Truck Parts & Service 0416

Potter Webster Celebrates 75 Years | VIPAR Adds Two Members

Retail Revolution Adding a parts showroom can satisfy customers and boost sales APRIL 2016 |

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How suppliers source new raw materials 20

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Volume 52 | Number 4 | April 2016

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Cover Story

@TPSMagazine /truckpartsandservice Truck Parts & Service

Editorial

Editor: Lucas Deal Equipment Editor: Jason Cannon editorial@truckpartsandservice.com

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Retail Revolution 12 Features 20 Getting to the source

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Editorial Staff Editorials Industry Focus Tech Updates

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Editorial | Lucas Deal

Falling into a statistical rabbit hole

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

I

grew up an unabashed numbers geek. Math was easy, and fun, most of the time, and as I grew up it wasn’t uncommon for me to spend chunks of my spare time pouring over numbers and data.

And by data, I mean the backs of baseball cards.

I’d spend hours flipping through cards, looking at the agate text (that’s journalist jargon for the box scores) in my local newspaper. I’d pick up information just because it was there.

There was a time in my youth that when asked, I could recite the top ten players in nearly every MLB statistical category in real time. And in the preInternet and pre-cable TV era, this was an impressive yet ultimately I realize now unnecessary skill.

As I got older this thirst for numbers expanded. At 12 I was balancing my own checkbook (Of course the numbers geek had a checkbook). By 14 I was a twoterm treasurer of my local 4-H club. In high school I participated in a record keeping contest. Made it all the way to the District Finals, too.

I don’t spend as much time reading baseball cards as I used to, but I still love numbers.

And as I mentioned in this space just last month, when I find trucking stats that catch my eye I fall just as quickly back into the rabbit hole as I did when I was a kid.

This happened to me recently with a number I pulled from MacKay &

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Company at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue (HDAD).

According to John Blodgett, vice president of sales and marketing at MacKay & Company (and our newest Truck Parts & Service columnist, see page 4), the average total maintenance cost to own a Class 8 truck for 15 years was $345,000 in 2015.

The cost to own a truck for 10 years or more is about to skyrocket When I heard that in January I was floored. I simply could not believe it.

Which isn’t to say I didn’t trust John’s data, I was just taken aback by how much maintenance expenses have exploded in recent times.

MacKay & Company data shows vehicle owners today are now spending an average of $20,600 per truck per year in maintenance expenses. That breaks down to $7,200 for parts, $2,900 for tires, $600 for lubrication and nearly ten grand

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($9,900) for service and labor.

And that doesn’t include driver wages or fuel expenses.

Even with the data that’s borderline unbelievable.

But it checks out. Not long after John dropped the $345,000 bombshell at HDAD Lee Long, director of fleet services at Southeastern Freight Lines, said his fleet is now spending more money each year maintaining emission systems than they spend on tires.

That’s incredible. Ten years ago most trucks didn’t even have advanced emission systems, and now they’re nearly the most expensive systems on a truck.

And you just know that’s going to get worse.

John’s presentation at HDAD showed the most expensive ownership years for Class 8 trucks today are years 7-9. That isn’t surprising — that’s the sweet spot for the aftermarket — but what’s crazy is right now years 4-6 are significantly more expensive than years 10-12, and beyond.

That’s because of these emission systems. The decade-old trucks don’t have them. The cost to own a truck for 10 years or more is about to skyrocket.

And as I pull myself back out of the rabbit hole I can’t help but wonder, how high can it go? At what point will expenses start driving people out of our industry?

The parts and service market clearly isn’t going anywhere. But who you serve, I think that’s about to change dramatically.

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Editorial | MacKay & Company

Beforemarket

By John Blodgett MacKay & Company

M

acKay & Company is honored to now be providing a regular monthly column for Truck Parts & Service. Some of you may remember Stu MacKay who wrote several columns for TP&S a few years ago.

The good news is that I will not be the only one writing this column. Stu will again be contributing as will several others from MacKay & Company.

While MacKay & Company provides market research and consulting services on both the original equipment and aftermarket sides of the commercial vehicle market, given the focus of this publication, our columns will primarily (we may go astray from time to time) focus on the medium- and heavy-duty parts and service aftermarket.

MacKay & Company tracks a number of factors which either impact the aftermarket and/or help us understand the size and trends in the aftermarket. We also spend a significant amount of time gathering insights from owner-operators, fleets, and parts and service providers (OES and independent). When possible, we will pass on what we are learning and hearing through this column.

Twelve columns a year is a little intimidating, so we are open to suggestions for column topics — industry related, of course. I don’t think we need any more perspectives on global warming, Middle

East unrest and the presidential election, but maybe a couple columns on the Kardashians would be okay.

Each column will have the MacKay & Company writer’s contact information, so if you are inclined, you can follow up with them directly with any questions, comments or stern words.

Everything that helps you better understand your customer makes you a better supplier Most of our columns will focus on the aftermarket. At MacKay & Company we define the aftermarket as any parts replacement (or repair) or service (including maintenance) activity which is nonwarranty after the vehicle is initially sold.

This includes parts replaced (or repaired) in-house or at a service provider.

But enough about us!

Next month we will have our first column on the aftermarket, but this week I would like to introduce a new term to the industry: beforemarket. I am sure this term will be used as an industry standard for at least the next 30-45 seconds.

Beforemarket refers to all the actions a company that is in the business of selling parts and/or services should do to be successful in the aftermarket.

