Truck Parts & Service 0616 by Richard Street

Attendees Rave About Distributor Training Expo | Paccar debuts new PDC

A milestone JUNE 2016 |

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Truck Parts & Service celebrates 50 years covering the independent heavy-duty aftermarket

A look back at our pilot issue Fifty years of memories

20 30

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Volume 52 | Number 6 | June 2016

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Cover Story

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Truck Parts & Service special 50-year anniversary edition

Truck Parts & Service

Editorial

Editor: Lucas Deal Equipment Editor: Jason Cannon Associate Online Editor: Jonathan Willis editorial@truckpartsandservice.com

Design & Production

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

Trucking Media

Vice President of Sales, Trucking Media: Brad Holthaus sales@truckingmedia.com

12 The origin story of Truck Parts & Service 20 A look back at our pilot issue 30 Fifty years of memories

Corporate

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Editorial Staff Editorials Industry Focus Tech Updates

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Marketplace Classified Ads Product Spotlight Advertisersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Index

ONLINE RESOURCES Visit us online to browse the latest industry news and products, the Buyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Guide and industry white papers and technical data at

WWW.TRUCKPARTSANDSERVICE.COM Truck Parts & Service (ISSN 0895-3856) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly, LLC, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Periodicals postage paid at Tuscaloosa, AL and additional offices. Subscriptions: $50 for one year, outside USA add $10. For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: truckparts&service@halldata.com. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Truck Parts & Service 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406.

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Editorial | Lucas Deal

An open invitation By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

et me first start with the obvious. Thank you. Thank you for reading Truck Parts & Service. No business hits the 50-year plateau without help, and we’ve had a lot of it. Truck Parts & Service has been solely focused on the independent aftermarket since 1966. We’ve never wavered from that, and as we stand here today five decades removed from our first issue as Fleet Distribution, we are proud to remain the voice of this industry. But while our goals and messages have never changed, our product has. Truck Parts & Service has always been the aftermarket’s publication, but it’s still been a publication. And producing a quality publication for five decades is anything but easy. We’ve changed our name, our design, our distribution structure. We’ve built an online community to complement our print product, and have managed to maintain and improve our products in both areas in an increasingly volatile media landscape. It is thanks to your support that we’ve pulled it off. You are our readers, but you are also our sources. You are our news tips line. You tell us what to cover and who to call to do it effectively. You let us know when we’re on the right track with one story idea and when we’re lost on another. We write the stories, edit the content and tell you what we’ve learned, but it is thanks to you that we know what to

cover in the first place. And I, for one, hope that relationship can continue. I want to know as much as I possibly can about the independent aftermarket, and I want to know what you’re dealing with in your businesses every day that Truck Parts & Service can address.

We want to bring our industry’s biggest issues to the forefront We will do everything in our power to provide you answers if you’re willing to keep posing us questions. My email is at the top of this page and in the byline of every article I write in this magazine. It is peppered across our website. My phone number is as well. I want to know more about your business, and the independent aftermarket as a whole. I want to know what problems you want solved, what issues you want

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addressed, what aftermarket stories need — and deserve — to be told. Some of you already do this and I thank you for it. One article featured in the pages of Truck Parts & Service this year was developed thanks to a reader request, and I am currently researching two more reader-recommended stories that may reach these pages or our website in the future. It’s become abundantly clear to me in producing this month’s anniversary issue that Truck Parts & Service’s sustained success in this industry can be pretty directly linked back to its Founder and long-time Publisher Jim Moss. Jim Moss knew everyone in the aftermarket, and talked shop with all of them. I still get compliments via association for his ‘In My Opinion’ monthly editorials. Readers say Moss had an ear for any aftermarket news and once he caught wind of something it didn’t take long before everyone was reading about it here. Truck Parts & Service wants to continue to do this. The long-term viability of our industry will be determined by our ability to work together to evolve and solve problems. We want to help. We want to bring our industry’s biggest issues to the forefront. We want to generate discussion that will lead to real, tangible solutions. We want to help the aftermarket remain strong and prosperous. And yes, we want to survive another 50 years. And we want the same for you as well.

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Editorial | MacKay & Company

Words of Wisdom By Molly MacKay Zacker MacKay & Company

ith tons of buzz words flying around, I keep coming back to those pegged as “words of wisdom.” Maybe it is because I am always looking for them or maybe it is the need to apply someone’s (anyone’s) wisdom to the current situation, whatever it may be. Lately, there is a fair amount of gloom and doom and maybe it would be beneficial for all of us to rely on words of wisdom — you choose. I certainly would not turn to the current political scene for any wisdom, so what about some wise words? In my email stash I found: “It might take a year it might take a day, but what’s meant to be will always find its way.” (Kushandwizdom — some type of Pinterest/Instagram/internet store) While I agree that the source is a little uncharacteristic for our industry, the quote is not. Lots of “volatility” in the news as of late: interest rates may or may not be hiked in June and the markets are reacting to the Fed’s news and a whole host of other factors by greeting the ending daily bell with negative returns. Retail sales forecast for Class 8 trucks look like they will not meet the high numbers reached last year, but they should not drop off the cliff. And the aftermarket? On a monthly basis, we track several sources — independents, dealers, fleets,

suppliers, manufacturers — on a number of aftermarket measures. And while our latest numbers for independents and dealers in our monthly report show lower sales compared to prior month and prior year, the outlook remains positive.

