customers anytime product conversation steers toward an American part. Not every customer will be swayed by the

news, but Locke says he wants “them to know if they are willing to pay a little extra, what they’re paying for.”

Locke’s position, however, is not unanimous among distributors.

“I think for the great majority of customers, if the part is on time, it fits and it works, they’re done. That’s all they need,” says Alan Groff, president at Associated Truck Parts. “They don’t even look at the box.”

Groff says Associated Truck Parts carries lines sourced from all over the globe. He says in cases where a customer requests something specific, such as an American-made part, Associated Truck Parts will immediately get to work finding him one.

But as for stocking and promoting lines explicitly as American made, Groff says he doesn’t think it’s worthwhile.

“Most customers just want the part that gets them back on the road,” he says.

I think for the great majority of customers, if the part is on time, it fits and it works, they’re done. That’s all they need. They don’t even look at the box.

T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 8

– Alan Groff, president at Associated Truck Parts

Cover Story quality benchmarks are passed.

“It’s normal to take a year or more for something to get off the ground,” he says.

It is after this period concludes and the product reaches the aftermarket where its value is evident, Khanduja says.

Because of its simplified supply chain and national PDC network, Automann can introduce products that are competitive in a price-sensitive marketplace but also feature healthy margins and strong branding distributors value.

“We have four levels of branding on a part,” Khanduja says.

Finally, distributors also have the option of committing to their own brand, and transitioning customer loyalty from their suppliers to their own businesses.

That’s been working for more than a decade at Associated Truck Parts, says President Alan Groff.

Groff says his company identified many years ago that customer brand loyalty was not quite as strong as many in the industry believed. He says Associated Truck Parts had brand-loyal customers, but they were the minority. Most of its customers were focused on part numbers and working with a distributor who could get them the numbers they needed as quickly as possible.

Groff says selling premium brands became increasingly difficult to these customers because they knew they could find the numbers they required elsewhere at lower prices. So rather than attempting to change customer habits, Groff says Associated Truck Parts changed its inventory strategy.

The company continued working with many aftermarket branded suppliers but focused most of its purchasing on their all-makes value lines. Additionally, rather than promoting these products behind their brand names — and being forced to deal with high-price customer perception issues — Groff says Associated Truck Parts bought its own packaging and sold the products under its own name.

He says the strategy has allowed Associated Truck Parts to continue selling reliable and channel-supported products while shifting customer allegiances and creating margin potential previously unavailable under conventional aftermarket strategy.

“It’s second nature to us now but it’s not easy,” says Groff. “It takes a lot of work to set prices for every part number individually and determine what the market will bear.”

We’ve noticed when you launch a price-point brand, it doesn’t cannibalize too much business from the genuine brand because a lot of those customers aren’t going to be looking for that product.

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Marketplace

The Buzz The five hottest products as determined by readers of truckpartsandservice.com

Pre-adjusted hub assembly STEMCO and Webb Wheel have brought their product expertise together to introduce Trifecta, a pre-adjusted hub assembly.

STEMCO says Trifecta features the industry’s first Discover XR (extreme runtime) wheel seal with GlideLock technology. According to STEMCO and Webb Wheel, the seal glides on and is self-locking, reducing installation force by 50 percent, with no prelube required.

Combining the Discover XR with Webb Wheel’s hub and the Defender composite hub cap provides the industry’s best contamination and corrosion resistance.

The Trifecta assembly also features STEMCO’s Zip-Torq fully unitized axle spindle nut, increasing simplicity and safety for end users.

Tire inflation system product SAF-Holland has introduced its SAF Tire Pilot Plus Tire Pressure Management System, a complete tire inflation system that allows vehicle owners to protect tires by reducing tire wear and the costs associated with it, improving fuel efficiency, reducing service and optimizing uptime.

SAF-Holland says Tire Pilot Plus provides consistent and proper inflation to compensate for psi loss. The company says the new system not only controls pressure through inflation, but also maintains equal pressure across all wheels and features High Pressure Relief (HPR) for over inflated tires, which could occur from extreme temperature changes during operation.

