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TruckPro Acquires Arizona Brake & Clutch | New President At VIPAR Heavy Duty

Taking care of business AFTERMARKET BUSINESSES STILL WORKING TO STAY UP TO SPEED ON OBAMACARE

NOVEMBER 2016 |

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DOTY Finalists: Blaine Brothers Harman HVS

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Being successful in business requires hard work, perseverance and smart decisions.

Like the decision on who to trust as a partner.

For more than 100 years, Meritor has delivered advanced technology, high-quality products and unmatched service to help customers around the world run successfully today and well into the future. Run with the Best.

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Volume 52 | Number 11 | November 2016

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Cover Story

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Staying up to speed on healthcare

Editorial

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

Design & Production

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

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

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Features 12 Distributor of the Year finalist: Blaine Brothers 14 Distributor of the Year finalist: Harman HVS 20 Bracing for winter’s impact

Departments 1 2 6 10

Editorial Staff Editorials Industry Focus Tech Updates

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Marketplace Classified Ads Product Spotlight Advertisers’ Index

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Editorial | Lucas Deal

Never forget about PEOPLE

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

H

ow do you lead in your business?

Are you a ‘first one in, last one out’ jack of all trades who leads by example? Or are you more of a coach? Always teaching, instructing and encouraging your people.

Maybe you’re neither. Maybe you’re more a delegator. You train your people to do their jobs and then stand back and let them do it.

In my time in the aftermarket I’ve learned there’s no right or wrong method. Every leader and business environment is different, and finding the right leadership style for yourself takes a lot more than buying the first leadership book in the Amazon search queue and picking one method described within its pages.

A good leader perfects their craft over time. Taking what they know about themselves and their people, good leaders are able to develop strategies that capitalize on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses to best communicate and motivate their team.

That last bit is important. Good leaders always remain focused on their team.

While at the VIPAR Heavy Duty Annual Business Conference last month in Orlando, I had the good fortune of sitting in on a presentation from John Egan of the American Management Association on exactly this topic.

Speaking to a group of up-andcoming leaders within the VIPAR Heavy Duty community, Egan says the path to

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sustained, repeatable leadership success is to never turn your attention away from your people.

“The strength of a leader is measured by the strength of a team,” he says, and a good leader never forgets about PEOPLE. Though in Egan’s case, PEOPLE means more than just your employees. It is a path to leadership success.

A good leader perfects their craft over time Built on six core values: Professionalism; Empathy; Optimism; Partnership; Loyalty and Empowerment; Egan says the PEOPLE path to leadership success allows leaders to strike a balance between relationship-focused and outcomesfocused management.

Egan says PEOPLE can be adapted into any business and workplace environment, and listening to him describe it I would agree.

The PEOPLE path doesn’t fundamentally change your leadership style—or at least it shouldn’t, if you’re already succeeding as a leader—it just calls attention to specific aspects of leadership where you should be cognizant of how your actions impact the people you’re trying to lead.

Just take a look at those core values. It’s pretty easy to see that how you

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handle each one would impact your employees.

Egan calls out Partnership, specifically, as the most important step in the path because it’s the one where you can do the most to change your employee’s attitudes toward you and your business.

For example, being an empathic and optimistic leader are necessary skills. No one wants to work for a callous pessimist, and if that’s how you come off toward employees you won’t be their employer for long. But it’s likely they won’t stick around solely because you’re a good, caring person, either. That’s common decency. It’s expected as the norm.

Partnership isn’t viewed through quite the same lens.

Leaders who develop and maintain a culture of teamwork and collaboration aren’t just accepted, they are adored.

Partnership, more than any other aspect of the PEOPLE path, is an area where your actions can positively shift an employee’s opinion of you and your business.

Egan says Partnership drives engagement, and engagement drives business success.

Employees who feel “their suggestions are considered are the most willing to take on new challenges” and grow with your business, he says. “They feel like they are part of it.”

As they should be. Because no matter how smart you are, you’re not doing everything alone. And if you think you are, then you’re not a leader after all.

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Editorial | MacKay & Company

‘Prime’-type delivery has been an industry standard for years

By John Moery MacKay & Company

S

ince 1998 MacKay & Company has generated quadrennial reports of the truck and trailer service labor market associated with nearly 600 components. The latest of these service studies was released in early 2016.

What are some common trends in truck service requirements among fleet operators and their relationship to current service practices among providers?

Among all respondents to the Truck and Trailer Service Study in 2015, reported overall average acceptable wait time to begin major repair of a down vehicle was 34 hours.