Retail sales forecast for Class 8 trucks look like they will not meet the high numbers reached last year, but they should not drop off the cliff. And the aftermarket? Parts sales going into the warmer season have traditionally peaked and are expected to match this historical trend. Shop sales for independents and dealers are also down month-over-month and year-over-year, but the forecast is positive. Inventory levels are a brighter spot as parts orders continue to land on the shelves. Looking at MacKay & Company’s TEA (Truckable Economic Activity)

and Bob Dieli’s Aggregate Spread adds more color to the current picture. The March TEA indicated that four of the five TEA components posted slower growth but still positive. Exports is the only TEA component that is more negative than last quarter. Having said that, TEA is expected to continue to grow over the balance of 2016. The furthest future point plotted by RDLB’s Aggregate Spread is out nine months, which gets us past this calendar year. Aggregate Spread remains north of the Danger Zone set at 2 percent, which tells us that we are not likely to have a cycle peak. In MacKay & Company’s May 13 newsletter, Stu MacKay expounded on the cyclical nature of Class 8 sales and the fact that current “slowing” should be of no surprise to anyone. The Class 8 market has been strong over the past six years and a slowing was inevitable. So what will it take to return to the “good ol’ days”? It might take a year, it might take a day. The cycle is changing for retail sales, but the Aftermarket will continue to chug along; it too may slow a little. Through the retail sales dip, the test becomes who will weather the change and who will not. Same goes for the Aftermarket — which companies, which channels will persevere? What’s meant to be will always find a way.

Molly MacKay Zacker is MacKay & Company’s Vice President of Operations. In this capacity, she coordinates many behind-the-scenes activities, manages the Research Department, writes and proofreads reports and presentations, conducts research and interfaces with clients.

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Industry Focus

Dealer News Kenworth Sales Company has opened a new parts and service location in West Haven, Utah. Tallman Truck Centre has opened a new dealership in Kemptville, Ontario.

Inland Kenworth has opened a new dealership in Phoenix.

Enterprise Truck Rental opened its first Montana location in Billings. Utility Tri-State, Inc., has opened its newest location in North Little Rock, Ark. Truck Country has moved into a new facility in Dubuque, Iowa. PacLease has named JX Leasing and Kenworth Sales Company its Peterbilt and Kenworth North American franchises of the year.

Carmenita Truck Center, one of Tom’s Truck Center Organization’s facilities, has been achieved the Yokozuna distinction from Hino Trucks.

Trailer Wizards has teamed up with Lethbridge Truck Terminals (LTT) to add a new trailer pick-up and drop-off

Fyda Freightliner Western Star opened its new Zanesville, Ohio, location.

location in Lethbridge, Alberta, that will also offer trailer renting and leasing options.

Dana Among Top 100 ‘Trustworthy’ Companies Dana Holding Corporation has been named to Forbes magazine’s list of America’s 100 Most Trustworthy Companies for 2016. The list was developed to recognize companies that have “consistently demonstrated transparent accounting practices and solid corporate governance,” as determined by MSCI ESG Research’s “Aggressive Accounting and Governance Risk” score.

Forbes says selected companies were reviewed for a number of factors, including the low frequency of high-risk behaviors such as regulatory actions and amended filings, as well as revenue and expense recognition methods. “Dana is committed to the highest standards of ethics, transparency, and compliance in every area of our business,” says James Kamsickas, Dana president and CEO.

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

Aug. 25-27 Sept. 10-14 Sept. 19-22 Oct. 17-21 6

Great American Trucking Show, Dallas CVSN Aftermarket Distribution Summit, Vancouver, B.C. TMC Fall Meeting & SuperTech Competition, Raleigh, N.C. VIPAR Heavy Duty Annual Business Conference, Orlando

T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | J u n e 2 0 1 6

Industry Focus

STEMCO, Ridge Corporation Reach Settlement STEMCO and Ridge Corporation have entered into a settlement and patent license agreement, bringing an end to the litigation between Advanced Transit Dynamics, Inc. (now STEMCO) and Ridge in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Accordingly, the companies have asked the court to dismiss all claims and counterclaims in the litigation. Ridge is

now licensed to use the STEMCO patents and will immediately resume its manufacture and sales of GreenTail devices. STEMCO’s manufacture and sale of

HDA Truck Pride, Auto Care To Support Industry Job Board The Auto Care Association and HDA Truck Pride have announced a new partnership to support the Industry Job Board at www.autocarecareers.org on the HDA Truck Pride Member Recruitment Resources page. According to both organizations, the Industry Job Board is an easy-touse resource for both applicants and employers, and is designed to be a central hub where job seekers and job creators can connect. The job board currently hosts hundreds of positions available today in marketing, finance, legal, H.R., information technology, logistics, sales, international trade, facility management, technicians and hundreds of other career specialties in the auto care industry. “Our members are increasingly challenged to fill open employment opportunities within their businesses. Easily identifying qualified employees or trainable employees with relevant experience is critical to success,” says Don Reimondo, president and CEO of HDA Truck Pride. “The HDA Truck Pride Member Recruitment Resources page addresses this challenge and makes it easy for automotive employers to connect with job seekers, via the Industry Job Board, that are best suited for their needs.”

