Trucks, Parts, Service 0719

Daimler to spin off truck, bus business

DRIVEN

BY DATA Trucking has become a datadriven industry; but integrating data into a business plan takes more than a calculator and a spreadsheet

July 2019

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Using a call center to expedite repairs 22

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contents

Volume 56 Number 7 July 2019

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Cover Story

/truckpartsandservice Trucks, Parts, Service

Editorial

Editor: Lucas Deal Equipment Editor: Jason Cannon Online Associate Editor: Bill Grabarek Associate Editor, Trucking: Tom Quimby editorial@truckpartsandservice.com

Design & Production

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Corporate

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Driven by Data, Part I:

Finding quality 8 data sources Features 16 A crash course in blockchain 22 Expediting repairs with your call center

Departments 1 2 6 30

Editorial Staff Editorials Industry Report News

31 35 39 40

Safety Recalls Products Classified Ads Advertisers’ Index

Online Resources

Visit our website for more business and technical guidance, industry news and event and product information at TPSmagazine.com July 2019 | Trucks, Parts, Service

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editorial | Lucas Deal

Your customers aren’t guaranteed

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

R

a repair that ultimately impacts a customer’s ability to get his egular readers of this column should know at this truck back on the road. point about my affinity for ATA’s Technology & As you’d expect, fleets don’t care too much for that.

Maintenance Council (TMC).

One fleet manager told me he often feels his dealer partI’ve always enjoyed TMC’s meetings for two main reaners string him along when he’s waiting on a vehicle diagnosons: The technical knowledge about commercial vehicles on sis — claiming his truck “is the next display is second to none and there is no one” to enter the shop — in order to better place for someone working in the keep the truck at the dealership. The parts and service space to spend a week I’ve talked to enough fleet manager told me this is troubleembedded with fleet professionals to some because the service provider learn more about their operations. is putting its best interests ahead of I guess technically that’s all one to know his, leaving him uncertain on how to reason, education, but it’s two differschedule around the unit’s downtime. ent types of education, which is why I the He says the service provider’s desire wrote it as such. they to complete the repair is understandIt’s the second reason I’d like to focus able, but when his truck sits for two on. While at TMC I spend a lot of receive days for a diagnosis that ultimately time in task force meetings listening . uncovers a three-hour repair, he often to fleets and service providers discuss feels betrayed. their partnerships and how the latter Another fleet manager told me he can implement best practices and processes to help the former. I enjoy attending these meetings to believes truck dealers are beginning to neglect customer see the cooperation and collaboration from both sides. When service as vehicles become more complicated. His theory is if fleet customers are fully reliant on dealers to provide wara good discussion gets going you almost forget the attendees ranty work and service on their advanced new equipment, come from different sides of the industry. what’s the motivation for those dealers to invest in customer I wish that cooperation was as strong the other 363 days of service? Customers are captive to the nameplate, he says. the year. And from some recent conversations I’ve had with I don’t know if either fleet manager is right but I think fleet maintenance professionals during TMC’s Annual Meeting in March and the months since, most of them feel the same way. their concerns have merit. I’ve talked to enough frustrated fleets to know the customer service they receive isn’t flawThis isn’t to say that service providers and their fleet less. I think it’s something that should alarm all of us. customers don’t get along. I don’t think that’s true. I think A fleet running 500 3-year-old tractors from a single we can all agree conversations at TMC are calmer and more nameplate is overwhelmingly reliant on its OEM, but that composed than most fleets and their service partners have doesn’t mean that situation is a requirement. I’ve heard stoduring regular business hours, but that isn’t to say the two ries from fleets (and dealers) about large carriers abandoning sides fight all the time. a dealer or truck brand due to poor service communication.

From what I can gather, most fleet managers say their That’s something we all need to remember, regardless issues with their service providers aren’t that they don’t comof where we fall in the service channel. No customer is municate, but that they don’t communicate transparently. guaranteed.

Too often service providers withhold key information about

frustrated fleets customer service isn’t flawless

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

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editorial | MacKay & Company

Customer Service (or lack of)

By John Blodgett MacKay & Company

I

have hit a Tsunami-size wave of customer service issues in the last few weeks, across a number of industries, and it just boggles my mind on how they happen. It reinforces that you can never let up on training, monitoring and measuring how well your customer-facing people are doing.

Parts Availability — Have Inventory: We have a 5-yearold dishwasher that broke down. I was told it would take three to four weeks to get replacement part. Really? For a five-year-old machine? Good thing we got that service contract. (And good thing I was traveling most of those weeks — don’t want to ruin my hands).

Parts Availability — Have Accurate Inventory: My car rear window wiper disappeared. Based on how hard it was to find my life replacement, I now think it was stolen. After visiting a couple of auto parts stores, (who told me within a couple minutes they did not have the part, but could order), I went to the dealer. Once I found the parts department, I stood in line and eventually was told they had one but that I would need to go to another window to purchase. I went to other window, stood in line, then paid for wiper. I was then told to go back to parts window, where I stood in line again only to be told they were mistaken — they did not have wiper. To get a refund, I was told to go back to other window where I stood in line and got the refund. Thirty minutes of my life lost forever.

(Related: I was at an AASA meeting last year and someone stated car dealers are good in the aftermarket as long as customer comes to them. I’m not sure even this is correct, although statistical sample size of one is quite small).

Get Paid: Our garage door opener failed. I called a repair service who came same day. They called, told me the problem and cost to fix. I gave go ahead; they told me they would call for payment when complete. Came home and the door was

fixed. Went a few days with no call, so I called them and told them I owed money for a repair and nobody had called. They asked me how much I owed. I said 67 cents (I didn’t say that, but that’s what I felt like saying). I knew the approximate amount, but not exactly, they had to get back to me.

Get Paid A Fair Amount: This was a good customer experience. I got a flat on the highway. I replaced the tire (in a suit, no less) with one of those small donuts, found Walmart with tire service just down the road. They spent 30 minutes fixing the tire. Charged me $10; I told the cashier, “You’re not charging me enough.” I gave the technician a $20 bill and figured I was still ahead. of Get Paid Once — Then Stop Asking: I needed some medical records. I was told to contact a company that kept them. The . company sent me the records and included the bill for their service. I paid online immediately. They keep sending notices that I owe them, despite sending them a copy of the receipt.

Follow Though/Communication: We have a rotted-out window on our house that was manufactured by a well-known window company. I have been working for three weeks to get a quote on what it will cost to fix or replace. They are terrible at follow up. I got a quote for a new window but was told I should investigate having it repaired by their company. The service side of this company asked me for window measurements; I said they were on the quote for new window. I was actually told that the quote was from another division and he did not have access to their information. I sent him the measurements; he said he would review and get back to me. I am still waiting to spend money with them, if I ever hear back.

I’m done venting. I promise I will follow up with positive customer experiences in a future column. Just not sure how long in the future that will be.

Thirty minutes lost forever

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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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

ALL FOR ONE

ONE FOR ALL

Class 8 orders tumble to three-year low The North American Class 8 truck order market bottomed out in May with less than 11,000 preliminary orders, reports FTR and ACT Research.