SAF-Holland says the system has an ROI of less than a year.

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Five-piece trailer aero system Michelin introduces Energy Guard, a complete fivepiece SmartWay-verified aerodynamic trailer solution kit for the commercial trailer market.

Consisting of a resilient trailer skirt, trailer-end fairings, aerodynamic mud flaps and a wake reducer, Michelin says its integrated kit eliminates the need for boat tails or combining elements from various vendors. It is available for use on 53-ft. dry-van truck load, refrigerated truck load and other long-haul and super-regional applications, and weighs around 200 lb.

Wheel-end seals SKF introduces its Scotseal X-Treme wheel-end seal for drive, steer and trailer axles.

According to SKF, the Scotseal X-Treme wheel-end seal offers new design features that include optimized primary and axial lip profiles, a new metal unitizer geometry and the use of an upgraded HNBR lip material, which enhances the performance of SKF’s unique “wave” lip design. Collectively, SKF says these features improve pumping so it runs 25 to 30 percent cooler and provides 50 percent less torque, all contributing to improved fuel economy.

SKF adds both seals are designed to withstand the harshest operating conditions and is backed by a five-year/500,000mile warranty.

Incandescent and LED lamps Automann continues to expand its lighting program with the addition of incandescent and LED box lights.

With the option of standard incandescent or upgrading to LED, Automann says these lights are a direct plug-and-play replacement for OEM box lights and are clamshell packaged for easy display. Automann says the new lamps fit multiple applications.

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Marketplace

Heavy-duty workshop grease distribution kit

LED headlamps Maxxima introduces its Vionic 5X7 Integrated Dual-Beam LED headlight, a high-performance light that delivers exceptional low- and high-beam illumination for commercial vehicles and industrial applications.

Maxxima says the Vionic 5X7 Integrated Dual-Beam light can be used as a direct replacement for OEM halogen lamps. The lamp is FMVSS-108 and CMVSS-108 compliant and includes 12/24 VDC, standard OEM 3-blade connector, dimensions of 7.9 x 5.6 x 3.7 in., a weight of 2.1 lb. and five-year warranty.

Intradin introduces the LUBEWORKS Heavy-Duty Grease Distribution Kit. Designed with a standard 120 lb. (65 kg) drum, Intradin says the kit also includes the drum cover, follower plate, a 1/4 in. connection hose, a LUBEWORKS 9000 psi grease control valve with the Z-swivel that has standard 1/4 in. male and 1/4 in. female fittings. The kit is ready to go, just add a drum of grease, the company says.

Combo wrench sets

All-weather drive tire

Milwaukee Tool introduces 7-piece and 15-piece ratcheting combination wrench sets. These new wrenches offer a 2.5-degree arc swing, 144 ratcheting positions, an anti-slip Max Bite open-ended grip, as well as an I-beam handle design so users can comfortably apply leverage.

Milwaukee Tool says the 7-piece set comes in a portable, locking storage tray for better organization on and off the jobsite.

The 15-piece set comes in a storage tray that’s designed for long-term storage and fits into any of Milwaukee’s popular steel storage units. The sets are available in SAE and metric.

TBC Brands has introduced the S757, a next-generation “super regional” all-weather drive tire that expands the Sailun program and is offered exclusively in the U.S. by TBC Brands.

The S757 is an important addition to the Sailun lineup for both line haul and regional applications across the country, the company says.

An extra-wide footprint and solid shoulders improve stability and handling, while extensive siping and channeling improve grip in wet conditions and snow. It has 26/32nd tread depth and is available in 11R22.5 and 11R24.5.

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Marketplace

Latex foam tractor mattress Lippert Components Inc. (LCI) has added a 10 in. Discovery latex foam mattress with combination core to its somnum Sleeper Series mattress line for commercial tractors.

With a focus on optimizing driver satisfaction, LCI says the Discovery mattress was developed from conversations with drivers and fleets. The new product is available in seven sizes and fits most truck makes and models.

Expanded sensor, emission product lines

Diesel and natural gas-approved oil

Dorman HD Solutions added 264 new part numbers last month, including 79 former dealer-only heavy-duty products.