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TrailerTail aerodynamic device technology will continue uninterrupted. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

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Industry Focus

Paccar Debuts New Distribution Center Paccar Parts has officially opened its new $32 million, state-of-the-art distribution center in Renton, Wash. Serving dealers in the Northwestern U.S. and Western Canada. The new 160,000 sq.-ft. parts distribution center (PDC) is almost three times the capacity of its predecessor built in 1973. With a 15,000 sq.-ft. small-parts mezzanine and state-of-the-art equipment such as stock-picking equipment with built-in weight scales and a custom parcel conveyor, the facility provides operational efficiency and a 125 percent increase in capacity of parts, enabling it to store over 39,000 different parts. “We designed every aspect of the PDC to create a logical efficient work flow. From the ‘pick path’ to the unique stocking fixtures, efficiency and accuracy measures have been taken at every point to streamline customer orders and ensure quick turnaround times,” says Laura Bloch, Paccar Parts assistant general manager – operations.

Attendees Rave About Distributor Training Expo There aren’t many industry events that achieve universal acclaim. But last month in Atlanta, GenNext and the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) came pretty close. With a satisfaction rate of 97 percent and 96 percent of attendees pledging they’d definitely come back again, reception was impressively strong for GenNext and CVSN’s first annual Distributor Training Expo. “It was fantastic. We got a lot of good reference material and good places to go to get information we need,” said Paul Fetzer of Six Robblees. “Meeting a lot of the vendors and getting to know them a little bit, that’s awesome. That makes a real connection. And then some of the

other distributors. If for whatever reason I happen to need to call one of the other guys for anything, I can say ‘Hey, I met you at the GenNext show.’” “It was an amazing event, and we were glad to be an inaugural partner,” added Michael Hartman, national accounts manager, trailer and transit OE at SKF. “The intimacy we had and the time spent with each distributor was amazing.” More than 95 percent of attendees rated the Gold sponsor meetings as excellent (52 percent) or good (44 percent). Satisfaction for the Silver meetings also was high (33 percent excellent, 55 percent good), and both suppliers (84 percent) and distributors (83 percent) would like to see the event expand next year.

Spartan Motors To Produce F-Series Spartan Motors, Inc., has been picked to produce Isuzu’s F-Series truck. The companies hosted joint groundbreaking ceremony at Spartan’s headquarters in Charlotte, Mich., to recognize the new contract, which expands a relationship that began in 2011 with Spartan’s assembly of Isuzu N-Series gas trucks.

In April 2015 the 20,000th N-Series gas truck rolled off of Spartan’s assembly line. The F-Series marks an expansion of Isuzu’s product offering into Class 6 on-highway commercial trucks. Spartan says it will work closely with Isuzu to ensure the finished product meets Isuzu’s specifications and delivery requirements precisely.

People In The News Steve Field has been promoted to Senior Technical Specialist at Grote. Ivor J. “Ike” Evans has stepped down from his position as executive chairman of the board at Field Meritor. He will continue to serve as a director for the company. Mark Roesner has joined the executive leadership team of CLARCOR Engine Mobile Group as global vice president of Sales and Roesner Marketing.

Betts Truck Parts & Service has named Don Hillyard as its new Sacramento branch manager. Verl Brown has joined Fontaine Modification Fleet Services as regional sales Hillyard manager. Mark Denny has been named president of Webasto’s North America Thermo & Comfort Division. Hydrotex has hired Jeff Porter as a division partner serving the agriculture, Porter fleet, food processing,

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manufacturing and pupil transportation markets. Truck Bodies & Equipment International has hired Steve Hueser as the new general manager of the TBEI Lake Crystal facility. Tim Myers has been named group president, Alcoa Transportation and Construction Solutions. Bergstrom has promoted Christophe Barreau to managing director of No-Idle products in North America.

Hueser

Barreau

Industry Focus

API Debuts Symbol To Identify New Oil Categories

Meritor Invests In New Marketing Tool

The American Petroleum Institute (API) introduces two special Service Symbol Donut to help consumers identify the recently approved API FA-4 and CK-4 diesel engine oil, which were designed to protect the next generation of diesel engines. “API is introducing a diesel engine oil category for use in truck engines designed to meet 2017 model year on-highway greenhouse gas emission standards,” says Kevin Ferrick, senior manager for engine oil licensing at API. The FA-4 donut features a shaded section to differentiate API FA-4 diesel oils from CK-4 oils. The API CK-4 Service Symbol Donut, will look the same as the current CJ-4 Donut.

Meritor has purchased a 360-degree imaging system and is in the midst of building an expansive high-quality photo library for its entire parts catalog. The program will allow Meritor to provide added visibility for distributors and customers when searching for Meritor parts online, the company says. The company says it is now adding high-quality images (still, 360-degree and 3D) and multimedia online for approximately two dozen part numbers per day. Meritor says the 360-degree photography system allows the company to

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take up to 24 images of a component from various angles, which are then molded together to create a cohesive 360-degree image. This technology allows Meritor customers to not only look at a part from different side angles, but also shift it up and down on a different plane to see parts of the component a standard image cannot display.

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5/12/16 1:22 PM

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Tech Updates

SAFETY RECALLS The following are safety recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Custom Truck and Equipment is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Dominator-Propane, Dominator I, Dominator II, Dominator III, and Dominator IV trucks manufactured April 4, 2013, to Jan. 22, 2016, equipped with IMT cranes, models 6000, 7500, 8600, 9500, 10000, 12000, and 14000. The affected cranes have a valve bank cover that may crack and fall from the crane while the crane is being transported. If the valve bank cover detaches from the crane it could be a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

chassis manufactured from March 10, 2015, through Jan. 14, 2016, and equipped with Detroit front axles. The front sway bar mounting brackets may not fit properly on the axle causing the mounting bolts to bend or loosen. If the sway bar bolts loosen, the sway bar may detach from the axle, affecting the handling and increasing the risk of a crash.