FTR pegged the month at 10,400 units — the weakest May in a decade and weakest single month for the market since July 2016. ACT’s preliminary total was slightly higher at 10,800 units, though the company reported the month as a three-year low, and down 70 percent compared with the same period last year.

ACT President and Senior Analyst Kenny Vieth attributed a fraying freight market, rate conditions and the

still significant order backlog for the slump.

“Year-to-date Class 8 net orders have contracted 64 percent compared with the first five months of 2018,” he says.

Regarding the backlog in particular, FTR states May’s position as the “final period for ordering trucks to be built in 2019” indicates fleets eager to receive new units this year are struggling to find any build slots to serve their needs.

Looking ahead, Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles, says ordering for 2020 was expected to begin in June.

New truck orders

n ACT n FTR

“Orders for the next couple of months should be a good indicator of fleet confidence about 2020,” he says.

Mirroring truck market, trailer orders fall

Used truck market fluctuates with uneven May

The trailer order market continued its 2019 decline in May with preliminary order totals of 11,700 and 10,500 units, FTR and ACT Research reported, respectively, last month.

FTR says falling order totals may be due to a nearly full trailer order board and strong recent build rate, though the company adds production numbers in the second half “will likely moderate due to expected slower economic and freight growth.”

ACT says its May preliminary order total was 15,500 units before accounting for cancelations. The company also says some OEMs are showing resistance toward booking orders into next year due to market uncertainty.

Reported sales activity in the used truck market was mixed in May, with Class 8 retail sales volume down but wholesale volumes on the rise, according to ACT Research and J.D. Power’s Commercial Truck Guidelines.

At the retail level, J.D. Power reports sales per dealership dropped to 3.9 units in May, the first time that number has fallen below 4.0 since January. ACT also reported a 14 percent month-over-month drop in used truck same dealer sales volume during the month, which the company attributes to sagging customer demand.

Conversely, in the wholesale market, J.D. Power reports the number of 4- to 6-year-old trucks sold in May “was noticeably higher than any month since June 2018.”

Shippers catch some much-needed breaks Shippers nabbed a pair of important wins recently. The larger of the victories was President Trump’s June 7 announcement that he would indefinitely suspend his plans to implement a 5 percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico in response to growing immigration from the nation.

In making his announcement, the

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

president said the country “has agreed to take strong measures to stem the tide of migration through Mexico, and to our southern border. This is being done to greatly reduce, or eliminate, illegal immigration coming from Mexico and into the United States.”

FTR also recently announced its Shippers Conditions Index continues to

rise in conjunction with its weakening Trucking Conditions Index, the latter of which in April produced its first negative reading in nearly three years.

“Shippers are benefiting from relatively stable fuel prices and weaker trucking capacity utilization than they experienced in 2018,” says Todd Tranausky, FTR vice president of rail and intermodal.

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Driven

by Data Trucking has become a datadriven industry; but integrating data into a business plan takes more than a calculator and a spreadsheet.

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

U

nderstanding and leveraging data, along with strategic planning, are key factors to business success.

Companies that know their business, industry and customers have a leg up when going to market against uninformed competitors.

But recognizing the importance of data and understanding how to actually use data are two different things. Not all data is valuable to everyone, but all data is valuable to

8

Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

someone. By better understanding the data that exists in the trucking industry, truck and trailer dealers and parts and service businesses can increase their sales, efficiency and bottom-line profitability.

Over the next three issues, TPS will investigate how aftermarket and dealer operations interested in increasing their data usage can find, evaluate and integrate quality data into their business decision making.

trucks

Part I: Data acquisition

Where do you find quality data?

O

ur data series starts on a positive note.

Few industries have more valuable, actionable and obtainable data than trucking. For dealers and aftermarket operations eager to up their data game, unearthing data to use in one’s business begins by identifying the industry’s top data sources.

In most cases, a great place for any dealer or aftermarket business leader to start looking for quality data is in-house.

Thanks to the growing adoption of customer relationship management (CRM) platforms and the added robustness of dealer/distributor management systems (DMS), many dealer and aftermarket businesses are already producing mounds of raw data. Furthermore, many DMS providers say they are actively working to enhance their user experiences to make this proprietary data more accessible and consultative to their dealer and aftermarket customers.

Karmak recently bolstered its data reporting capabilities and introduced a predictive algorithm within its Fusion DMS specifically to support data-driven users, says Vice President of Business Solutions Adam Madsen.

“Data has become a growing area of focus for us as it is becoming clearer that many of our customers view it as their competitive edge,” he says.

At AutoPower, President Mike Mallory says similar thinking was the genesis behind AutoPower BI Sales Analysis, a new cloud-based business intelligence tool the company introduced to its distributor customer base in March.

“Business systems store a lot of data but getting to that information has always been hard to do,” he says. “We are trying to make

TPSmagazine.com

July 2019 | Trucks, Parts, Service

9

trucks

Noregon Systems offers users monthly diagnostic tool management reports that catalog all data acquired by its JPRO diagnostic scan tool during a set period of time.

it easier to organize that data so it is easier for [customers] to use.”

Another valuable data source is supplier and OEM partners, which often have regional and national sales data available that can supplement a dealer’s or distributor’s internal sales information. While some suppliers provide this data unprompted and others at a distribution partner’s request, nearly every business selling a product in the heavy-duty trucking industry has

quality data that can be valuable to a retail business.

Solutions providers have worthwhile information as well.

At Noregon Systems, where the company’s JPRO all-makes diagnostic solution is among the most used tools in the medium- and heavy-duty service channel, Chief Technology Officer Dave Covington says the company has spent much of the last decade building out products to meet the industry’s

“Every

company who participates in this business is interested in data, but not every company has the resources and internal capabilities to do that data mining and analysis on their own.”

— Jim Meil, principal, industry analyst, ACT Research

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

growing data demands.

Noregon’s most popular data solution is its subscription-based diagnostic tool management monthly reports, which Covington says offer users insight into fault code trends and the general health of equipment diagnosed using JPRO. Paul Moszak says similar reports are available for MOTOR’s FleetCross users. While Moszak, the company’s vice president and heavy-duty evangelist, says MOTOR is still in the early stages of building an advanced business intelligence tool to support these reports, he says users can still glean quality information regarding parts search trends and frequency from its raw usage data.

Moszak says MOTOR’s current reports are specific to end users, but he says as its analytics capabilities grow,

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AutoPower BI Sales Analysis was launched earlier this year to provide DMS users advanced insights on their business and customer base.

so too will the complexity of these data solutions.

“We are trying to create products that have strong benefits for all of our customers,” he says.

Data also can be found outside of a dealer’s or distributor’s business and partner base. Trucking and commercial transportation are two of many industries that support a number of research firms and third-party data providers that specialize in acquiring and distributing actionable data.

Jim Meil, principal, industry analyst, ACT Research, presenting at one of ACT’s biannual industry seminars.

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

Interestingly, three of the industry’s most well-known research and data operations — ACT Research, FTR Transportation Intelligence and MacKay & Company — all have histories that begin with Cummins.

ACT and FTR were independently founded by former Cummins market research professionals in the 1980s, while Stu MacKay founded his business after leaving Fleetguard (now Cummins Filtration) in 1968.