This includes truly understanding the customers in your market: what is their business, how many vehicles do they have, what is the age profile of their vehicles (trucks and trailers), what is their typical vehicle buying and selling practice, do they typically buy new or used vehicles, what are their in-house service capabilities (tools and people), what make of trucks and engines do they own, who are the key decision makers?

Anything and everything that helps you better understand your customer (and in turn help them) makes you a better supplier specifically to their needs.

In addition, ask yourself if they know about your business, capabilities, hours and people.

This should be an on-going activity, because people, policies and practices change. You’re just wasting your initial efforts if you don’t keep up with the changes.

Beforemarket also refers to making sure your people have the tools and knowledge to correctly sell your products and services. If you have more than one brand of products, do they understand the differences and goals of the brands?

Does your team know the products, capabilities and services for the parts of the business they are not involved in?

It is not easy, but good, consistent beforemarket efforts are likely to provide better aftermarket results.

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

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Industry Focus

Truck Country has moved into a new 52,000 sq.-ft.-facility in Dubuque, Iowa.

Truck Country Used Truck Outlet and Mike’s Truck and Trailer Repair also are now sharing facilities in New Brighton, Minn.

Dealer News The Pete Store has purchased Peterbilt franchise rights for a substantial portion of the state of Massachusetts, including Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcester counties.

Pocono Peterbilt in northeast Pennsylvania has been acquired by the Hunter Family of Companies.

TranSource, Inc., has entered into a definitive agreement with Advantage Truck Centers to purchase certain assets from their Rocky Mount and St. Pauls, N.C., locations.

Tallman Truck Centre has been named International Truck North American Dealer of the Year. In addition, International has named Carolina International Trucks in South Carolina as its Medium Duty Dealer of the Year and Regional International in New York as its Parts and Service Dealer of the Year.

Potter Webster Company Celebrates 75 years Potter Webster Company recently held a celebratory open house in recognition of its 75th anniversary.

Co-Founded by J.R. Webster, Walter Webster and Orin Potter in 1940, the Portland, Ore.based company is now led by J.R. Webster’s son Dennis. The Webster family is proud to carry on the legacy of the company’s founders.

“We are honored that our customers have been placing their

trust in us for 75 years. At Potter Webster Company, you can rely on a dedicated sales representative that will understand your operation, save you time and money, and do the job right the first time,” says Dennis Webster. “We want to thank all of our employees, customers, and suppliers for their support over the past 75 years.

They are the people who have made us ‘75 Years Strong.’”

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

April 13-17 April 29-May 1 June 4-8 Aug. 25-27

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HDA Truck Pride Annual Meeting, San Antonio GenNext, CVSN Distributor Training Expo, Atlanta Heavy Duty Aftemarket Canada Annual Conference, Whistler, B.C. Great American Trucking Show, Dallas

T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 6

Announcing Our NEW Customer Service Order Desk!

Toll Free: 844-446-7388 www.sandstruck.com

Industry Focus

International Debuts Over-The-Air Engine Reprogramming Rush Enterprises Debuts Service Platform Rush Enterprises, Inc., introduces RushCare Service Connect, a state-ofthe-art, service communication system that provides customers with an online on-demand, 360-degree view of the service process for vehicles in Rush Truck Centers service departments.

“RushCare Service Connect is the next step for our company in helping our customers improve uptime,” says W.M. “Rusty” Rush, chairman, CEO and president at Rush Enterprises.

Within the RushCare Service Connect online portal, customers can receive

real-time repair updates about their vehicles, establish two-way communication with service advisors and service managers and have complete transparency regarding their vehicle status. Also in the online portal, customers can request new service, review and approve repair orders quickly and easily as well as document all aspects of service events, anytime and anywhere, the company says.

“We are proud to invest in this stateof-the-art technology to create a more efficient repair process for our customers,” Rush says.

CAT Exits Truck Business Caterpillar is discontinuing production of its vocational trucks and exiting the market.

In May of last year, CAT rolled out two new refreshed trucks – the CT680L and the CT680LG – but based on the current business climate in the truck industry and a thorough evaluation of its business, CAT says it has decided to withdraw from the market.

“Remaining a viable competitor in this market would require significant additional investment to develop and

launch a complete portfolio of trucks,” says Ramin Younessi, vice president with responsibility for Caterpillar’s Industrial Power Systems Division. “Upon an updated review, we determined there was not a sufficient market opportunity to justify the investment.”

Phillips Industries Debuts Updated Catalog A new, updated product catalog is now available from Phillips Industries.

The Phillips catalog can be obtained in print format or accessed through a variety of web based platforms, including the online catalog on the Phillips website.

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Mobile apps are available by downloading the ‘Phillips Catalog’ app through iTunes/Google Play.

The online catalog is fully searchable by part number, name and/or product category.

T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 6

International Truck announces overthe-air (OTA) reprogramming of engine control modules (ECM) for all International Truck models powered by its N9, N10 and N13 proprietary engines is now available as a no charge offering.

Additionally, International says OTA reprogramming will be available for purchase for all International truck models powered by proprietary engines 2010 and newer through International Truck dealers.

“With this important step, overthe-air reprogramming is becoming a reality for truck operators,” says Bill Kozek, Navistar president, Truck and Parts. “This first-in-the-industry innovation will allow truck users to update their engine control modules with unprecedented ease and convenience, delivering improved uptime and other benefits over a safe, secure Wi-Fi connection.”