Forest River is recalling certain 2008-2016 Glaval Bus Apollo, Concorde II, Entourage, Legacy, Primetime, Sport, Titan, Titan II, and Titan II Low Floor transit buses manufactured from Aug. 1, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling 2008, through March 6, 2016. The labels on the certain model year 2016 114SD and M2 Business rear emergency exit window are not located within Class trucks manufactured from June 10, 2015, 16 centimeters of the release mechanisms as rethrough Oct.1, 2015. The affected vehicles have quired. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with front axles that have a 20,000 lb. capacity, howthe requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety ever, the installed Bridgestone R249 front tires have Standard (FMVSS) number 217, “Bus Emergency a lower maximum load capacity. The operator may Exits and Window Retention and Release.” If the unintentionally overload the tires, possibly causing label is not located the correct distance from the tire failure thereby increasing the risk of a crash. mechanism, it may hinder an occupant’s ability to open the emergency window and escape from the DTNA is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 vehicle 1:52 quicklyPMin the event of an emergency. Reyco Genuine Parts v2.pdf 1 5/23/16 FCCC XBS, XCL, XCS, XCR and XCMadmotorhome

Kaufman Trailers is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Flatbed Equipment and Wedge Car Hauler trailers manufactured April 1, 2015, to April 30, 2016. The lock nuts that secure the axle hanger to the springs may not have been properly crimped allowing the nut to loosen and detach during operation. If the nuts were to fall off, the bolts could loosen, and the axle may disconnect from the spring hangers, shifting or detaching from the trailer and increasing the risk of a crash. Strick Trailers is recalling certain model year 2004 Single axle 28 ft. van trailers, model S4280E99NFOWW, manufactured Aug. 1, 2003, to Oct. 31, 2003, and equipped with rear impact guards using gussets 52236 and 52237. These rear impact guard gussets could increase the chances of injury in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 223, “Rear Impact Guards.” If the rear impact guards do not meet the safety standards, it could increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash

CMY

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5/24/16 2:26 PM

The Year? 1966. LBJ Is in the White House. “Good Vibrations” Is on the Radio. And a New Voice Is Heard in the Heavy-Duty Trucking Aftermarket. Bendix Online Brake School

www.brake-school.com

Congratulations to Truck Parts & Service on 50 years of excellence serving the independent aftermarket. For half a century, Truck Parts & Service has been a trusted resource to the independent heavy-duty trucking aftermarket. Bendix is proud to have been with you at the start. And we’re proud to be with you today, as committed as ever to our shared mission of helping dealers, distributors, and service providers keep their customers’ trucks rolling to their destinations.

For more information on Bendix® products and services, visit bendix.com. Log on and learn from the best 24/7/365. Visit our online training portal at www.brake-school.com. ©Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group. All Rights Reserved.

Cover Story

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

name? Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a

How Truck Parts & Service came to be

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Cover Story

t was 50 years ago this month that production began on an ambitious new magazine for the commercial vehicle industry. It wasn’t the industry’s first — trucking publications had existed for decades — but thanks to a unique focus and niche audience, it was undoubtedly groundbreaking. Named Fleet Distribution, the new magazine labeled itself as “the magazine for the fleet dealers, distributors, resellers, specialists.” Five decades and a few name changes later, Truck Parts & Service continues to be the only publication exclusively published for businesses operating within what is now known as the independent aftermarket. And as we celebrate its golden anniversary, now is as good a time as ever to tell the Truck Parts & Service origin story. Because while production on the pilot issue of what would become Truck Parts & Service began 50 years ago this month, the magazine’s inaugural issue was nearly a decade in the making. Jim Moss was only two years out of college when he first entered the trucking industry as an outside sales representative for Chilton Company in 1957. Chilton was a business-to-business publishing house, and thanks to the recently signed Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, the company was expanding exponentially in the trucking industry with its flagship publication Commercial Carrier Journal (now a sister publication to Truck Parts & Service). Moss was tasked with drumming up business for the magazine, and within a year he had contacts at fleets and manufacturers throughout the Midwest. Not long after, he would embark on a project that would change his career and the trucking industry at large. Moss died in April at age 82, but Truck Parts & Service was fortunate to speak with him about his early career

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Cover Story

during a phone interview last August. He described that life-changing project as follows. “We were [all] asked to pick a town with at least 25,000 people, and then perform a survey about the trucking industry with all the businesses in the town that were in trucking. I was told it would help me learn the industry,” Moss said. “I chose Anderson, Ind., which at the time was a big General Motors town.” The survey was more productive than Moss ever imagined. Of course he learned plenty about his CCJ reader base and its supplier partners, but in doing the survey, he also was introduced to another cog in Anderson’s trucking economy wheel. “I was going out and talking to a lot of truck fleets and manufacturers, but I also started meeting a lot of people who were in the trucking industry but weren’t employees of either of those other groups. And I started meeting a lot of distributors of whom I was not familiar … So I went back to [my boss] and told him I had stumbled across something. A breed of parts distributors I didn’t even know existed,” Moss said. The revelation led him to keep investigating, and sure enough, with more research,

When Moss and business partner Bud Reese founded Kona Communications their first order of business was adding Fleet Distribution.

Jim Moss’ monthly “In My Opinion” editorials were reader favorites right from the start. Here’s a look at his first, from July 1966.