Despite their similar origins, each operation specializes in different data segments and offer unique products to the industry.

ACT has established itself as a market leader in equipment production analysis, forecasting and population evaluation. FTR also has kept its finger on the pulse of truck production while expanding its research into larger transportation markets, such as global shipping and rail. MacKay & Company

has found its home in the aftermarket, where in addition to its co-ownership of Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue, the business also provides market research for vehicle and component manufacturers, multi-client industry projects, industry surveys and more.

There are other industry research organizations in the market as well.

Some, such as IHS Markit, operate in more than one vertical, while others, like Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting (CMVC), were founded specifically to fill a data need in the commercial vehicle space.

Though each firm’s data is unique, most of their goals are the same: to serve the trucking industry with valuable, high-impact market data.

“Every company who participates in this business is interested in data, but not every company has the resources and internal capabilities to do that data mining and analysis on their own,” says

trucks

Jim Meil, principal, industry analyst, ACT Research. “We provide expertise for those smaller players in a very costeffective way.”

CMVC President Chris Brady agrees, noting he founded his business on a similar principle in 1999. Referring to the dealer and aftermarket channels in particular, he adds, “Many of these organizations really don’t have anyone who works with data on a consistent basis.

They don’t have the resources, or can’t justify the resources, to have someone on hand working with raw data.”

It’s why these research firms, like the aforementioned DMS providers, are broadening their data solutions. The trucking industry’s desire for quality business data is on the rise.

“I think people in our industry are becoming more open to having more resources available to understand their businesses,” says John Blodgett, vice president, sales and marketing, MacKay & Company. “One thing a dealer and distributor has and doesn’t want to lose is its relationship with its customers.

Which means even if you really think you know a market, it is helpful and, more importantly, informative to have data to support [what you know].”

Blodgett’s statement leads to another valuable and often overlooked data source: fleet data. There is a substantial amount of motor vehicle carrier data

John Blodgett, vice president, sales and marketing, MacKay & Company, presenting at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue in 2019.

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

RigDig Business Intelligence’s pin map shows the location of leads in a search for new prospects. This helps sales teams plan and decide how they want to engage with prospects in person.

publicly available through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, unlike the sources mentioned above, which organize, classify and contextualize their data before releasing it, government-compiled carrier and owner-operator data is decidedly less polished — making it difficult to decipher and use without assistance.

Fortunately for dealer and aftermarket operations, the trucking industry also has businesses that specialize in carrier data acquisition and dissemination.

These organizations, such as RigDig Business Intelligence, owned by TPS publisher Randall-Reilly, collect and then combine publicly available asset ownership, performance and corporate financial data for all licensed trucking entities into a single database of trucking fleets that can be used by dealers and aftermarket operations to identify new sales and service prospects and learn more about existing fleet customers.

Adam Morrison, Randall-Reilly

senior client success manager, says he loves demonstrating the RigDig BI database to dealer and distributor customers because every new search generates at least one potential new sale.

“I’ll ask for a zip code and do a radius search around [their] office,” he says.

“The first three, four or five customers they might be doing business with but, as we keep going, every new [fleet] name we can show them is a missed opportunity.”

When it comes to data acquisition, Morrison says that should be the ultimate goal. It doesn’t matter where the data comes from so long as it provides value. He says good data answers questions that haven’t even been asked.

“One of my favorite lines is, ‘You don’t know what you don’t know,’” he says. “[Data] helps you make better decisions and, ultimately, that translates to more sales.”

Next month will feature Part II of our three-part series, in which TPS will investigate best practices for evaluating data to determine its usefulness within a dealer or aftermarket operation.

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A

crash course in blockchain

16

Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

parts

As blockchain gains acceptance in logistics and supply chain management, its likely implementation in trucking grows.

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

A

re you ready for blockchain?

It’s OK if the answer is no. Most aren’t. At least not yet. Blockchain is a groundbreaking technology that could one day revolutionize global supply chain management. It’s a data recording and dissemination platform unlike anything business and the trucking industry have ever seen.

But it’s also new and, as such, remains a relative unknown among most business professionals and small business owners.

Yet as blockchain — not “the blockchain,” like “the Facebook” of yore — gains interest, acceptance and adoption in the global logistics community, it is becoming increasingly clear the technology is coming to trucking. When and how the solution will permeate the industry remains to be seen, but for dealers and wholesale distributors eager to remain on the cutting edge, now is as good a time as ever for a crash course in blockchain.

What is blockchain?

“I like to say blockchain is a team sport,” says Patrick Duffy, director, engagement, Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). Founded in 2017, the BiTA is a consortium of businesses throughout global logistics and transportation that are working in partnership to develop consistent standards for how blockchain can be best leveraged in global transportation.

Most blockchain experts believe the technology has the potential to become the ultimate in data proliferation. Those beliefs are rooted in the simplicity and scalability of the tool.

Though blockchain remains an unknown to most, experts say it is rooted in a concept that is

TPSmagazine.com

July 2019 | Trucks, Parts, Service

17

parts

surprisingly straightforward. Blockgeeks, a blockchain training and advocacy firm, describes a blockchain “as a growing list of records linked together.”

Duffy calls it a “decentralized universal ledger that creates consensus around data.”

Understanding blockchain starts with the blocks.

A block is a single unit of digital information regarding a transaction written using cryptography. Blocks may include boundless amounts of data but are generally populated with purchase order (PO), invoice or order status information. Each new block also displays its own unique identification (ID) number and the distinctive ID of the preceding block to indicate exactly where it falls in the chain.

Where blockchain first differs from conventional purchasing and ordering is how often that information is

collected, updated and disseminated.

While a typical purchase of brake components by a distributor from a supplier may create just a single PO, blockchain enables every aspect of that transaction — from receival of the order by the seller to delivery to the purchaser — to be recorded and distributed to all parties as blocks.

Blockchain experts say there’s no limit to the number of blocks that can be created during a transaction. The aforementioned brake parts purchase may require only a dozen blocks, while the purchase and delivery of a shipment of retail goods from Asia to a North American retailer could be thousands of blocks.

And blockchain isn’t about just recording a transaction between two parties. Blockchain can link a supplier to all of its distributors or a retail business with its entire vendor and logistics

base. It’s designed for mass use, says Rajat Rajbhandari, Ph.D., CEO and cofounder, dexFreight.

Widespread usage also is crucial

How blockchain transactions work A verified transaction can involve cryptocurrency, contracts, records or other information.

Someone requests a transaction.

The requested transaction is broadcast to a network consisting of computers, known as nodes.

The transaction is complete.

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

The network of nodes validates the transaction and the user’s status using known algorithms.

The new block is then added to the existing blockchain in a way that is permanent and unalterable.

Once verified, the transaction is combined with other transactions to create a new block of data for the ledger.

parts

As companies such as dexFreight expand their presence in the commercial trucking marketplace, blockchain-enabled shipping will increase.

to the security of blockchain. Rajbhandari says all blocks submitted to a chain must be verified by the majority of the computers on the chain before

Cryptocurrency Has no physical form and exists only in a network.