Responses from for-hire, refuse, lease/ rental and private fleets comprised a bit more than half the total who thought an acceptable wait time to be just 20 hours to the beginning of service. Furthermore, vehicle downtime was identified by more than one-third of service study respondents as their number one concern when turning to outside providers of truck service, outranking both cost and quality of procured service in importance.

In order for the repair to commence, the part has to be on hand. In the current world of internet ordering in which we live, for a fee, your order can arrive in two days. Sometimes earlier. The remarkable part of this, it doesn’t matter what you order — could be Q-tips, could be

brake pads — two days at your doorstep.

This is not a new concept for those in the business of repairing vehicles.

All manufacturers of U.S. truck brands have established dealer parts supply systems that facilitate delivery of ordered service parts to dealers no later than the morning after order placement. Independents also have well-known channels for timely parts delivery, making the part available in a few days or less.

People in our industry call this good customer service People in our industry call this good customer service and have been delivering it for decades.

Service study responses identified truck operator shops as the providers of 68 percent of all non-warranty vehicle service operations with routine service procedures accounting for larger than average portions and engine repairs and overhauls going to professional rather than fleet shops. Regardless of service

labor sourcing decisions by fleet operators, the truck dealer and heavy-duty distributor networks constitute the most often turned to retail suppliers of service parts for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses in the United States.

These parts suppliers are aware of the absolute necessity of timely vehicle service parts availability in maintaining customer satisfaction with their parts and service suppliers. As long as shop service bays and mechanics are available to perform required repair operations, the required parts should be available for installation, so total vehicle downtime after a breakdown is minimized.

Although technology is providing more ways to anticipate and avoid breakdowns, they still happen. But strategies are being implemented within the parts and service industry to significantly mitigate their detrimental effects upon the service satisfaction of the customers, thus limiting the impact of these failures on the profitability of vehicle operators.

It will certainly be exciting to witness further fleet operating profit improvements that will result as utilization of vehicle telematics systems creates the “smart trucks” of the future.

How long will it be before the part is simply digitally created at the parts counter and is awaiting the arrival of the truck?

John Moery has been manager of multi-client services at MacKay & Company since 2010 after nearly 40 years in product engineering and various operational management positions at International Harvester, CNH and Navistar. He currently authors annual DataMac® and other reports for truck, agriculture and construction equipment industries.

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Industry Focus

Dealer News Hino Trucks has announced its first Certified Ultimate dealers are Donahue Truck Sales, LLC Bakersfield, Calif., Gabrielli Truck Sales, Ltd., Medford, N.Y., Industrial Power, LLC McKinney, Texas, Metropolitan Truck Sales, Inc., Lakewood, N.J., Truck Solutions LLC, N. Smithfield, R.I., Valley Hino Truck, Inc., Medina, Ohio, and TransEdge Truck Centers Pittsburgh, Pa. Four Star Freightliner has made an equipment donation to the Autauga County (Ala.) Technology Center.

Stoops Freightliner – Quality Trailer announces its employees, vendors and customers helped raise nearly $1,500 for veteran’s group Operation K.A.V.I.C. at the company’s 22nd annual golf outing.

Utility Trailer Sales of Arizona has opened its new full-service dealer location in Tolleson.

Valley Equipment, Ltd., has opened a new full service Utility Trailer dealer location in Salisbury, New Brunswick, Canada.

M&K Truck Centers has acquired Wiegand Mack Sales & Service and Mack Lease of Detroit.

River States Truck and Trailer, Inc. was honored as No. 59 on the Deloitte Wisconsin 75; up two spots from its

2015 ranking of No. 61. The dealer also was recently recognized for its 20year partnership with Daimler Truck Financial.

Penske Truck Leasing has opened a facility in Millville, N.J.

Registration Open For Second GenNext/CVSN Training Expo Registration is now open for the second annual GenNext and Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) joint Distributor Training Expo. Next year’s event will be held April 21-23, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.

The Expo is designed for suppliers interested in training 175 distributor outside sales, parts managers, and branch managers coast-to-coast from the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and from all industry affiliations and groups. This single-location format saves each supplier a considerable amount of time and money in both travel, housing and other expenses, organizers say.

Suppliers have two options when

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signing up for the event: a Gold-level sponsorship ($20,000) or a Silver-level sponsorship ($10,000). All supplier spots are limited and are on a first-come first-serve basis. There are eight Goldlevel sponsor slots 20 Silver-level sponsor slots.