Moss said he found more distributors. In an effort to leave no stone unturned, Moss had unearthed a completely overlooked section of the trucking industry. “The entire business existed right under my nose,” he said. He didn’t want to let his discovery go to waste. He scheduled a meeting with his bosses at Chilton and pitched them on a new magazine for this newly discovered market. “They had no interest at all” in starting a publication for such a small market, Moss said. But he didn’t give up. He kept researching, kept learning more about his find, and not long after he’d managed to amass a network of distributor contacts he could use to turn an investor’s head. And it worked. On his father. “I borrowed the money I needed and went heavily into debt but that’s what it took” to get the publication off the ground, Moss said. “I was editor, publisher, salesman, chief bottle washer, floor

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sweeper … you name it.” Moss said his first issues were more newsletters than magazines. Producing a publication of any length is difficult, but doing it solo is nearly impossible. Moss said his work came out when he got it done, and was delivered to the people who asked for it. But in spite of his challenges Moss succeeded. His work was impressive; and not long after advertisers, and even a publisher, stepped forward to help out. Then, in July 1966, almost a decade after Moss’s enlightening visit to Anderson, Ind., the first mass-produced, publishersupported Fleet Distribution was released to the trucking industry. Marketed on the cover as “the magazine for the fleet dealers, distributors, resellers, specialists,” Moss was direct about who he wanted to reach, and help. “My position at the time was these people were different [than fleet readers] and had a different set of needs,” he said. “No one was catering to their part of the industry.” Among the articles in the pilot issue of Fleet Distribution was a piece on new truck build rates, a profile of a

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Cover Story

THIS YEAR’S ACTIVITIES:

• Best of show winners from past Pride & Polish events compete for the National Championship • Show trucks from across the country on display

TA|Petro Truck Parking Community • FREE Truck Parking • Shuttle bus transportation to convention center • Showers, food vendors and exhibitor demos • RV parking (no hook-ups)

Discovery Pavilion This year GATS is introducing a brand new pavilion where you can touch, try and test the newest products and gadgets in the industry! Trucking professionals and everyone else will find something to discover.

• Daily meet and greets and celebrity appearances • Live performances at the booth • Prize giveaways and drawings

FREE ADMISSION ONLY WHEN YOU PRE-REGISTER!*

*Onsite registration is $10

The name change from Heavy Duty Distribution to Truck Parts & Service was motivated by industry changes, Moss wrote at the time.

Chicagoland fleet that addressed the carrier’s biggest pain points when acquiring parts, and a feature with an engine dealer who had developed a best practice for checking in customers’ trucks in its service department. All three would be just as at home in Truck Parts & Service today. And the aftermarket took notice. Moss sold nearly two dozen industry suppliers as advertisers into the pilot issue off sheer enthusiasm. Once the issue was published, others followed in droves. Three years later Moss and business partner Bud Reese purchased Fleet Distribution from its first publisher and founded Kona Communications. It would be the duo’s only publication for nearly a decade, before adding Successful Dealer in 1978. “We were never affiliated with anyone else,” Moss said. That freedom allowed Truck Parts & Service to grow and evolve in lock step with its industry. Moss retitled the

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magazine Heavy Duty Fleet Distribution in June 1970, and knocked fleet from the title a few years later. Each title change was a reflection of the magazine’s readers and its market, Moss said. As the trucking industry became more ‘heavy-duty,’ so too did Fleet Distribution readers. The magazine’s biggest change on that front came in 1987, when Moss and company celebrated 21 years in the aftermarket by debuting Truck Parts & Service. “The magazine’s name is being changed to reflect the emergence of the truck parts and service business as a separate and distinct market,” the magazine informed readers on its June 1987 cover. “With over 81 percent of our readers now operating service facilities, the name change is the last step in repositioning the magazine and defining its market coverage.” The magazine’s widening focus on service would only continue to grow

Landstar Health & Wellness Pavilion Being healthy is important to drivers. A clean bill of health can be the deciding factor in keeping jobs, maintaining a high quality of life and ensuring that your family has peace of mind. Landstar and GATS want to do their part to help the industry thrive and enjoy great health. After all, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re family. #GATS #TruckShow

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Thursday, August 25 Friday, August 26 Saturday, August 27 2016 Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas

FREE ADMISSION ONLY WHEN YOU PRE-REGISTER!* Register at GATSonline.com or call 888-670-7549. *Onsite registration is $10

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through the 1990s, so much so that in the early 21st century Moss was questioned by industry colleagues about the long-term viability of independent distribution. Never bashful about sharing his opinion, Moss responded with emphatic support of the independent distributor. He debuted the Truck Parts Distributor of the Year award in 2002 as a way to honor the industry’s most influential and successful distributors (Dave Scheer and Inland Truck Parts won the first award), and

14 years later the Distributor of the Year program continues to follow his lead. It has done so the last nine years without him. After five decades in trucking, Moss retired and sold Kona Communications and its publications to Randall-Reilly in 2007. “Change is inevitable, and all any of us can do is try to manage that change in order to produce an improved product. I’m absolutely convinced that this change for Kona will do just that — produce a

Change is inevitable, and all any of us can do is try to manage that change in order to produce an improved product. – Jim Moss, founder of Truck Parts & Service

better Truck Parts & Service for you each month,” Moss wrote at the time. “We are no longer a big fish in a small pond. Our pond just got a whole lot bigger. And you, our readers, will be the winners.” And as we celebrate Truck Parts & Service’s 50th anniversary, we hope you feel the same. Buoyed by Moss’ early guidance and Randall-Reilly’s current expertise, Truck Parts & Service is well positioned to continue serving the independent aftermarket for years to come. The magazine maintains strong relationships with sources throughout the industry, is an active sponsor of Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) and the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) Aftermarket Distribution Summit, and will announce the finalists for the 15th annual Distributor

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A glimpse back at the first Distributor of the Year award, presented by Moss to Dave Scheer and the team at Inland Truck Parts.

of the Year award next month. We thank you for five decades of loyal readership, and look forward to

continuing our relationship for another 50 years.