Is an encrypted string of data or a hash, encoded to signify one unit of currency.

Supply is not determined by a central bank and the network is completely decentralized.

Source: Blockgeeks

TPSmagazine.com

appearing on the ledger. Additionally, once a block is approved, its individual ID instantaneously becomes visible on the ledger of every computer in the chain.

The idea is the greater number of users, the stronger the security, says Jacob Prinsen, business analyst and programmer, MacKay & Company.

“Blockchain’s major benefit is that it is transparent and secure. It creates one version of truth,” he says. “[Blockchain] allows multiple parties to collaborate without having to use third-party validators because the blockchain itself provides the validation,” adds Rajbhandari. “No one can ever go in and change anything.”

How blockchain fits in trucking?

Though initially created for digital currency known as cryptocurrency, blockchain is experiencing rapid adoption as the transactional record of choice for global shippers and logistics operations.

Duffy says UPS, FedEx and DHL representatives participated in an industry

panel discussion together for the first time ever thanks to blockchain, while retail giant Walmart is investing heavily in blockchain infrastructure.

This is where operations like BiTA, dexFreight and Serve hope to flourish, says Serve CEO Shahan Ohanessian.

“We want to create an empowering platform that helps everyone in the logistics space,” he says. “The goal is open and complete transparency.”

Experts reference Walmart’s 2018 decision to integrate blockchain into its produce purchasing. After being impacted by an E. coli outbreak in 2017 caused by contaminated lettuce, Walmart partnered with IBM to introduce a blockchain platform that it claimed would reduce the time it took the company to track its food origins from approximately seven days to 2.2 seconds.

“We felt the one-step-up and onestep-back model of food traceability was outdated for the 21st century,” said Walmart Vice President of Food Safety Frank Yiannas at the time. “This is a smart, technology-supported move that

July 2019 | Trucks, Parts, Service

19

parts

STANDARDS TECHNICAL WORKING will greatly benefit our customers and APPROVE APPROVE BOARD COMMITTEES GROUP transform the food system, benefitting all stakeholders.”

Rajbhandari says those same advantages could be used in other industries, APPROVE including aftermarket parts distribution. By bringing their entire supplier chain into a single environment, BiTA aftermarket parts suppliers could create DEVELOP STANDARDS blockchains that would enable them to immediately pinpoint all supply Source: Blockchain in Transport Alliance chain breakdowns, such as damaged The Blockchain in Transport Alliance is working feverishly to develop usage standards for components, late shipments or product blockchain to aid its acceptance in the trucking industry. availability issues.

“The material traceability factor is at least not at the moment,” Duffy says. significant,” he says. operating procedure in trucking’s Finally, there’s the matter of cost.

Blockchain’s advantages as a transaftermarket parts space. People now actional medium also shouldn’t be know the term but they still don’t know Blockchain’s absence of transactional expenses doesn’t make it a free seroverlooked. Implementing blockchain what it means, Prinsen says. requires an operational investment but Fortunately, that’s something organi- vice. Companies interested in doing business using blockchain must invest the technology carries zations like Blockgeeks in the advanced computer technology no transactional cost. and other industry “We’re necessary to make it work. Like most And while blockchain experts are working new technology, these implementation was created to support to resolve. Duffy says cryptocurrency, it also BiTA has made tremen- costs will fall as adoption rates rise, but at this point they remain a noteworthy can facilitate standard dous strides in each to currency transactions. transportation segment consideration. walk. But once That said, many blockchain experts Ohanessian says this by focusing on how believe these barriers to entry will be functionality plus the blockchain specifically consumers start to removed in the near future. Blockchain blockchain’s ubiqfits in each industry. see the advantages, offers too many benefits for too many uitous transparency “We try to take verticals to not be adopted on a major also makes it an ideal this nebulas idea [of scale. Ohanessian refers to blockchain resource for rideshare blockchain] and distill as a baby industry, finally getting its feet operations and food it down to show people under itself after a period of crawling. delivery, both of which how to integrate it into .”

“We’re just barely starting to walk,” suffer from inflated their operations,” he he says. “But once consumers start to prices due to platform says.

— Shahan Ohanessian, CEO, Serve see the advantages, adoption will be fees (Uber, Lyft, GrubEducation is just the much higher.” hub, DoorDash, etc.). first step, Duffy adds. Once blockchain That’s the thing with toddlers; once “If a pizza costs $10 and the cost to is adopted there’s still a learning curve walking is mastered running isn’t far deliver it to you is $4, you should only where associated businesses determine behind. pay $14,” he says. the best way to use it. He mentions the Ohanessian adds, “I think by 2030 data protocols and standards BiTA is we’ll start seeing [blockchain] in a working on to build as a step in that What’s next? lot of mainstream markets … and 30 direction. Blockchain works best when Though blockchain recognition is years from now we’ll see it in every everyone uses it the same way. growing rapidly, the technology still “Blockchain is not a turnkey solution, industry.” has a way to go to become a standard

Process for standard approval

just barely starting

adoption will be much higher

20

Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

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WORLDAMERICAN.COM

Streamlining the repair process An effective call center can help expedite repairs and even get in front of a customer’s vehicle issues.

By Bill Grabarek, Online Associate Editor billgrabarek@randallreilly.com

W

hen fleets have an issue with a vehicle, they need a reliable partner — a service provider that can help them in a pinch and do it efficiently.

By having some form of easy-toreach and effective service call center, service providers can be that reliable

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

partner. By diagnosing the problem over the air, locating a nearby dealership or aftermarket repair shop, helping a stranded driver or by providing other types of assistance, service providers can streamline their customers’ repair process.

A service call center gets trucks

back on the road more quickly and strengthens the bond between the provider and its customers.

There’s more than one way to operate an effective service call center.

Several companies have developed different methods to support their customers with much success.

service

“[Customers] want someone to give

them the information before they ask for it and

that’s what we strive to do at Summit.”

— Katie Scott, customer service manager, Summit Truck Group

Providing support

To streamline the customer repair process for its customers, Four Star Freightliner uses the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician, which is a remote diagnostic system for Freightliner and Western Star trucks equipped with Detroit engines designed to help truck

TPSmagazine.com

owners make informed service decisions within minutes of an engine or aftertreatment concern.

“We keep our customers’ trucks on file and get a notice that the vehicle has an issue. This gives us a head start on getting in front of the process,” says Jerry Kocan, dealer principal, Four

Star Freightliner. “We then notify our fellow dealer service personnel that we have a customer truck headed to them and let them know what the issue may be or what the error code is on the truck.”

Kocan says the program, which was implemented approximately three years ago, has been very successful and has made the dealership an “asset and better partner to our customers and separates us from our competition.”

Director of Customer Service Jim Taylor says Truckworx Kenworth’s fleet support program uses a combination of telematics, a service relationship management (SRM) system and relationships between its fleet representatives and customers to quickly facilitate repairs.

“There’s not a single software out there that provides our customers with

July 2019 | Trucks, Parts, Service

23

service the level of support they expect. We believe it’s a relationship and it’s hard work,” Taylor says. “We’re using the telematics Kenworth provides, Decisiv’s [SRM] and the relationships we have with our customers so they know we’re doing everything we can for them.”