VIPAR Adds Two Distributors Magnum Products Group and Tidewater Fleet Supply have joined VIPAR Heavy Duty.

Texas-based Magnum Products Group stocks a full line of heavy-duty tractor and trailer parts, tools and equipment, shop supplies, lubrication equipment and industrial supplies.

Tidewater Fleet Supply is located in the Southeast and supplies full selection of light-, medium- and heavyduty parts, in addition to specializing in flywheel grinding, custom made A/C and power steering hoses, battery cables, starter and alternator testing and battery testing.

Industry Focus

Distributor of the Year nomination period now open Truck Parts & Service opened the nomination period for its annual Distributor of the Year award on April 1, 2016.

Every independent aftermarket distributor but last year’s winner, Sadler Power Train, is eligible to be nominated for the Distributor of the Year award.

Anyone active in the trucking industry

is free to nominate up to three distributors, and the nomination form can be found at www.truckpartsandservice.com/ distributor-of-the-year.

The nomination period will be open until Thursday, June 30, 2016, with the five most-nominated businesses being announced as finalists in July.

People In The News Meritor, Inc. and WABCO have appointed Matthew Stevenson to president and general manager of Meritor WABCO. Jonathan Collins has Stevenson been named senior vice president and chief financial officer at Dana.

Paul Kokalis, president of Fontaine Modification, has been elected to serve as a manufacturer trustee Kokalis on the NTEA Board of Trustees.

Sherry Mossman has been appointed vice president of Trailer Wizards’ Ontario region.

HDA Truck Pride has Mossman named Kristen Phipps director of marketing.

John M. Boler, Chairman of the Board at The Boler Company, the parent company of Hendrickson, has died. He was 81.

Ox Bodies says Charlie Mann has assumed the newly-created role of territory manager for Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Pressure Systems International (PSI) has appointed James Sharkey as senior director, global sales and marketing.

Donaldson announces Bill Cook has retired from the company and its board, and Jeff Noodle has been named non-executive chairman of the board.

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SKF Trucknowledgy Sharing technical expertise to take your fleet farther SKF provides more than just premium solutions that improve wheel-end reliability and driver safety. We’re also a resource for the latest technical, product and industry information and training. Delivering valuable knowledge and a broad range of solutions, we take the world’s top fleets farther. Find out how we can do the same for you.

Contact your SKF distributor or visit www.vsm.skf.com.

www.skfpartsinfo.tv

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The Power of Knowledge Engineering ® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group | © SKF Group 2014

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7/24/14 9

9:38 AM

Tech Updates

THIS YEAR’S ACTIVITIES:

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

• Free health screenings • Cooking demos • In-cab fitness demos • Healthy food options • Health-related vendors

TA-PETRO TAILGATING AT GATS

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

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

FREE ADMISSION ONLY WHEN YOU PRE-REGISTER!* Register online at GATSonline.com or call 888-670-7549.

REGISTRATION SPONSORED BY

*Onsite registration is $10

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TS_CCJ0416_PG048.inddT R1 U C K

SAFETY RECALLS The following are safety recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Daimler Trucks North America is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour DRW school buses manufactured from May 1, 2015, through Nov. 16, 2015, equipped with certain Transpec T6000, T6100, and T7000 series school bus stop arms. The affected stop arms have a reflective decal that may peel loose from the stop arm. As such, these stop arms fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 131, “School Bus Pedestrian Safety Devices.” Without a reflective decal, the stop arms reduce visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Ford is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Transit vehicles manufactured Feb. 13, 2014, to Jan. 13, 2016 and equipped with rear passenger seats. The rear seat belt buckles may be damaged if a heavy object is placed on, or impacts, the top of the buckle. The damage may prevent the buckle from latching or from remaining latched.

An unlatched seat belt increases the risk of injury to the occupant in the event of a crash.

Mack Trucks is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Granite (GU), Pinnacle (CHU, CXU), TerraPro (LEU, MRU), and Titan (TD) and model year 2015 LR trucks manufactured from Sept.

1, 2011, through April 30, 2014. The cap nut that retains the interaxle driveshaft yoke to the rear axle input shaft may loosen. If the cap nut loosens and falls off, the yoke can separate from the axle input shaft and allow the drive shaft to disconnect, increasing the risk of a crash.

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America is recalling certain model year 2012-2016 FEC52, FEC72, FEC92 trucks manufactured Feb. 4, 2011, to March 31, 2015, and 2012-2015 FGB72 trucks manufactured June 22, 2011, to April 8, 2014. The affected vehicles are equipped with an optional cold weather PVC heater kit. In these vehicles, the PVC pipe heater wiring may chafe on a metal clamp possibly resulting in the wire short circuiting. A short circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Navistar is recalling certain model year 2016 IC CE commercial buses manufactured from March 4, 2015, through Dec. 14, 2015, and 2016-2017 IC CE school buses manufactured from March 2, 2015, through Jan. 13, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the hood straps used to latch the hood closed may become elongated and not return to

PA R T S & S E R V 3/18/16 I C E | 10:18 A p r AM il 2016

their original length. As a result, the hood may open unexpectedly when the bus is braking. If the hood opens while braking, the driver’s vision may be obstructed, increasing the risk of a crash.