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

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one

Back at

A look back at the first issue of Truck Parts & Service predecessor Fleet Distribution 20

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JUST BECAUSE IT FITS DOESN’T MAKE IT

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ight from the start, Truck Parts & Service knew its audience.

You see it in the titles of its first stories from the July 1966 pilot issue, then named Fleet Distribution: “Increase your fleet shop profits,” “Specialist who has expanded in a special way” and “A fleet looks at his fleet distributors.” Nomenclature aside, there’s no doubt who the magazine’s target audience was from the jump. And because we’re celebrating our 50th anniversary, we thought it would be fun to go back through those first features and see if any of the advice provided in those pages remains applicable to our industry today.

Increase your fleet shop profits The initial issue of Fleet Distribution was decidedly lacking on bylines and attribution. From what we can tell, this two-page feature was the result of an interview with someone at the Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA). In it, the author and source address a multitude of product categories where service providers — referenced in the piece as jobbers and fleet shops — can better serve end users and grow market share. The first section of the piece provides tips for engine rebuilding and some guidance for performing brake jobs, but it is the latter half where the text seems most prescient. Take this paragraph: “Over the years, there has been a dire need for more and more shops that could recondition transmissions and differentials and also exchange transmissions and differentials. These range from the 4-speed transmission up to 20-speed transmissions. It takes considerable time, material and

The pilot issue of Fleet Distribution was short on design but heavy on information, as seen by these two features.

money to rebuild these transmissions. It takes a lot of time if fleets have to recondition them themselves. When one of the big units goes down, the fleet is out of business with this piece of equipment until that transmission or differential is

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rebuilt. There is a lot of potential for the jobber shop in this area.” Can we ‘ditto’ this? Because all of it is still true. Most small fleets and owner-operator customers still lack the skill and time to

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Cover Story rebuild their own transmissions and differentials, and a significant number of them turn to the independent aftermarket for help. Fifty years after the fact and that paragraph is nearly word perfect to today’s industry. Then there’s this snippet a few sentences later. “In the eyes of the fleet maintenance man, the key man in your shop operation is the shop foreman or shop superintendent. The quality of work produced is dependent on his ability and his skills. His work requires much planning, follow-up and checking. His methods of control can prevent the costly comeback and customer dissatisfaction. Most important is his customer attitude. His telephone manners can either increase or decrease your shop work.” Truck Parts & Service attends task force sessions at both Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) meetings each year, and we can tell you from listening to fleet managers addressing their woes — everything in the

In featuring a fleet perspective in its first issue, Fleet Distribution was able to provide its readers an insight into the minds of its customers.

paragraph above is still true. A bad shop foreman costs you and your customers. A bad shop foreman can turn business away, and a bad experience can turn a long-time customer into a former customer. That absolutely still matters.

Specialist who has expanded in a special way If Fleet Distribution’s first piece on shop profits looked at the industry more generally, this second piece proved to be much more specific. Built around a tour of a Cummins How many of those tips mentioned Illinois Engine at left are still Sales Corp. dealerrelevant in today’s ship in suburban aftermarket? Chicago, this debut issue article offered real-world examples for how process improvements and best practices enhance turnaround time in a service facility.

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And just like something you’d see in the pages of Truck Parts & Service today, this 1966 article led with a plug for technology. Cummins Illinois’ big productivity driver at the time was a new state-ofthe-art intercom system installed at the entrance to its grounds. Drivers would stop at the call box when entering the facility and alert the shop to their service needs, and the shop dispatcher would immediately instruct the driver where to go next (service bay or parking spot) to eliminate yard chaos. “No parked trucks waiting for assignment, blocking the drive … Needless to say, this innovation pleases the drivers, speeds up the whole repair process, and therefore, builds repeat sales.” It’s still not a bad idea. Service shops today continue to park trucks before they can be serviced so it makes sense to have a driver put their unit in the right space immediately,

Cover Story rather than driving to a service counter and blocking a throughway. An intercom would probably still do the trick, as would an email, text or audio alert sent to a driver before they even arrive with

directions to a parking location. Cummins Illinois also was on the forefront of service pricing in 1966 with its Cummins Illinois Fixed Price Program.

Similar to standard service rates we see today, Cummins Illinoisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; program featured standard labor and part rates for some of its most commonly performed repairs. The company said the program was developed to provide clarity for customers from the outset of a service event, and to reduce situations where a slow technician or late-arriving part would impact the final cost of a repair. A half-century later these programs are necessities. Service providers with inconsistent price estimates are a huge pain point for fleets. Most fleet managers at TMC say they accept service is costly and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re willing to pay for the best, they just like to know what to expect.

A fleet looks at his fleet distributors Our first issue also featured an in-depth interview with Richard Kuether, who at the time was vice president at Fred Olson Motor Service in Milwaukee. Written for distributors as an insight into the mind of their fleet customers, this article offered a brief description of the Fred Olson fleet (382 units) before diving into

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The first issue of Fleet Distribution also featured advertisements from nearly two dozen industry suppliers, some of which can still be found within the pages of Truck Parts & Service today.