Using Kenworth’s TruckTech+ telematics, Truckworx can monitor the location of the truck, mileage and fault codes “so we know what’s going on with a truck before it gets to the dealership,” he says.

Taylor adds, “In the past, we found that customers were getting frustrated with a lack of communication.” To combat that, Truckworx implemented the Decisiv SRM to streamline communication between the customer, the service technician and the service writers.

The company also maintains relationships with other dealer groups around the country, which helps expedite a customer’s repairs wherever that truck might be. “Kenworth has really good communication within its own

The combination of highly trained dispatch agents with the support of TA Truck Service RoadSquad’s technician hotline has proven to be successful.

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

Four Star Freightliner uses the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician, a remote diagnostic system for Freightliner and Western Star trucks equipped with Detroit engines designed to help truck owners make informed service decisions.

dealer network,” Taylor says.

In addition, the Truckworx concierge program monitors connected customer vehicles and works with vehicle owners and drivers to schedule service appointments to reduce unscheduled downtime.

Katie Scott, customer service manager, Summit Truck Group, practically bristles at the concept of a call center.

“We feel it is almost obsolete with technology today. Nobody is wanting to pick up the phone. They want someone to give them the information before they ask for it and that’s what we strive to do at Summit,” she says.

“We try to find out everything that’s needed for customers to make an educated decision on a repair. We find out what the problem is, where the truck is going, how long the repair is going to be and give that information to the customer prior to them asking.”

Relying heavily on Navistar OnCommand Connection telematics, Summit tracks fault codes in real time to see what is happening with customers’ trucks and alerts the fleet manager if there’s an issue. Summit will inform the customer of which repair shops are located in the truck’s vicinity. Summit will then contact the repairing dealer, whether it’s a Summit location or outside of the Summit network, and facilitate communication between itself, the customer and the repairing dealer.

The program started in 2014 with a fleet of 800 trucks and Scott handling the operation in what was initially to be a part-time, temporary position.

Over a year later, Summit built its central support office in Lewisville, Texas, and Scott heads up the customer service department that now supports 50,000 trucks.

“The program works because customers feel they have somebody to rely on. They know somebody on the call has information for them or will give them an avenue to get the information they need,” Scott says. “We run a pretty lean ship so we’re able to provide that

service

personal relationship with all of our customers.”

Service call centers and their ability to streamline the repair process are especially important when trucks are stranded on the side of the road.

TravelCenters of America’s TA Truck Service RoadSquad says its focus is on helping drivers get back on the road safely and quickly.

“Our call center agents help ensure technicians are prepared by asking drivers a series of questions in order to understand the nature of the breakdown. If a fleet dispatcher calls in the breakdown, we gather the information

from them and then reach out to the confidence customers have with prodriver to verify their location and viders could lead to repeat business. breakdown details provided by the fleet However, experts add certain elements representative,” says Sandra Sanford, are needed to build an effective call vice president, center.

TA Truck Service Scott says the “Have a knowledgeable RoadSquad. service Summit individual managing If a technician provides helps needs further supcustomers by creatand communicating port on-site, the ing transparency in with your customers, program includes a the repair process. technician hotline “There’s no more then staffed with ASE guesswork for Master Technicians them. They’re not who are available at having to pretend any time to answer to be the techniquestions. cian. They have when “Their input is all their options in invaluable and helps they have a challenge.” front of them,” she ensure the right says.

— Jerry Kocan, dealer principal, tools and parts are The use of Four Star Freightliner being brought to OnCommand the site,” Sanford says.

Connection has opened up opportunities for the dealership’s parts and service departments beyond informing Good service is good customers of fault codes and providing for business them with assistance.

A call center that expedites repairs, “Our service departments are now reduces vehicle downtime and builds

[develop] a system so your customers know what to do

Truckworx Kenworth’s fleet support program uses telematics, a service relationship management system and relationships between its fleet representatives and customers to facilitate repairs.

TPSmagazine.com

July 2019 | Trucks, Parts, Service

25

service reaching out to the customers and saying, ‘Hey, did you know there’s a recall that affects you? When would be the best time to schedule you?’” Scott says.

“We’re making that relationship with the customer solid. We’re letting them know we’re not there for the initial sale of their vehicle. We’re there for everything that truck needs for the life of the vehicle.”

Oftentimes, customers will need to take their vehicle to a dealership different from the one they’re accustomed to going to. Truckworx’s fleet support program gives them an advocate that have in their company. It works best understands the dealer network, “so when you and your customers set the you feel like you have someone on the expectations from the beginning and inside, someone who has your back,” communicate all of the way through Taylor says. the process,” Kocan says.

He adds Truckworx representatives “It also helps Four Star understand use their knowledge of dealership serour customers’ business better, which vice departments, warranties, billing and parts logistics, and other aspects of makes us better prepared to support them,” he says. “The the repair to assist key is transforming their customers.

“Ultimately, our your local custom“Ultimately, our goal is to ers into your fellow goal is to do the dealers’ customers as right things for the well.” right reasons for our Sanford says customers. You have the combination to put yourself in the of highly trained business owners’ podispatch agents sition to know how . You with the supto best help them,” have to put yourself in port of TA Truck he says.

Service RoadSquad’s Taylor adds he has the business owners’ technician hotline seen an increase in has proven to be return sales since position to know how successful. “The starting the proto best help them.” number of fleets, gram. “Customers both large and small, are comfortable with — Jim Taylor, director of customer service, Truckworx Kenworth who trust us with the support they’re their business has getting and it makes grown exponentially within the last their decision easier when it comes five years,” she says. time to buy trucks again.”

In developing an effective and effiThe service call center process “helps customers because we provide a level of cient service call center, a few key essentials top the list for successful providers: expertise and knowledge they may not

do the right things for the right reasons for our customers

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

Summit Truck Group’s customer service department supports 50,000 trucks.

communication and a knowledgeable and caring staff eager to help.

“The important factors when considering developing a program like this is to have a knowledgeable individual managing and communicating with your customers, then developing a system so your customers know what to do when they have a challenge. Communication is key,” Kocan says.

“If you have an experienced service person managing the process, you can sometimes diagnose the problem from the Virtual Technician connection so it assists in minimizing down time for the customer,” he adds.

Critical to the success of TA Truck Service RoadSquad and the service it provides is communication and teamwork among customers, call center agents, TA Truck Service locations and technicians and its third-party network.

“Having a sophisticated mapping tool and the right systems to capture and monitor information are instrumental but, most importantly, it’s having engaged people. You can train someone to answer a phone or to ask the right questions, but our most successful agents are the ones who truly care about the people they are speaking to on the phone,” Sanford says.

When you order a Freightliner Cascadia Legacy or Next Gen, use the code 273-018 to spec a Horton DM Advantage On/Off Fan Drive. It’s lightweight and road-proven at the highest temperatures. With a longwearing friction liner and best-in-class bearings, it all adds up to reliability and a long life. Š 2018 Horton Inc. All rights reserved.

Wyakin receives support from Meritor, HDA Truck Pride Meritor and HDA Truck Pride have announced support for the Wyakin Foundation, which is a non-profit that offers resources to wounded veterans to help them transition from the military to careers.