Paccar is recalling certain model year 20152016 Peterbilt 365 and 367 vehicles manufactured from Aug. 27, 2014, through June 5, 2015, and equipped with drive axles manufactured by Marmon-Herrington. The affected axles have hex nuts on the flange yoke that may not have been properly tightened. If the hex nuts are not tightened to specification, the driveshaft may disconnect from the drive axle, resulting in a loss of propulsion and increasing the risk of a crash.

Stoughton Trailers is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Barrett P gooseneck trailers manufactured July 1, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2015.

The affected trailers have an Upper Coupler Section with a Gross Trailer Weight Rating (GTWR) of 25,000 lbs., however the trailer has an assigned Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of over 25,000 lbs. If the trailer is loaded past 25,000 lbs., the upper coupler may fail causing separation of the trailer from the tow vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Volvo Trucks NA is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 VT trucks manufactured from April 9, 2008, through Sept. 24, 2009, and certain 2016 model VNL and VNM trucks manufactured from Jan. 2, 2015, through to Nov. 6, 2015.

The affected vehicles are equipped with USK non-greasable drag links that may experience corrosion of the ball joints due to the seals being compromised, possibly resulting in accelerated wear and failure of the ball joint. Failure of the ball joint may cause separation of the socket and a complete loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.

Volvo Trucks NA is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 VNL, VNX, and VNM trucks manufactured from May 11, 2015, through March 8, 2016. The trucks may have been manufactured without a roll pin on the steering shafts. If the roll pin is missing, the lower steering shaft may disconnect from the junction block. Also, the bolt connecting the upper steering shaft to the lower steering shaft may not have been properly tightened. Either condition can lead to separation of the steering shaft. Separation of the steering shaft will result in complete loss of steering, which may lead to a vehicle crash.

You have to see it to believe it.

Where trucking comes home.

Due to popular demand, we opened registration earlier than ever before! Kick off your GATS 2016 experience now with free online registration and we’ll keep you posted on everything to look forward to this year. See you in Dallas! #GATS #TruckShow

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August 25-27, 2016 Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas

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

Cover Story

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

Retail revolution Adding a parts showroom can satisfy customers and boost sales 12

T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 6

Cover Story

T

he independent aftermarket has spent decades as a ‘behind the curtain’ industry. Distributors have always carried huge selections of products, but for the most part, they’ve kept them out of sight.

It’s called warehouse distribution for a reason.

But in recent years, as competition has risen and margins have fallen, distributors nationwide have started to change their tune toward retail selling.

Developing retail space allows customers a glimpse behind the curtain. It provides a snapshot of what a facility has to offer, and when designed properly, a retail showroom can provide distributors a steady source of additional revenue to supplement orders fulfilled via the warehouse.

And as the trucking industry continues to evolve, it’s going to become more of a necessity, says Butch Hill, president at HD Group. Now that customers have seen a retail future, they’re not going to go back to the old-fashioned way.

Retail shopping is part of everyone’s daily life now, he says, and distributors who fail to provide that product visibility risk being poorly perceived.

And perception matters, as Hill says the method in which customers process and perceive their shopping experiences is “the most important [yet ignored] metric for a lot of companies across this industry.”

Like most transitions in the independent

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Cover Story

aftermarket, the recent surge in the popularity and profitability of retail showrooms was customer driven.

Information accessibility was one reason for the change.

Because today’s customers can get online and research any product, in any industry, at any time, they have the ability to enter stores armed with considerably more information about their needs than at any point in the past.

In the aftermarket this means customers can enter distributor facilities not questioning what they need but knowing well in advance. And just like a trip to the grocery store, when a customer knows exactly what they need, they don’t like to wait.

Retail space dramatically eliminates that hassle. It allows customers the freedom to find their component and head directly to purchasing — bypassing time at a parts counter waiting for a warehouse employee to pick and deliver the part.

And in a world where downtime equals lost revenue, every minute saved matters.

But quicker retail experiences is only one reason for the aftermarket’s recent retail movement. Arguably the biggest selling point for distributors and customers alike is impulsive purchasing.

Because retail space opens a window for a customer into a distributor’s inventory, it allows customers access to products they might not have otherwise

Action Truck Parts and Phillips Industries worked together to design and build this expansive product display at Action’s Bolingbrook, Ill., location.

known they wanted, products they might not have known a distributor sold. And related components they needed, and might not have otherwise remembered when entering a store.

Retail facilities remind customers that an independent distributor has everything they could ever need.

“You want to move a customer through a purchase subconsciously,” Hill says.

The strategy has worked wonders at Action Truck Parts, says Vice President and Sales Manager Nick Seidel.

Like many distributors, Seidel says Action Truck Parts was a quintessential warehouse distributor before transforming its facility into a retail-centric

The suppliers had to commit to it. Our salespeople had to know the products. We had to get everyone on board and rolling and in one direction so there was no one thing that was going to catch us.

– Carlos Solis, parts and marketing manager, Action Truck Parts

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operation. He says the company wasn’t averse to merchandising product — it has nearly 9,000 sq. ft. of retail space — but it wasn’t a priority.

Things finally started to change at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week 2015.

“We came out [to HDAW] and saw some of the suppliers’ merchandising displays and were interested but we weren’t sure how to proceed. So we started talking to them and tried to find who would help us,” Seidel says.

After a busy week gauging interest and earning vendor support, Seidel and Carlos Solis, parts and marketing manager, sat down on the last night of the convention and developed a strategy.

“It was one of those late-night napkin plans,” says Seidel.

“We covered everything. If we were going to do this we had to make sure we understood every aspect of it,” adds Solis.