Organizers say the supplier fee to participate includes: ■ Classroom and booth training area space so you can network, discuss and train 175 of the front line sellers of your product in the aftermarket (each distributor attendee will have 4-6 hours on the trade show floor).

■ All meals and networking receptions

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■ A 10 ft. x 20 ft. (Gold) or 10 ft. x 10 ft. (Silver) individual training area booths based on sponsor level.

If suppliers want to bring extra manpower above the for attendees included in the Gold-level sponsorship and two attendees in the Silver-level sponsorship, the cost is $495.00 per extra person to cover F&B. Gold sponsors will receive one hourlong training session for all 175 distributor attendees.

Silver sponsors will receive two 30-minute training timeslots for 25-50 distributor attendees.

Please contact GenNext or CVSN for more information and to sign up.

Industry Focus

Stoughton Parts Sales Expanding Distribution Center Stoughton Parts Sales, a division of Stoughton Trailers, LLC, has started production on a nearly 15,000-sq.-ft. warehouse expansion of its facility in Stoughton, Wis. Stoughton Parts Sales is a full-line parts distribution center, providing trailers parts and accessories, along with safety products and shop supplies to the aftermarket trailer repair industry. The company says the warehouse expansion will nearly double the existing space and will be completed by February.

“This additional warehouse space will support a key element of our

growth strategy: expanding our portfolio of parts and accessories,” says Stoughton Parts Sales General Manager Stephen Terrill. “The expanded

portfolio will position Stoughton Parts Sales to be a leading solutions provider of semi-trailer parts and accessories across North America.”

Broader coverage.

Better performance.

Eaton Expands Authorized Rebuilder Network Eaton has added another North American location to its list of Authorized Rebuilders with the recent signing of Drivetrain Service & Components, Inc., in Bensenville, Ill. “Drivetrain Service has a longstanding and well regarded reputation as a premier rebuilder in the greater Chicago area,” says Bill Fouch, NAFTA aftermarket manager, Eaton. “Now all of their current and future customers are going to see even more value with the many benefits that come with being an Eaton Authorized Rebuilder.”

Eaton’s Authorized Rebuilder program, launched in 2013, ensures fleets and independent drivers that locally built remanufactured transmissions include 100 percent genuine Eaton components and meet all of Eaton’s rebuild requirements.

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8:41 AM

Industry Focus

ZF Withdraws Haldex Purchase Offer

Eberspaecher Expands Michigan Facility Eberspaecher is expanding its production capacity for commercial vehicle exhaust systems in the U.S. by tripling the size of its facility in Brighton, Mich.

According to Eberspaecher, the new 340,000 sq.-ft.-plant is specifically designed for the production of commercial vehicle exhaust systems that meet the strict EPA 2010 emissions standard and serves as a “center of excellence” for the entire commercial vehicle business in North and South America.

“As an organization that has made a commitment to Michigan and the automotive industry, we are pleased to establish this center of excellence for our commercial vehicle operations in Brighton and use our new resources to strengthen customer care and grow our North American presence,” says Heinrich Baumann, managing partner of the Eberspaecher Group.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG has withdrawn its bid to acquire Haldex.

ZF had offered $516 million in August to purchase Haldex AB just weeks after SAF-Holland made a similar advance. Knorr-Bremse upped the ante to $570 million in September.

As of Oct. 3, ZF’s offer had been accepted by almost 10 percent of the Haldex’s shareholders. ZF’s offer was contingent on a 90-plus percent acceptance, but all hopes on a collaborative effort between the two company’s is not lost.

“We look forward to constructive talks with the other shareholders of Haldex over the future development of the company,” says ZF CEO Dr Stefan Sommer. “We will stay true to our Strategy 2025. To meet future megatrends of the industry, we will continue to invest in and expand ZF’s diverse product portfolio. However, we do not depend on any single acquisition to achieve those aims.”

With total a shareholding in Haldex of 21.67 percent, ZF is the largest shareholder in Haldex.

People In The News Kurt Bowers has been named TEC Equipment’s new Northwest regional director.

Steve Crowley has announced his upcoming retirement from VIPAR Heavy Baer Duty. Chris Baer has been named company president.

Crowley will remain CEO during a transitionary period. VIPAR Heavy Duty also has named Beth San Filippo as its new controller.

Don Foulke has retired San Filippo after nearly 42 years at Firestone Industrial Products (FSIP).