Meritor says it is continuing its support of wounded veterans by donating a portion of reman brake shoe sales to Wyakin Foundation as part of its Shoes for Soldiers campaign, which it launched in 2015. The company earned the inaugural Wyakin Legacy Award earlier this year in recognition of

its support for wounded and transitioning veterans.

HDA Truck Pride announced its shareholders and supplier partners raised more than $44,000 for the Wyakin Foundation during its 2019 Annual Membership Meeting.

brick & mortar Inland Truck Parts and Service announced the opening of two locations on the east and west sides of Oklahoma City. The 58,000 sq.-ft. western location combined separate parts and service facilities and features 18 service bays. The 15,000 sq.-ft. eastern store includes an expanded parts department and a repair facility with 12 service bays.

Four Star Freightliner broke ground on a new facility in Valley, Ala., located on Exit 77, off of I-85. The facility is scheduled to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2019.

Penske Truck Leasing opened new facilities in Statesville, N.C., and Erie, Pa., offering full-service truck leasing, consumer and commercial truck rental and contract truck fleet maintenance.

Enterprise Truck Rental announced the opening of more than two dozen new North American locations so far in fiscal year 2019 and the business expects to open a total of 40 locations by the end of the year.

FleetPride opened a new branch in Vancouver, Wash. FleetPride also opened an additional branch in Tampa, Fla.

Mckinney Trailer Rentals has purchased a three-story office building in Brea, Calif., to serve as its new corporate office location. The 49,661 sq.-ft. office building is centrally located to serve Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

West Michigan International opened a new 56,000 sq.-ft. facility in Kalamazoo, Mich. Features include new and used truck sales, along with rental and leasing, a 14-bay service department, body shop and a parts warehouse.

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

Denso has invested $1.95 million to open the North Technical Training Center at its Battle Creek, Mich.,

Atlas Fleet Services recently opened a 73,000 sq.-ft. facility in Taylor, Mich. The facility offers full-service truck and trailer repair and a 24-hour service and maintenance center.

Ryder System has opened a full-service maintenance facility in Norton, Mass. The location offers access to Interstate 495, Route 24 and Route 95, servicing the greater Boston area, Cape Cod and the MetroWest region.

facility. The center is designed to be at the forefront of automated and data-rich manufacturing and will act as a training hub for Denso technical talent.

news

mergers & acquisitions FleetPride acquires Albert’s Truck Service & Supply FleetPride has acquired the assets of Albert’s Truck Service & Supply (ATS) in Weatherford, Okla.

ATS was founded by Albert Seibold Sr., in 1972 and is currently owned by Albert (Bo) Seibold Jr., and Lisa Seibold. Their son Austin will remain on board to manage the day-to-day operations, the company says.

“This is an exciting announcement for the FleetPride organization. Bo and Lisa have built a great business with a strong team,” says Mike Harris, FleetPride senior vice president of sales and branch operations.

Inland Truck Parts expands in Colorado with acquisition Truck-Lite buys asset management business Truck-Lite has completed the acquisition of TrackPoint Systems, a supplier of asset management solutions.

Truck-Lite entered a joint development project with TrackPoint in January 2017 with the goal of communicating information from TruckLite’s Light-Out Detection System to a fleet’s back office.

TrackPoint’s solar-powered and wireless capabilities complemented the Road Ready by Truck-Lite technology roadmap, the company says.

“By combining our resources and expertise, we’ve built the most dynamic and customizable trailer telematics network available,” says Brian Kupchella, Truck-Lite CEO. TPSmagazine.com

Inland Truck Parts and Service (ITP) has entered into the full-service truck repair business in Grand Junction, Colo., with the acquisition of Fast & Easy Services.

ITP says the shop has been equipped with the latest hardware and software for diagnostics, as well as the equipment to provide efficient truck repairs. The location also offers tank inspection and repair, laser alignments, drivetrain services and is a Masport and Fruitland vacuum pump dealer.

South Texas Truck Centers acquires two locations South Texas Truck Centers (STTC) has acquired the assets of Valley Truck Center and will now operate as the Volvo dealer in Pharr and Laredo, Texas, along with its current Volvo location in Corpus Christi, Texas. STTC also will open a Mack location in Pharr.

“We are excited to continue to grow with the Mack and Volvo brand with the investments both companies have recently made in their product lineup,” says Mike Stricker, STTC president.

safety recalls

The following are safety recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Autocar is recalling certain 2019-2020 Xpeditor vehicles. The rear axle brake may have a delayed release. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, “Air Brake Systems.” A delayed brake release may increase the risk of crash.

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling certain 2012-2019 Freightliner Custom Chassis MT55 and MT45 vehicles.

The brake pedal clevis pin clip may rub or bend on the throttle pedal and possibly detach. If the clip detaches and clevis pin slides out of position, the brake lights may fail. Loss of brake lights may mislead other drivers if they are unaware the vehicle is stopping or slowing down, which increases the risk of crash. If the pin continues to slide out further, the pedal may detach, increasing the risk of crash.

DTNA is recalling certain 2019 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD, Business Class M2, Cascadia, Western Star 5700 and FCCC XC Chassis vehicles and certain 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 equipped with air disc brakes. The brake caliper mounting bolts may have been insufficiently tightened. Loose brake caliper mounting bolts may reduce the brake effectiveness, increasing the risk of crash.

Fontaine Trailer Company is recalling certain 2017-2019 Traverse HT trailers. The hydraulic cylinder retaining pin for the main tail may disconnect from the trailer unexpectedly. If the hydraulic cylinder retaining pin becomes disconnected it may become a road hazard. Additionally, the hydraulic cylinder may drop free and impact the road and cause a loss of vehicle control. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

Paccar is recalling certain 2020 Peterbilt 520 and 579 vehicles and Kenworth T680, T880 and W990 vehicles. The mirror glass may detach from the mirror carrier plate due to inadequate adhesion. If the mirror glass detaches, the driver may have reduced visibility and the mirror glass will become a road hazard that may strike another vehicle or pedestrian, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

July 2019 | Trucks, Parts, Service

31

news

people in the news Falken sales executive Bob Klimm has been promoted to director of sales, Commercial Division.

Grote Industries hired Jami Fletcher as national fleet sales manager.

Peter Vaughan Schmidt has been chosen to lead Daimler Trucks’ newly established Autonomous Technology Group.

Klimm

Stertil-Koni announced Operations Manager Paul Marks has retired after 21 Marks years with the company.

Marks is succeeded by Doug Frakes.

Pressure Systems International (PSI) has made several staff changes.

Craig Smith has been Frakes hired as marketing manager. Steve Miller was promoted to vice

president, engineering.

Bear Musgrave has been promoted to business unit director, PSI Truck System Technologies RV Segment business. Ben Morgan was hired as integration Ogris engineer.

Michelin Group has named Alexis Garcin chairman and president, Michelin North America.

Work Truck Solutions has hired Gerry Ogris to advise the company’s business development.

Dayco has appointed John Kinnick president global belt operations.