“The suppliers had to commit to it. Our salespeople had to know the products.

We had to get everyone on board and rolling and in one direction so there was no one thing that was going to catch us.”

The duo then returned to their

Cover Story

Automann develops its product displays based on available space and purchasing trends to allow for maximum visibility of high-moving items.

Bolingbrook, Ill., facility and began implementing their showroom overhaul.

Working in stages they completed the makeover, to significant customer applause, in less than a year.

Jordan Schroeder, president at Truck Equipment, Inc., says he’s seen a similarly positive customer response since opening a new building in Green Bay last summer.

Schroeder says Truck Equipment’s previous location had a very small retail area, and as such, only a small percentage of the company’s sales came from the sales floor. But in talking with fellow

distributors and customers Schroeder says it became clear during the design phase of the new facility that a larger retail area would be a worthwhile endeavor.

“We were able to get a majority of our small parts out of the back and out into the open where they are much more visible,” Schroeder says. “We weren’t able to bring everything out front, but we’re now able to display a lot of what we have. And customers have been very responsive.”

Terry Hearron, CEO at Advanced Distribution Co., says he committed to retail product displays when he saw how well it worked in other industries. Herron’s

company serves the agriculture, mining, and oil & gas industries as well as commercial trucking, and retail movements in those industries keyed him in on the opportunity to retail his truck parts.

A majority of the company’s retail space is now focused on trucking.

“I would say 90 percent of what we have out front is truck related,” he says.

“Whether it is truck parts or tools, we try to utilize all our space and put a lot of product on display.”

For companies looking to make similar changes, each distributor recommends first reaching out to suppliers you’d like to feature in a retail capacity.

Many vendors offer guidance on showroom design.

“Our team takes on a consultative approach when talking to our customers about our many merchandising options and how they will impact their business when properly placed,” says Stephanie Schroeter, director of marketing at Phillips Industries. “We actively work with our customers and are also open to showing them examples of other retail locations we helped revamp and what effects these retail strategies have had on those businesses.”

“The first thing we try to do is address who their customers are. Who is coming

The new Truck Equipment, Inc. facility in Green Bay has dramatically transformed the company’s retail capabilities. Truck Equipment now showrooms almost all of its small- and medium-sized products, and even some large parts when space is available.

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Our team takes on a consultative approach when talking to our customers about our many merchandising options and how they will impact their business when properly placed.

–Stephanie Schroeter, director of marketing at Phillips Industries

through their doors? Who is spending time in their showroom,” says Josh Foster, director of sales at Trux Accessories.

“We try to set up our displays to cater to the customers that a distributor sees the most.”

Automann does the same, sending its sales people to meet with distributors before selecting products for retail display.

“What may work for somebody in Florida might not work in California,” says Vice President CJ Khanduja.

Some vendors also offer retail packaging and customizable products displays.

Seidel adds that when working with suppliers, don’t hesitate to be forceful. Just because a vendor is slow to get on board with a retail plan doesn’t mean they won’t eventually sign on. Getting a commitment and backing from a supplier makes the entire process easier, he says.

“You have to tell them exactly what you want to do,” he says. “The products you want to stock, how you want them displayed. Everything.”

Solis says Action Truck Parts’ next move after reaching agreements with its suppliers was to start transforming its retail area.

Relying on supplier expertise and Hill’s merchandising tips, the company was able to develop a customer-friendly layout that subconsciously pushes customers to explore the store without visibly encumbering their path to highvolume items and the parts counter.

“We have more customers come in to buy lights than anything else, so we made that our milk. We put it in the back of the store,” Seidel says. “Then we designed the store so customers would have to walk past those impulsive items to get to

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where they needed to be.”

Hill says this is where merchandising is so important.

Customers waiting for service at a parts counter are captive and engaged.

They’ve made a commitment to not only enter a store, but they are willing to wait for service to get what they need. He says these are people who plan to buy something.

Adds Schroeter, “Effective merchandising enables customers to make better and more educated decisions, which overall enhances the customer experience and will make it more likely for them to come back the next time they need something. It’s a win-win situation.”

Distributors with enticing retail displays capitalize on that opportunity.

Khanduja says Automann provides free product displays to distributors who reach sales benchmarks, and each display is carefully built to maximize available space and merchandising opportunity.

Hill says some of the easiest tricks for quickly transforming a retail space are removing counter stools — forcing customers to stand or move around — centralizing product by vendors and product categories, regularly rotating seasonal items and end caps to showcase new products and covering pallets and unattractive shelving to create a more visually appealing store.

Hill says customers adapt quickly once they see the benefits of the changes.

“It’s kind of a cultural thing. Older customers are probably less receptive to it at first because they’ve always done it one way. But even they come around pretty fast,” Hearron says.

Vince Mathews, president at Capitol Clutch & Brake, says regular product rotation has been the biggest driver of retail sales at his facility. Mathews says he’s tasked one of his inside sales people with monitoring retail product

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Portable signage In situations where space is tight, sales flyers available at vendor displays or a parts counter also can help increase product awareness and visibility.

Nick Seidel, vice president and sales manager at Action Truck Parts, requests flyers from all of his suppliers, and says he distributes them to customers during sales calls in addition to placing them in his store.

Josh Foster, director of sales at Trux Accessories, says the goal with any pamphlet is the same as a retail display — to showcase what a vendor produces and what a distributor has available.

“We want our distributors to give our sheets to the end user, because ultimately that’s who we’re trying to reach,” he says.