Featured products in the new offering include a diesel particulate filter (DPF) for Mack Trucks, exhaust manifold for Chevy and GM engines, EGR valve temperature sensor for Cummins engines, EGR cooler installation kit for Volvo engines, ABS wheel speed sensor for Chevy and GMC trucks and engine crankcase breather elements for Cummins engines. The exhaust manifold, EGR cooler install kit and engine crankcase breather elements are HD Exclusive products, and the DPF is 100 percent new with no core charge.

Valvoline has released its landmark Premium Blue One Solution 9200, an engine oil approved for use in natural gas, API CK-4 application diesel and API SN application gas fleet engines.

Valvoline says the Premium Blue One Solution was initially developed as part of Valvoline’s close relationship with Cummins Westport, which has introduced a new series of low-emission engines. Valvoline says the reduction in soot found in today’s diesel engines and continuing idle habits in the diesel industry allowed for the development of the Premium Blue One Solution.

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Marketplace

Round surfacemount LED lamps Optronics International has released two new 4-in. round surface-mount LED lamps.

Optronics says the first lamp, STL201XRFHXB is a stop, tail, turn and backup lamp with a patent-pending optical design that sets it apart from other lamps on the market. The second lamp, the STL13RFHXB is a stop, tail and turn lamp designed for heavy-duty trailer applications. Both lamps feature Optronics’ new reflective conspicuity mounting flange.

Articulated steel piston

Commercial black topcoat

AFA Industries has released an articulated steel piston with 16.5:1 C.R., and a 3.0 mm top piston ring included in its cylinder kit for Detroit Diesel engines.

AFA says the 3.0 mm top piston ring features special proprietary coating to reduce high heat scuffing and provide excellent break-in protection. The piston also has a manganese phosphate coating on the piston crown to improve break-in performance, provide superior corrosion resistance and help reduce pin bore scuffing, the company says.

PPG’s commercial coatings division has launched EST900 DTM Chassis Black Topcoat, a key addition to the Delfleet Essential brand, giving customers a new choice for metal protection.

EST900, based on advanced technological polyurethane development, is a direct-to-metal 2.8 VOC chassis topcoat and does not require the use of a primer coat. It may be applied directly over sanded cold rolled or blasted hot rolled steel surfaces and is formulated to effectively withstand common corrosion factors while providing excellent adhesion characteristics, according to the company.

Protective truck side guards Durex’s says its new DurA-Guard protective side guards are designed to fill the exposed space between the front and rear wheels on trucks with high ground clearances, helping to prevent pedestrians and bicyclists from falling under the truck and into the path of the rear wheels.

The guards are made from high-strength lightweight aluminum and are powder-coated for added weather protection, and a removable access rail helps provide accessibility to truck components.

The system can be custom-fitted onto existing trucks or incorporated into new vehicle fleets and can fit all makes and models, including vehicles integrated with existing toolboxes, sidewalls and bodywork, the company says.

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Light-duty electrical connections Phillips Industries is expanding its product offering for light-duty trailer applications, such as tagalong, equipment, landscape and utility trailers; and the vehicles that tow them, such as RVs, SUVs and pickup trucks.

According to the company, these new corrosion resistant products include STA-DRY 4- and 6-way straight cables and plugs, STA-DRY 4-way molded flat connectors, 7-way blade connections and STADRY WEATHER-TITE PERMAPLUGS.

Marketplace

Smart trailer system Truck-Lite unveils the SmartBridge Indicator (SBI) for its Road Ready System.

According to Truck-Lite, the Road Ready system creates the industry’s first true “smart” trailer with its solar-powered Master Control Unit (MCU). With a military-grade solar panel and a 10-year, quick-charging battery, the MCU continually monitors and transmits crucial data from customizable Road Ready sensors

to an intuitive user interface without requiring power from a tractor, providing greater insight into a trailer environment and helping to lower maintenance costs and CSA scores.

The latest development, the SBI, bridges OE trailer products and systems with Road Ready by broadcasting data to the cloud for review on Road Ready’s website or a fleet’s own dispatching software system, the company says.