Kuether’s relationships with his dealers and distributors. The article described Kuether’s

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purchasing strategy as follows: “For some products such as replacement axles, [the fleet] tends to rely basically on

one type of distributor. In this instance, they have found that on their International Harvester and Mack tractors,

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Cover Story a genuine Mack and International Harvester replacement axle not only gives the best performance but allows less delay in securing a new replacement axle from local dealers.” At the time that was a plug for dealers, but today it’s easy to see how that quote could relate to the independent aftermarket. Changing like-for-like is a rallying cry for brand-house distributors everywhere, and Kuether was on board for the exact reason you’d sell a customer on the concept today. He wanted the best replacement part he could find. And like today’s customers, he wanted it as soon as possible. “Availability — that’s the key to getting our business,” Kuether said. “There’s more to availability than just having the part … Consider this — what happens on the second shift at 11 p.m., when four lamps are out on an interchange trailer and it won’t pass inspection at the Wisconsin-Illinois border? Most jobbers have the lamps to get the trailer rolling, but unfortunately no local jobber will be open for nine hours, until 8 a.m., and the load on that trailer has been guaranteed overnight delivery. It can’t wait nine hours and meet its schedule. Fortunately, most truck dealers in Milwaukee are open until midnight, so in this case, the dealers get the lamp business.” Kuether is speaking openly and candidly there. He doesn’t care about price. He cares about downtime. With most aftermarket components, today’s customers are the same way. The article ends with a great list of tips from Kuether to the independent distributor. A fleets’ list today would be surprisingly similar. • Find out what your fleet customers’ needs are, and plan your inventory around their needs. • Carry a volume stock of key items. • Be sure your inventory contains an adequate stock of slower moving but

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important items. • Consider data processing as a means of keeping your inventory up to the minute. • Increase the hours you are open.

• Improve delivery service. • Consider delivery service during hours when your headquarters are closed. • Change with your customers.

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31.08.15 18:02 9:27 AM

5/16/16 29

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

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Fifty years of

memories Industry veterans share what drew them to Truck Parts & Service, and what keeps them coming back

ith five decades now under its belt, it’s safe to say Truck Parts & Service has some long-time fans. So in honor of its golden birthday, we checked in with some of the magazine’s most loyal readers and supporters and asked them what they love about Truck Parts & Service.

Mike Betts, Betts Company “For years Truck Parts & Service magazine has been the leading publication for the independent aftermarket distributor and service providers when it comes to showcasing areas for continuous improvement. By highlighting industry best practices [Truck Parts & Service] has made it possible for the independent channel to look inside our businesses for improvement opportunities. “By acknowledging distributor excellence through your Distributor of the Year recognition, you further highlight the value and importance of stepping back and looking at our businesses from a strategic perspective. Many in

the industry can become entrenched in day-to-day operations and your publication allows all of us to take an important break to look inside.” Russ Bretell, Cummins Filtration “At Fleetguard we take our work seriously, and that’s in the protection of not only Cummins engines, but in all diesel engines and equipment. Truck Parts & Service has played a key role in helping us get this message across, and reaching our valued dealers and customers. “With the ever evolving technologies, it’s critical to bring the latest information to the marketplace, so congratulations to Truck Parts & Service for 50 years of support!”

Jerry Conroy, Bendix “Congratulations Trucks Parts & Service on 50 years of making a difference. What draws me to Truck Parts & Service each month is the insight that comes through from the aftermarket distributor’s perspective. The editorial team delivers the voice of the aftermarket through diverse and meaningful commentary across the complete range of relevant topics. “Each month Truck Parts & Service provides us another resource for information that we can compare with our own interactions and experiences in order to ensure we have our focus on the right solutions that will support this very important segment of the commercial vehicle marketplace.”

You can’t measure the impact of Truck Parts & Service on the parts and service marketplace. They capture information that is essential for anyone that is involved with parts and service. If you’re not reading Truck Parts & Service, you’re not in the game.

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– Ray Addison, Daimler Trucks North America

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Doug Early, ProDiesel, former Truck Parts & Service national accounts manager “I would say [my best memory] is the first Distributor of the Year award, to Dave Scheer. That was the point when we weren’t just writing stories, we were giving something back to the industry. There was a lot of recognition for that. There still is.” Marc Karon, Total Truck Parts “My most memorable article is the one when Jim Moss wrote about our company for the Distributor of the Year award (July 2005). He talked about us ‘rising out of the ashes.’ Another memorable issue was the October 2007 issue ‘Under the Hood Maintenance and Repair Horror Stories.’ And another story I liked was the March 2008 issue that had, for the first time, a good article on the Right to Repair issue. “There were always two things I read as soon as I got the new issues of the magazine. There was Jim Moss’s viewpoint on some issue in our industry and there was always an article written by some distributor in the industry about the industry. I do miss the latter, but you have picked up where Jim left off on his article.” Dan Flight, Dana Holding Corporation “Happy golden anniversary Truck Parts & Service. During my close to 40 years in the truck business I have seen many, many aftermarket publications come and go. Yet Truck Parts & Service has endured

One of the issues I remember most was when the buying groups— now called marketing groups—first hit the scene. It was pretty controversial. I also think the first Distributor of the Year was a big deal, as was the change in the magazine’s name from Heavy Duty Distribution to Truck Parts & Service. It reflected the increasing importance of service in the aftermarket. – Denise Rondini, Rondini Communications, former Truck Parts & Service editor

and is, in fact, aging quite nicely. “Your Distributor of the Year coverage is an annual must-read. The insights, strategies and business practices that these outstanding businesses share with your readers is superbly delivered. Anyone seriously interested in an aftermarket career in the truck business is sure to benefit from your coverage. “Keep up the good work.” Robert Johnson, Bendix “I can’t remember if there was an entire edition dedicated to telematics but the few articles you’ve published regarding telematics have been timely and extremely informative. As the industry embraces telematics, the aftermarket is sure to change and enhance services, parts availability and uptime.