Supplier flyers allow distributors to send news about available product back to fleet hubs and service centers.

movement and making changes when needed so customers are exposed to as many potential product lines as possible.

“That’s the main thing for us. When customers are here you want them to see everything you have so they can see what they can buy from us,” he says.

Schroeder says he’s making that a priority in his new facility as well. Now that Truck Equipment has so much retail space available, he says he wants to maximize it.

“When we first moved [into the new building] it was kind of overwhelming how much we could do,” he says. “But now that we know what it’s like to have this much space, we’ve started to learn how to move things around and make everything visible.”

And Hill says visibility is extremely important. Large product displays, vendor logo signage and video boards are all extremely valuable tools on their own.

But put too many in one place — or leave them unchanged — and customers will eventually tune them out.

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“Less is sometimes best,” he says.

“Keep it clean.”

The result of both these facility design and merchandising improvements is a distributor location prepared to serve customers in the new, ultra-competitive aftermarket landscape.

“If you think about it, merchandising works in any other industry. Why wouldn’t it work in ours? We are dealing with people and while the product in question is different, buying habits and behaviors are not that different at all,” Schroeter says.

Mathews agrees.

“We’re in an industry that in many ways is behind the times. I don’t think everyone realizes the payback [to retail and merchandising practices], and some don’t think about it at all,” he says.

“There are some sales you make where you can’t be sure if the customer bought a product because they were looking for it, or because they just saw it in the store.

But there’s no doubt that if you get the product out there where [customers] can see it, it increases your chances.”

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Service Bay

Getting to the source

How industry manufacturers find new raw material suppliers

S

elling premium, high-quality products is a common differentiator in the aftermarket.

Premium products not only provide customers total cost of ownership benefits, they also offer peace of mind.

But what makes a product “premium”?

Product design and manufacturing process are undeniably important, but to most manufacturers operating in the aftermarket today, the defining

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characteristic to a premium product is quality raw materials. Even the best engineering can’t make up for low-quality componentry.

As such, North American manufacturers go to great lengths to develop acquisition strategies that allow them to procure the best raw materials possible for their production lines.

In an industry like commercial trucking, there’s no substitute for the best.

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“We’re in an industry where so many of the parts we buy [and assemble] are truly safety critical,” says James Koller, purchasing manager of commodities at Navistar. “We have to take the purchasing of those materials very seriously, because we know everything we put into a truck affects its final quality and performance.”

Any conversation on raw material sourcing begins with engineering, says Owen Smith, global director of supply chain management at STEMCO. STEMCO engineers determine “exactly what materials they need” during the design and development of new products, then task Smith’s team with

Service Bay

Manufacturers say sourcing decisions are heavily influenced by shipping and acquisition costs. A production line doesn’t run if product arrives late.

finding the materials before moving to manufacturing.

“They provide us with specific instructions to find materials,” he says.

Navistar’s development process works the same way, says Koller.

“Our design engineers sit down and decide the mechanical properties of a product, and once they’ve [identified] everything they come to us,” he says.

It’s at this point when a manufacturer’s sourcing process formally kicks into gear.

Koller says existing suppliers are always Navistar’s first call, and for good reason.

Finalizing a sourcing agreement with a completely new supplier is an arduous process, he says — “it can take up to a year” — and in situations where new materials are needed quickly that much time isn’t always available.

Expanding an existing relationship also dramatically cuts down on the steps

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in a supplier evaluation, says James Hoenshell, vice president of supply chain at Reyco Granning.

Approved suppliers don’t need to be evaluated on every aspect of their operation because they’ve already proven they can do the job, he says. Instead, they are only required to show they can continue to meet their requirements with another material added to their expected output.

STEMCO operates the same way, Smith says.

“Ideally that’s our first goal” when sourcing a new material, he says. “We prefer to expand an existing relationship with a proven partner supplier.”

More often than not, manufacturers say this step fulfills their ordering needs.

“We rarely have to find someone totally new,” says Joe Devany, director of operations at Betts Company.

“I would say at least 80 percent of the time one supplier will have [what we need] or at least know where to send us

to find it,” adds Hoenshell.

And that latter point is important, manufacturers note. A supplier’s ability to provide guidance is an invaluable aspect of a supplier-manufacturer relationship, says Tom Meyer, vice president, Engineering and Materials at Hunter Engineering.

“Our partners understand firsthand the type of company we strive to be and take that into consideration before ever suggesting a source for Hunter Engineering,” he says. “These channels combined produce a rich field of companies which we can then begin vetting as potential suppliers.”

Only when networking also comes up empty will manufacturers turn to an open search.

This is an infrequent step. Smith says “less than 10 percent” of new source searches at STEMCO reach an open evaluation stage, while other manufacturers describe its prevalence as “very rare” and “almost never.” But when it is done, it is far and away the most exhaustive.

Devany says Betts Company has found trade shows and publications as two of the best ways to begin a search for a new supplier. Devany says Betts Company uses both resources to garner options,

Newly procured raw materials are regularly tested for performance and quality before moving to an assembly line.

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Service Bay then turns to the Internet to research each business and begin narrowing the playing field.

Hunter Engineering also has found success using that formula, Meyer says.

Being part of a larger entity has helped STEMCO in this area, as its parent company has access to sourcing groups in Europe and Asia that come in handy when tracking down new materials, Smith says.

“They are our eyes and ears in the market and have a pretty extensive vetting process,” he says.