Joseph Saoud has joined Bridgestone Americas, Inc., as president, truck and bus radial (TBR), Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO).

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SmartTruck has appointed Garrett Grimm as regional sales director.

David T. Segal and Robert M. Segal of Sanel Auto Parts have received the Northwood University Grimm Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award.

John Payne was recently named vice president of Purchasing at Stoughton Trailers.

Eric Vos of FedEx Freight Payne won a second consecutive Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) National Technician Skills Competition.

Tom Haughs has joined Doleco USA as vice president of sales and Bob Abrahamson is the

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company’s new west coast account manager.

The Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) has hired Jeff Volpe as marketing director.

The Lincoln Electric ComVolpe pany has announced the promotion of Douglas S. Lance to president, Cleveland Operations, Edward M. Crouse to vice president, Cleveland Operations, and Dalithia C. Smith to vice president, human resources.

Bill Feldeweth, 22-year veteran of Heavy Duty America (HDA) and 40-year veteran of the heavy-duty aftermarket passed away in September.

Navistar has added José Maria Alapont, Stephen R. D’Arcy and Dennis A. Suskind to its board of directors.

Industry Focus

TruckPro Acquires Arizona Brake & Clutch TruckPro has acquired Arizona Brake & Clutch Supply and its locations in Phoenix and Yuma.

“Arizona Brake & Clutch Supply is a highly successful, privately held aftermarket truck parts and services provider in the Southwest region with a great

reputation for servicing its customers,” says Chuck Broadus, TruckPro CEO. “The addition of Arizona Brake & Clutch Supply to the TruckPro family will allow us to expand our footprint in the Southwest and provide additional services to our local customers and national

accounts in this region.”

Arizona Brake & Clutch Supply’s current leadership team will continue to run the business and owner, Mark Johnson, will lead TruckPro’s expanded team in Arizona while also becoming an investor in the combined enterprise.

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

Nov. 1-3

AAPEX/SEMA Show, Las Vegas

Jan. 22-23

Service Opportunities Learning Days, Las Vegas

Jan. 23

Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue, Las Vegas

Jan. 23-26

Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, Las Vegas

Feb. 27-March 2 Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting, Nashville

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Tech Updates

SAFETY RECALLS Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Freightliner M2 Business Class and 114 SD trucks manufactured March 10, 2015, to July 11, 2016. The brake caliper mounting bolts on the affected vehicles may be incorrectly torqued, allowing the bolts to loosen and detach. If the brake caliper mounting bolts loosen or detach, braking ability may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

DTNA is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Freightliner Cascadia vehicles manufactured Sept.

24, 2012, to May 27, 2015, and equipped with compressed natural gas (CNG) engines. The affected vehicles have a Power Distribution Module (PDM) that is mounted near the CNG fuel tank.

Due to its location, the PDM may be sprayed with water and contaminants from the road, possibly causing the PDM to short circuit. If the PDM short circuits, there would be an increased risk of a fire, especially if the nearby CNG tank leaks.

DTNA is recalling certain model year 2014-2017 Freightliner M2 Business Class, 108 SD, 114 SD, Cascadia, Coronado, Western Star 4700, 4800, and 5700 XE trucks manufactured March 15, 2013, to July 29, 2016, and equipped with ConMet aluminum non-high capacity hubs. These vehicles specify a front axle weight limit that may be greater than that of the hub capacity. As a result, the hub may fail and the wheel may separate from the axle. If a wheel separates from the axle, there would be an increased risk of a crash.

DTNA is recalling certain model year 20132016 Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) XCM, XCR, and XCL motorhome chassis manufactured Dec. 21, 2012, to Dec. 22, 2015. On certain motorhome chassis built with a heavier, adjustable, straight foot pedal, the brake activation signal to certain towed devices may not deactivate when the motorhome service brakes are released. If the brake activation signal to a towed device remains active when the motorhome chassis service brakes are released, the brakes on a towed device may remain engaged depending on brake configuration of the trailer. As a result, the brakes would drag and possibly overheat potentially resulting in a fire. Additionally, following drivers may be confused by the motorhome’s actions, increasing the risk of a crash.

DTNA is recalling certain model year 2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 school buses manufactured April 30, 2016, to July 29, 2016, and equipped with a compressed natural gas (CNG) engine. During a fast fuel fill, an internal seal on a filling valve may dislodge allowing fuel

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

to leak after the tank has been filled. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of a fire.

DTNA is recalling certain model year 20152017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, and Saf-T-Liner HDX transit buses manufactured July 15, 2014, to July 21, 2016, and equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts by Ricon.

The affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position. If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.

DTNA is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 school buses manufactured Nov. 25, 2015, to Sept, 8, 2016, equipped with ICU3s instrument clusters and hydraulic brakes. In the event of a brake malfunction, these clusters may illuminate the Brake System Malfunction telltale/indicator lamp with the word “PARK” instead of the word “BRAKE”. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, “Control and Displays,” and number 105, “Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems.” If “PARK” illuminates instead of the word “BRAKE,” the driver will be unaware of a braking issue or malfunction, increasing the risk of a crash.

Daimler Vans USA is recalling certain model year 2016 Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured March 1, 2016, to May 31, 2016. The bolts connecting the lower seat belt connection to the rear bench seat may not have been properly tightened. If the bolts were not properly tightened, the seat belt may fail to secure the seat occupant in the event of a crash.

Fontaine Modification is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Fontaine-modified Peterbilt 220 and Kenworth 370 dual-steer vehicles manufactured Sept. 30, 2013, to Aug. 22, 2016.

The right hand side steering may fail due to an improperly press-fitted steering shaft. Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.

Paccar is recalling certain model year 2013 Peterbilt 367 trucks, manufactured April 18, 2012, to June 29, 2012. The affected vehicles may be equipped with a certification label that

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has incorrect gross axle weight rating (GAWR) and gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) information.

As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, “Certification.” Incorrect GAWR and GVWR information can result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

Paccar is recalling one model year 2017 Peterbilt 567 truck manufactured April 26, 2016. The affected vehicle has a left-hand rail-mounted trailer air and electric bracket that protrudes upward, becoming a tripping hazard. Tripping on the bracket or associated connections could increase the risk of injury in the event of a fall from the top of the vehicle frame.

Spartan Motors is recalling certain model year 2016 Utilimaster Walk-In Vans manufactured Jan. 1, 2016, to Aug. 24, 2016 and equipped with a reclining style seat. The driver’s seat on the affected vehicles may recline unexpectedly.

Unexpected reclining of the driver’s seat may affect the driver’s ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, if the seat fails in a crash, the seat occupant would be at a greater risk of injury.

Spartan Motors has recalled certain model year 2004-2010 Emergency Response Gladiator tractor drawn aerial fire apparatus vehicles manufactured Nov. 18, 2004, to July 26, 2010.

The tiller frame of the affected vehicles may crack near the outriggers. If the tiller frame fully cracks, the vehicle may be unstable, increasing the risk of injury to someone on the ladder.

Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Flatbed trailers, model FS2CHA, manufactured January 1, 2015, to Sept. 16, 2016, equipped with certain Conestoga XP sliding trailer tarping systems with RAD-style rear closures. In the affected trailers, the rear aerodynamic device (RAD) may separate from the rear of the tarping system, due to rivet failure. If the RAD detaches from the trailer it may be a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Wabash National Corporation is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Con-Gear Converter Dolly Trailers manufactured March 31, 2014, to Aug. 6, 2015. In the affected trailers, the frame may crack on the counterbalance leg weld seam or the top plate. The cracks may progress and result in the counterbalance leg detaching while the trailer is being used, possibly causing the counterbalance leg to be a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

DOTY Finalist

Blaine Brothers

T

hings never stay the same too long at Blaine Brothers.

With a focus on customer satisfaction and a management team hungry to serve, the now three-time Truck Parts & Service Distributor of the Year finalist is constantly adapting and evolving to better serve its customers.

“We are always talking about different opportunities and things we can do,” says Dean Dally, president and owner. “I know I couldn’t come up with all of these new ideas on my own, and I’m always willing to listen to an idea someone brings to me.”

One area where the company has recently become active is in capitalizing on supplier-provided training, both for Blaine Brothers’ employees and its customers.

Parts Manager Phil Howard and new Sales Manager Mike Lerach have led the company’s advancement in this area.

Lerach, who came to Blaine Brothers this summer after a long career with two aftermarket suppliers, has worked with Howard to select the best courses to not only train his sales staff, but also to help find the best courses Blaine Brothers can host or bring to fleet customers.

Howard says he can already see the impact among his sales people.

“Our folks have really embraced it,” he says. “We’ve been able to help them grow their knowledge and their skills.”

The commitment to training has allowed Blaine Brothers to strengthen relationships and grow even closer with some of its most important vendors.

“We believe in strong relationships with our vendors and we rely on them as partners to help us grow,” Howard says.