Over the years Truck Parts & Service’s recognition of the Distributor of the Year candidates have been my favorite issues. Highlighting the very people that make this industry what it is and how their businesses [have] evolved have been fascinating to me. – Don Reimondo, HDA Truck Pride

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“Truck Parts & Service also provides a great service to the aftermarket industry by recognizing independent aftermarket distributors who are among the best of the best. The Distributor of the Year award helps the industry identify and share the best practices that these market leaders have incorporated into their operations.” Andy Robblee, Six Robblees’ “The quick answer is I remember the ones that featured Six Robblees’, Inc. I’ve looked in my archives and found three older issues my dad had saved. The first two are Heavy Duty Distribution (March 1976, March 1984) and a Truck Parts & Service from November 1989. “As for the recent publications, I also loved the 2009 and 2014 articles I got to help with as Six Robblees’ was a nominee for Distributor of the Year. Another one that stands out that I remember was the 2013 Thanksgiving issue titled, ‘What are you thankful for?’ That was our 100th year and the number of blessings for which we were/are thankful for are too numerous to count!”

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Randy Luthe, Six Robblees’ “I have been reading the magazine for a long time (not 50 years) and I remember the first time I read a copy and saying to myself, ‘Hey this is good. It’s all about our industry. “I do not remember a specific issue but I have very much enjoyed all the articles on the Distributor of the Years. I like learning what make these winners tick!” John Flad, Bendix (retired) “During my career leading the aftermarket sales division at Bendix I received many industry magazines. I read almost all of them, however there was a large difference with Truck Parts & Service because all of my customers read it, not just some of them. I found the content more down to earth and usable than that of other industry publications. “From a customer point of view the editorial consistently drove good discussions because I knew the leaders I was speaking to would have read the articles,

Truck Parts & Service is the go-to magazine in the industry. When you built a reputable presence for 50 years, it’s easy to understand why people choose to get their reliable and up-to-date information from Truck Parts & Service. I personally read the online version every single day. The format works well with my busy schedule. I’m able to read a snippet of each article and I can choose to read the articles that pertain to my business. – Steve Hansen, Minimizer

Working with Truck Parts & Service has been a real partnership for Meritor. We have developed a working relationship that has greatly benefited our marketing direction, as well as allowing us to get even closer to our customer base and their point-of-view on many subjects and new product launch directions. Happy birthday Truck Parts & Service! – Marty Hetherington, Meritor

and always would have an opinion on them. By the same token, when being interviewed for an article by the Truck Parts & Service editors, I always took the time to be better prepared because I knew everyone would read it. “Thanks, Truck Parts & Service team, as you celebrate 50 years of outstanding contributions to our industry.” Keith McLemore, Stone Truck Parts “The thing that comes to my mind was the Distributor of the Year articles and profiles. I only became a reader around 2003 when Don [Purcell] and I first got into business. The Distributor of the Year articles and profiles allowed me to learn about the players in the industry and how their businesses evolved and what made each of them unique. “It never occurred to me then that one day we would be the subject of one of those articles when we were a Distributor of the Year finalist and ultimately a winner.” Paul Raymond, Parts for Trucks “For us the September 2003 issue is the highlight. Parts for Trucks was featured as a finalist for the Distributor of the Year. This I believe was just the second year for this event and we were very flattered to be selected. Jim Moss made a visit to gather notes and take some photos (with a real camera, no cell phones with cameras back then!). We were familiar with Jim, but spending a full day and supper that evening together gave us

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a good chance to know him better. We had some great chats about the business and the industry in general. “Denise Rondini gathered all of Jim’s notes and composed the article. We thought the article was great and a good reflection of our business. We still have many copies and are proud to show them to anyone with interest in our company. “Congratulations on 50 years. In the publishing world, that’s a significant milestone.” Wayne Powell, Reyco Granning (retired) “There’s a certain glamour associated with shiny new trucks and trailers rolling down the highway. But underneath, there’s the grit and grime of maintenance and repairs necessary to keep those trucks rolling for millions of miles. Sometimes, the seemingly mundane tasks of keeping parts on the shelf and people trained in how to use and install them gets pushed to the background. “What I’ve enjoyed about Truck Parts & Service is the way they bring the role of parts and service to the foreground, putting the aftermarket front and center. That not only raises the level of knowledge and professionalism in our industry, it makes us feel proud of the important role we play in the larger world of commercial transportation. “So, congratulations to Truck Parts & Service for 50 years of being a voice, a mentor and a leader for all of us in the heavy-duty aftermarket.”

Sadler Power Train, 2015 Distributor of the Year

Truck Parts & Service needs your help to honor the top distributors in the heavy-duty aftermarket. Nominate your favorite independent aftermarket businesses for the next Distributor of the Year Award.

To submit your nomination, visit dotynominations.com.