And building a vetting process might

be the most important step in creating a procurement plan, manufacturers say.

The best way to avoid sourcing hiccups is avoid any company that poses a risk, says Dave McKean, Navistar vice president of procurement.

A manufacturer is “only as good as their weakest link,” McKean says. “If you don’t put in the time up front [finding a source] in the tail end it’ll end up costing you more money.”

Hoenshell says Reyco Granning uses ISO 9001 certification as its baseline for supplier consideration.

“If we determine a supplier doesn’t

If you don’t put in the time up front [finding a source] in the tail end it’ll end up costing you more money.

– Dave McKean, Navistar vice president of procurement

NICE TRY

have that, they aren’t even considered,” he says.

Others manufacturers are faithful to ISO/TS 16949, and some even use both.

In addition, manufacturers also each have their own procedures for evaluating possible sources on material quality, production proficiency, safety and delivery performance.

“The idea is to cast a wide net and work down from there,” says McKean.

Using the auto industry’s Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) is a valuable tool in this phase. Meeting PPAP standards means a supplier has proven it can meet manufacturing and quality benchmarks, understands the engineering requirements of a customer order and has demonstrated said manufacturing process that meets expectations at a quoted rate.

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Service Bay

Keeping up with quality testing

Any component or raw material that reaches Navistar’s production line has been extensively vetted.

Like ISO certification, a PPAP functions as an easy differentiator when looking at a large group of suppliers.

Another valuable elimination technique are supplier questionnaires, which Meyer says help determine if a potential source’s strengths match up with a manufacturer’s needs.

Quality and performance materials testing is an absolute necessity when bringing on a new supplier.

But once a relationship is formed, manufacturers have varying strategies for how often product needs to continue to be tested. Testing every load, every time is cost prohibitive. Some prefer random intervals, while others test extensively early in a new supplier relationship and taper off as a supplier validates its performance.

In cases when a test does reveal a negative

“The potential new vendor needs to have the capabilities that we are looking for, but must also have the proper product mix,” he says. “Going to a low-mix, high-volume vendor is not appropriate if you have high-mix, low-volume parts.”

Questionnaires also can uncover a potential supplier’s relationship with other

result, manufacturers will again ramp up testing occurrences and update a supplier scorecard. From there it’s up to the supplier to improve rapidly or be dropped by the manufacturer.

And once suppliers are dropped it’s unlikely that they will regain their status, manufacturers say.

Navistar’s James McKean says if a supplier can really turn things around and has evidence to prove it Navistar may give them a second look, “but trust me, we’ll be asking to see their information” and rigorously test their products.

industry manufacturers. Some manufacturers prefer to avoid relationships with suppliers to competitors when possible.

The most common next steps in procurement plans are delivery conversations and facility evaluations.

Manufacturer opinions vary on which step comes first, but each is designed to

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Service Bay further cull sources until ideally just a handful remain.

Only then do manufacturers talk price. And even then, most pricing conversations focus much more on delivery and acquisition expenses than material costs, McKean says.

“More often than not shipping and logistics expenses will have more variance than materials,” he says. “And we don’t want to have to ship parts everywhere.”

Then it’s time to test product.

Every manufacturer actively tests initial shipments of raw materials against internal requirements and quality metrics provided by a potential supplier. Any discrepancies between the results of the test and supplier promises are then immediately addressed, and further testing is done.

Ideally, this is the step where months of research comes to fruition, Koller says.

“We take things very seriously when we are going to bring a supplier in because we know how important safety is in our products,” he says. “We need to know a supplier can regularly provide us with a quality product.”

Meyer says testing is a manufacturer’s final chance to ensure quality. Inferior raw materials not only can lead to inferior product, but also can damage a manufacturer’s reputation and put customers at risk.

Meyer says those aren’t points to be taken for granted.

Like distributors, a manufacturer’s

quality defines its brand.

“Our reputation is at stake on everything we ship to our customers. We have very high standards for ourselves, as our customers do as well,” he says. “We want

to provide the highest quality product with an excellent return on investment.

If the product doesn’t work as advertised because of quality problems, our customers will shop elsewhere.”

Manufacturers prefer to rely on relationships with long-term suppliers for as many materials as possible.

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Marketplace

Light weight steer axle

Auxiliary vertical dual-pole plug and socket Phillips Industries introduces an auxiliary vertical dual pole plug and socket that meets SAE J3082 standards for high-current connections between tractors and trailers.

Phillips says the dual pole cables, plugs and sockets are designed to be used with light-duty tarpaulin and skirt applications that use a trailer battery pack.

The cables are made with either four-gauge or sixgauge fine stranded copper for flexibility, with an internal ground to improve ground connections.

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Meritor has introduced MFS+, a light-weight front-steer axle.

Meritor says the MFS+ is 85 lbs. lighter than other axles due to a gooseneck beam design and offset knuckle with integrated torque plate and tie-rod arms. The new MFS+ is available in standard and wide track options, and has a gross axle weight rating between 12,000 and 31,200 lbs.

Multiple downshifting-specific components Dana is now offering axle ratios compatible with all seven configurations of the newly enhanced SmartAdvantage powertrain system.

Among the new components that fit the system are the Spicer AdvanTEK 40 155 Series tandem axle, the SPL 350 driveshaft and SPL 250 inter-axle shaft. Dana also plans to introduce a next-generation driveshaft for downspeeding this is designed for severe-duty, long-haul applications on high-efficiency Class 8 trucks.