Magnum Trailer & Equipment has hired David McLucas as vice president, Truck Accessories.

Stoneridge has hired Susan Benedict as its chief human resources officer and assistant general counsel, labor and employment.

Helene Svahn has been named CEO of Haldex.

McLucas

The American Transportation Research Institute has promoted Dan Murray to Garcin senior vice president.

Buyers Products has hired Bryan Burckart as its new director of sales for snow and ice equipment.

Kinnick Stet Schanze of Gray Manufacturing Company has been named chairman of the Automotive Lift Institute board of directors.

Benedict

Tom O’Brien, president, SKF Vehicle Service Market Schanze North America, retired from the company on May 31.

Daimler AG clears way to spin off truck, bus business Shareholders of Daimler AG, the parent company of Daimler Trucks, voted in late May to reorganize the company, clearing the way to place its truck and bus business into a legally independent entity.

The company’s new structure is targeted for Nov. 1, 2019. From then, Mercedes-Benz AG will be responsible

for the current Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans divisions, while Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses will be joined in a company dubbed Daimler Truck AG. Daimler Financial Services AG, already legally independent, will be called Daimler Mobility AG beginning July 24, 2019.

Manfred Bischoff, chairman of the supervisory board of Daimler AG, says the new structure enhances the company’s ability to “act in a dynamically growing competitive environment, including in terms of raising capital. It will also let us better respond to customer and market needs.”

industry calendar July 30-Aug. 2 Aug. 22-24 Sept. 5-7 Sept. 14-18 Sept. 14-19 Sept. 16-19 32

Association of Diesel Specialists (ADS) Convention, Orlando, Fla. Great American Trucking Show (GATS), Dallas North American Trailer Dealers Association (NATDA) Show, St. Louis Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) Aftermarket Distribution Summit, Banff, Alberta, Canada ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Fall Meeting, Raleigh, N.C. RSquared Marketing Summit, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

CRW Parts — 2018 Distributor of the Year

2019 DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR

The 2019 Truck Parts & Service Distributor of the Year open nomination period is open! Truck Parts & Service accepts nominations from anyone in the trucking industry for the Distributor of the Year award. All medium- and heavy-duty independent aftermarket distributors except our 2018 winner are eligible for the award.

To nominate a business for our 2019 award, please go to www.dotynominations.com You may nominate up to three distributors at one time.

SPONSORED BY:

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Truck Parts & Service

news

ATD continues push to repeal excise tax The American Truck Dealers (ATD) and its coalition partners within the Modernize the Truck Fleet (MTF) coalition held a Modernize the Truck

Fleet Week event June 17-21, 2019.

ATD says the week included advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill to inform policymakers of the positive safety and

environmental effects of repealing the burdensome federal excise tax (FET) and modernizing the truck fleet.

The MTF coalition is urging members of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 2381, the “Modern, Clean and Safe Trucks Act of 2019,” a bipartisan bill that would repeal the FET. The legislation currently has 14 bipartisan cosponsors. A senate bill is expected to be introduced soon, ATD says.

The MTF coalition held a briefing for U.S. Senate staff on June 3 to reinforce the need to repeal the FET on the sale of heavy-duty trucks and trailers.

Navistar settles lawsuit regarding MaxxForce engines Navistar has entered into a $159 million class-action settlement with fleets and truck owners that purchased model year 2011-2014 11- and 13-liter MaxxForce engines — a now-defunct engine line from Navistar that allegedly contained defects and piled up millions of dollars in warranty claims for the company.

The company says it has in the past five years piloted a financial turnaround and revamped its product line, shedding the truck and engine models that plagued the company in its pursuit of an EGR-only solution to meet 2010 federal emissions standards. It now offers its A26 engine in a 12-liter option, and customers can spec tractors with a 15-liter Cummins.

The settlement “denies all claims … wrongdoing, liability or damage of any kind, and denies that [Navistar] acted improperly or wrongfully in any way,” the 8-K states. It’s unclear how many members of the class might be eligible for a portion of the settlement.

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

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

Advanced digital multimeter Snap-on has released a horizontal digital multimeter featuring a 4-in., full-color LCD screen, which is 115 percent larger than Snap-on predecessors, the company says.

The EEDM596FK multimeter includes two fuses, a 61-in. test lead set with clips, inductive pickup, a temperature probe, adaptor and carry case.

For jobs previously requiring multiple technicians, Snap-on says one tech can do the work because of the multimeter’s app that captures, stores and shares readings via Bluetooth remote display on the tech’s smartphone. Techs download the app, capture readings and can communicate with customers and other techs via text, email or social media.

Standardand extremeduty tow straps Factor 55 recently introduced two new tow straps, standard- and extremeduty. Both straps are double ply, 2-in. wide by 30-ft. long and constructed of low stretch 100 percent polyester.

While both straps have Cordura reinforced eyes, the company says the entire 30-ft. length of the extreme-duty strap is sleeved in Cordura for maximum abrasion protection.

Each strap also is individually serialized for date and material lot traceability.

TPSmagazine.com

Dolly, mounting plate added to storage system Milwaukee Tool has added a dolly and mounting plate to its PackOut Modular Storage System. The dolly and mounting plate, both made of impact resistant polymer, allow users options for transporting and storing their PackOut collections, the company says.

The dolly is constructed with a 250-lb. weight capacity and a QuickStop loading lever to hold the dolly in place when loading and unloading, Milwaukee Tool says. The mounting plate provides users the ability to stabilize and secure their PackOut Storage in the shop or vehicle. It also has metal reinforced mounting and tie-down points, the company says.

Slider bar extension Tectran has introduced the LIFELine extension slider bar.

Tectran says the slider bar attaches to an existing slider bar and holds tractor-trailer connections out and away from the back of the cab, preventing connections from hitting the cab and causing damage to the paint. The company also notes it has introduced two LIFELine part numbers to fit different sized existing slider bars.

Supplier releases more than 25 new parts Dorman HD Solutions has released more than 25 new parts, including wheel hardware, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) injectors, diesel particulate filter (DPF) hardware and air tank assemblies.

The DEF injector does not require removal of the housing.

It includes new O-rings, mounting hardware and feed line cup.

The DPF hardware kit includes clamps and gaskets required to repair the DPF, the company says.

Dorman says its air tank assembly is designed to fit like the OE tank with same port configurations.

July 2019 | Trucks, Parts, Service

35

products

Slow-speed axle scale Fairbanks Scales introduces the AxleSurance Weigh System, a slow-speed axle scale system.

Fairbanks says the system is engineered to calculate, display and capture each individual axle as it rolls over the scale. It then sums the weights and

prints individual axle and gross weights.

The scale is 11 ft. wide and arrives precast, with installation and calibration requiring about four hours, Fairbanks says.

The system console provides a selfcontained control unit that drivers can

Off The Line

Spotlighting a new OEM innovation

Former Tesla engineers debut autonomous delivery vehicle OnTrac has partnered with last-mile logistics and automation startup Boxbot to test a new autonomous delivery system.

Founded by veteran Tesla and Uber engineers Austin Oehlerking and Mark Godwin, Boxbot enables recipients to schedule delivery times. When Boxbot’s autonomous vehicle arrives, customers receive a text alert with a unique code that can be used to retrieve packages from lockers onboard the vehicle.