Off The Line Spotlighting a new OEM innovation

Hino introduces Class 8 tractor Hino has entered the Class 7 and 8 truck market with its XL Series.

Assembled in Mineral Wells, W.Va., the Class 7 XL7 and Class 8 XL8 will be available in wheelbases of up to 304 in. and both will be powered

by Hino’s 8.9-liter A09 engine. The engine features a range of 300-360 horsepower and up to 1,150 lb.-ft. of torque.

The XL Series will be offered in several straight truck and tractor configurations ranging from a GVWR of 33,000 to 60,000 lb. and a GCWR up to 66,000 lb.

“Entering Class 8 [is] arguably something no OEM has done successfully in the last 50 years,” says Hino Director of Marketing Dominik Beckman.

“Our focus is to provide safe, economical and sustainable transportation to the world,” adds Yasuhiko Ichihashi, chairman of Hino Motors.

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Idler pulley products NEWSTAR has expanded its engine product section with the addition of five new idler pulleys for a variety of Cummins and Detroit Diesel engine models.

Each product has a 17 mm bore, and widths range from 31 to 39 mm. One pulley features an eight groove, the others are flat. All five have no flange.

Small vehicle hoist product National Fleet Products has launched its new MAD EasyLoad Hoist.

The MAD EasyLoad Hoist is the intelligent alternative to post-mounted cranes, the company says. The hoist remains inside the vehicle, away from the elements, and can be stowed above shelving on either side of the vehicle or in the center of the cargo hold until needed.

A 12-volt, 100-amp electric motor drives the boom and winch action, lifting maximum loads at up to 2 in. per second, at lengths of up to 65 ft. operation.

Marketplace

Two new all-terrain tires

Heavy-duty greasing tool Lumax has released its extended length LX-1403-XL heavy-duty coupler.

According to Lumax, the patented designed product uses an innovative design that enables it to firmly latch onto the grease fitting, enabling hands-free greasing. The heavy-duty quick release grease coupler locks on and creates a leak-proof seal. The LX-1403-XL has a working pressure of 15,000 psi and burst pressure of 22,000 psi.

The compact 5 in. length by 1.2 in. height is ideal for reaching recessed and hard-to-reach fittings. The LX-1403-XL also has an integrated 1/8 in.

NPT connection. It is compatible with all sizes and forms of mounts and fits all SAE and metric grease fittings, the company says.

BFGoodrich introduces the Cross Control S and Cross Control D, a pair of all-terrain tires for construction, logging and energy markets.

The BFGoodrich Cross Control tire line is designed to combat damage and downtime with features that include: ■ Thick sidewalls to resist damage from impacts; ■ Heat-release compounds to help reduce internal casing temperatures ■ A full-protector ply, which is 75 percent wider than a leading competitor, to provide protection from penetrations and road hazards even past the outer grooves ■ Anti-cut and chip resistance to help prevent damage that can take a tire prematurely out of service The Cross Control S tire is now available in sizes 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 (Load Range H), 315/80R22.5 (Load Range L). The Cross Control D tire is available in 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 sizes (Load Range H).

Expanded snow removal line Western Products announces enhancements to its WIDEOUT adjustable wing plow.

According to the company, the updated WIDE-OUT plow is now two inches taller, going from 29 in. to 31 in.

This size update allows for snow operators to be more efficient on their jobs, as they can carry more snow with each pass and move on to the next job more quickly than ever before, the company says.

Western Products also announced a brand new, larger version of the plow, called the WIDE-OUT XL adjustable wing snowplow. In straight-blade mode, it extends from 8 ft. 6 in. to 11 ft., making it the widest Western plow for truck applications. This plow fits up to Class 6 trucks, the company says.

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Heavy-duty grinding wheels Innovative Products of America (IPA) has introduced 3-in-1 diamond grinding wheels.

Available in 2-in. (#8120) and 3-in. (#8151) diameters, these wheels are used with high-speed die grinders. Each grinding disc features a diamond-abrasive edge that lasts 20 to 60 times longer than traditional abrasives, the company says.

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