Marketplace

Truck wash product Oil Eater introduces its ultraconcentrated Fleet Wash, which the company says is formulated to remove diesel, grease, dirt and bird droppings on trucks and heavy equipment and leave a spot-free finish.

The high-foaming cleaner/ degreaser is nonacid, noncorrosive, nonhazardous and biodegradable and can be diluted up to 100:1 to work with hard and soft water.

It is available in a 1-gallon bottle, a 5-gallon bucket, 30- and 55-gallon drums and a 275-gallon tote.

Off The Line Spotlighting a new OEM innovation Isuzu debuts new Class 6 truck Isuzu Commercial Truck of America has unveiled an all-new entry in the Class 6 medium-duty truck segment — the 2018 Isuzu FTR. The F-Series truck will be powered by Isuzu’s 5.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine and will accommodate bodies from 16 ft. to 30 ft. It is slated to go into production in the United States in mid-2017.

“This truck represents our vision of the future of the medium-duty truck industry,” says Shaun Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America. “As the adult population grows and as people move to urban centers, there will be an increasing need for delivery trucks that can carry a lot of cargo but at the same time be fuel efficient, maneuverable, environmentally friendly, and that offer a low cost of ownership. The all-new FTR achieves all of these goals.”

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So it’s easier to run safe and stay in CSA compliance. And SimpleCheck is even easier to install. For more information on how the Meritor AllFit SimpleCheck can help you C.Y.A., visit MeritorCYA.com. ©2016 Meritor, Inc.

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Marketplace

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

New air disc brakes Haldex has released the ModulT Air Disc Brake product line in the United States.

The first member of the ModulT family to be introduced in North America is the 22.5-in. optimized trailer brake, weighing 70 lbs. including pads. It will soon be followed with 19.5-in. and 22.5-in. air disc brake sizes for trucks and buses, Haldex says.

King pin system SAF-Holland introduces the Holland 2-in.

AAR king pin system for hot dip galvanized upper couplers.

Designed to meet AAR specifications, the system is designed to be compatible with 1/4-in., 5/16-in., and 3/8-in. bolster plates. It uses the same housing and different length king pins to accommodate the thickness variations, the company says.

Expanded tool product lines Automann has added more SKUs to its complete tool listing. Among the new tools is a 7-piece seal driver set, a 4-piece torque socket kit, a tire demounting tool, a thread chaser with an outside thread ranger of 1-1/4 in. to 5 in., a U-joint puller that works with an impact wrench and a two-piece slack adjuster tool set.

Automann says its distributors can combine tools on orders with other Automann products, with no minimums.

Brake check tool Thor Tool says its brake check device is designed to allow one person to measure brake travel within 1/100th of an inch.

To use the device, a technician or driver chalks the wheels, releases the parking brakes and attaches the magnetized tool to each brake chamber. By pushing the brake pedal, Thor Tool says accurate brake adjustment readings are displayed on digital gauges. The device is made from hardened stainless steel and plastic, the company says.

Assorted aftermarket parts

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Dorman HD Solutions has introduced another crop of former dealer only aftermarket parts.

The parts include a roof marker light for various International tractors from 1986 to 2016, an instrument panel circuit board for International applications with mechanical and electrical oil pressure gauges, a manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor for Cummins ISX engines, leaf spring supports for Freightliner Columbia tractors and ABS wheel speed sensors for many OEMs.

3/28/16 2:01 PM

Marketplace

Solar panels for auxiliary power eNow Inc. introduces Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels to operate the Dometic Blizzard Turbo auxiliary air conditioner, which the company says is the first solarpowered auxiliary A/C for the Class 8 sleeper trucks.

With eNow, solar power is captured

and stored in the on-board battery system and distributed to various truck/ trailer functions. Using solar to power Dometic Blizzard Turbo auxiliary air increases the life of the truck’s alternator

and auxiliary battery system by reducing the alternator load at idle and over-theroad, and charging the battery more efficiently at its optimal voltage, the company says.

Single-axle fenders Hogebuilt has introduced two new options for its single-axle fender line.

The company says the new Lowrider single fender is available with a drop of 30.5 in., while the Ultimate Lowrider measures a 35.5-in. drop.

These new fenders are available in both the premium 304 perfect mirror finish and mid-grade 430 mirror shine stainless steel.

Exhaust manifold BD Diesel has introduced a new exhaust manifold for ISX engines that works with BorgWarner S410SX turbos.

According to BD Diesel, the manifold allows the S410SX turbo to mount in place of a Holset HE551 air or HE561 electronic turbo. BD says its manifolds are made from thick durable high-silicon ductile cast iron and have two equally placed slip joints that allow for heat expansion. Plus, BD’s manifold pulse design enhances turbine response for quicker response, the company says.

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Ad Index Company

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Company

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Automann

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Meritor, Inc.

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Automann

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This advertisers’ index is a service to readers. Although every effort is made to maintain accuracy, Truck Parts & Service cannot assume responsibility for errors or omissions.

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SMOOTHLY. INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW EATON® PS-386 LUBRICANT. The only lube designed specifically for Eaton manual and automated transmissions.

Tested tough to provide superior protection at high and low temperatures and improve fuel economy by up to 1.5%.* And backed by the solutions, support and expertise of the Roadranger® network. Learn more at roadranger.com/lube

* compared to PS-164 rev 7 using SAE J1341 testing © 2016 Eaton. All rights reserved.