Boxbot’s fleet includes two types of vehicles: parcel delivery vans and self-driving electric vehicles that can manage more complex deliveries, like those requiring signatures, the company says. Boxbot’s delivery vehicles can be reloaded with packages throughout the day at its automated local hubs.

Automating this process, Boxbot says, enables drivers to get more done in less time, without worrying about loading, organizing or finding packages within their vehicles.

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

operate and allows transaction records to be saved and transmitted or incorporated into the user’s enterprise resource planning systems, the company says.

SmartWay trailer tire Bridgestone Americas has added to its Ecopia commercial truck tire portfolio with the R123 Ecopia tire, a SmartWay-verified trailer tire engineered to deliver low rolling resistance and exceptional wear in long-haul and regional service applications, the company says.

Bridgestone says the R123 Ecopia tire delivers nearly $400 in fuel savings over 100,000 miles when compared with the Bridgestone Ecopia R197 tire.

The R123 Ecopia tire provides excellent retreadability and works with Bandag FuelTech retreads, the company says.

Supplier introduces range of products Automann continues to add new products in component categories, such as air systems, body and cabin, chrome and stainless steel accessories, cooling and exhaust.

Products include exhaust bellows kits for Freightliner, Kenworth, Mack, Peterbilt and Volvo applications; steel plug kits for Volvo air systems and reservoirs; lug nut covers; coolant reservoirs; four-step rotating ladder; and J-hook hood hinge pivot for certain Kenworth T680 trucks.

Solid cast plow guard Winter Equipment has introduced PlowGuard MAXX, a solid-cast plow guard the company says increases the life of the municipal plow blade, while promoting even wear from end to end.

Designed to protect Winter’s BlockBuster, Razor and Razor XL cutting edge systems, Winter Equipment says its new guard is made of proprietary, highstrength steel material with a carbide matrix weld fill. PlowGuard MAXX guards are available in three configurations, each in two sizes, 6-in. and 8-in.

products

DEF filtration products PetroClear has introduced new diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) dispenser filtration products the company says are designed to help prevent fuel site operators from distributing contaminated DEF. PetroClear’s new DEF dispenser filter housing and DEF dispenser filter elements help filter contaminants before they reach the vehicle’s onboard DEF filter.

PetroClear says the DEF dispenser filter housing is constructed of heavy-duty 316L stainless steel for durability and includes a mounting bracket kit and wrench.

New camshaft designs available AFA Industries now has more than 50 newly designed camshafts in stock for Caterpillar, Cummins and Detroit Diesel engines.

The company says its camshafts are made in ISO-certified manufacturing plants from forged steel and give the optimum performance under any operating condition.

High-intensity reflective safety banners Ms. Carita SafeTruck has introduced a line of high-intensity grade reflective safety banners for use by towing companies and fleets, among other applications.

The reflective surface makes the banners approximately 70 percent brighter than standard reflective material, the company says. Printed with a special red ink, the lettering appears bright red in day or night.

Mounting also is easy via grommet points at each corner, says Ms. Carita SafeTruck.

Roof modification for Peterbilt trucks Fontaine Modification has developed a roof modification for Peterbilt 348 extended cab trucks lowering overhead clearance for companies transporting chassis-mounted cranes in areas with low bridges and overpasses.

The roof design of the truck’s extended cab increases the cab height, which can cause a crane to sit too high to travel under 14-ft. bridges, Fontaine says.

The modification lowers the cab roof 5.5 in. to accommodate bridge clearance for a truck equipped with a crane folded over the cab for transport, while maintaining the same amount of headroom as the daycab, the company says.

Mobile fleet safety system expanded Zonar says it has expanded its mobile ecosystem designed to deliver fleet safety, compliance and business efficiencies.

The Zonar Mobile Ecosystem, enabled by the addition of the ruggedized Samsung Galaxy Tab Active2, allows flexibility for customers across vocational, mass transit and commercial industries, the company says. With a variety of third-party apps available from Zonar and the Google Play Store, Zonar says there are more options for managing devices deployed across fleets.

The company says customers can choose the device, applications and data plan that meet their current and future digital and mobile needs.

TPSmagazine.com

New paint system for U.S., Canada market PPG has introduced its PPG Delfleet One paint system to the U.S. and Canadian markets.

PPG says the line of coatings is formulated to address the refinish needs of the commercial transportation industry and they deliver accurate color matching, ease of use and increased productivity.

The PPG Delfleet One paint system includes undercoats, topcoats and clearcoats. It also features 57 percent fewer volatile organic compound emissions compared with a traditional paint system, ensuring compliance with regulations in all regions of North America, the company says.

July 2019 | Trucks, Parts, Service

37

products

Pipe treatment system launch

Trailer tester inspection system Innovative Products of America (IPA) has introduced the #5700A Alpha Mutt with ABS, a diagnostic trailer inspection system the company says integrates all aspects of trailer service and repair.

With the Alpha Mutt, IPA says trailer technicians can control and test all lighting, ABS and air brake circuits with the provided tablet while conducting a walk around PMI or DOT inspection.

The interface design is intuitive and the tablet provides realtime data during the testing process. The ABS diagnostics reads and clears codes, displays diagnostic troubleshooting information and accesses ECU data, the company says.

Spin-on fuel ďŹ lters MAHLE Aftermarket introduces its CleanLine spin-on fuel filters for injection nozzles and fuel pumps.

The company says the pumps are made to be changed easily and cleanly and to offer added water-separation efficiency with high dustretention capacity. Two variants are available, with single- or two-stage separation: The single-stage variant is engineered to filter dirt particles and water in one step, while the two-stage variant filters in two separate steps: first the dirt and then the water, via a water-repellent synthetic fabric.

Dinex Emission has announced the release of a full line of pipe treatment system (PTS) parts for 2007 and newer trucks in North America.

The company says it will launch more than 100 PTS parts, including OE 409 stainless steel grade regular, insulated and turbo pipes; 3S flex pipes; and bellows.

All PTS parts will have an OEM direct fit and will include clamps and gaskets.

Dinex says the PTS category also is a perfect addition to its current catalog of diesel particulate filters and diesel oxidation catalysts and will be able to give its customers an OE-quality option.

New addition to dump spreader line Buyers Products has added to its line of MDS series combination dump spreaders. Its new SaltDogg Medium-Duty MDS is designed for commercial and municipal applications on Class 4-7 trucks.

The company says the medium-duty MDS is the first combination body in its class to offer a fully electric drive option, which means it can be installed on a truck without a separate central hydraulic system, though a hydraulic drive option is available.

Two new smart battery chargers introduced Associated Equipment Corporation (AEC) announces two new Intellamatic smart battery charger/analyzer/power supply products: Model IBC6008 and Model IBC6008MSK with memory saver kit for battery change out.

AEC says the products feature a four-line backlit digital display and enable technicians to adjust the charging voltage and/ or charging amperage based on vehicle and battery manufacturer specifications, safely charging almost all 12V battery types, including AGM and Lithium.

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Trucks, Parts, Service | July 2019

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