The company also has made strides in inventory

Blaine Brothers at a glance

Source: Google Maps, Blaine Brothers

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Service is a large part of the operation at Blaine Brothers. The company offers towing, drive-in and mobile service from all of its locations.

optimization, implementing a new program for managing new product rollouts that allows Blaine Brothers to better analyze sales data and proactively start dialogue with suppliers when a new line fails to meet early expectations.

Howard says the program includes benchmarks both Blaine Brothers and its suppliers must meet to even consider a new product, and a series of potential actions the company can take to maximize a product’s introduction after it is formally released.

“We lay out a plan for ourselves and our vendors to follow,” Howard says. “We are driven to give a new product the best opportunity to win.”

Updates to the company’s showrooms also have helped increase sales.

Blaine Brothers was one of several distributors to open its showroom to Butch Hill of HD Group before his merchandising program at HDAW in January. Using Hill’s comments as an outline, Howard says he’s made alterations throughout Blaine Brothers’ showrooms. The changes are definitely paying off.

“It’s amazing the difference in the foot traffic and where [customers] go when they come in. It’s way different than before,” Howard says. “It’s worked for sure.”

Then there’s the new North American Trailer facility — one of Blaine Brothers’ family of companies — opening next month in Inver Grove Heights, Minn.

The North American Trailer crew spent years developing the state-of-the-art facility. Considerably larger and more efficient than the two Inver Grove Heights facilities it replaces, the North American Trailer team is eager to enter its new digs.

“Our guys that will end up in that building are watching it go up each day,” Dally says. “They’re ready.”

In addition to its parts and service locations, Blaine Brothers’ sister companies also have multiple locations across Minnesota and North Dakota.

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By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

DOTY Finalist

Harman HVS

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hen Harman Heavy Vehicle Specialists first opened in 1938, it’s safe to say the company’s founders didn’t know it would one day be positioned on one of the world’s busiest highways.

But keeping the business successful for 78 years has required a lot more than a good location. Harman HVS has thrived because it’s leaders have always been willing to evolve, says Vice President of Operations and Marketing Ian Johnston.

There’s no shortage of customers along Southern Ontario’s Kingshighway 401, where Harman’s two parts and one service facilities are found, but there’s no shortage of distributors, either. Succeeding in a congested market has required a proactive approach, and Johnston says that’s something Harman HVS takes to heart.

“We’ve always tried to do things with our future in mind,” he says.

That can be seen in everything the company is doing in 2016. Harman HVS is in the midst of a corporate revolution.

Johnston says the revolution began earlier this decade, when he and his father Jay (Harman HVS president) bought out a former partner to become sole owners of the business.

“One of the things we did [at the time] was take a long look at our long-term business strategy, and at the operational structure of the company,” he says. The duo poured over every aspect of the business, performing a SWOT analysis and evaluating the performance of the business against their goals and expectations.

Though bottom-line numbers were good, the duo found areas where Harman could improve, and have spent the past few years systematically improving them.

Harman HVS at a glance

Harman HVS is in the midst of a facility renaissance. It opened its new Cambridge, Ontario, superstore in 2014 and is building another facility in Woodstock, Ontario, this winter.

This is most evident in Harman’s new, substantially larger facilities.

Harman combined its Kitchener and Cambridge, Ontario, locations into one superstore in Cambridge in 2014, and is building another new facility in Woodstock, Ontario, this year.

The new buildings have lowered the company’s retail count from three stores to two, but thanks to the Johnstons’ planning and development at each location, the new facilities will allow Harman to stock and distribute a higher volume of parts while achieving quicker delivery times and higher fulfillment rates than ever before.

“With the old locations some things were dictated by necessity and not efficiency,” Johnston says. “For the new facilities we’ve tried to make the work flow better, with as few steps as possible.”

The Johnston’s have taken the same approach behind the scenes, zeroing in on product lines and services with the largest growth potential and minimizing fixed costs throughout the business. Using key performance indicators (KPI) to track their performance, Johnston says Harman has developed corporate flexibility to better manage the cyclical nature of the independent aftermarket.

The company has more improvements in the works for 2017 as well. Johnston says Harman plans to roll out a customer relationship management (CRM) system for its sales team early next year, and also has plans to boost the company’s website with an online storefront and training center.

Each move is designed to add value for Harman’s customers.

“We’re focusing on a whole bunch of little things and executing those. All of those little things can add up to a big difference,” Johnston says.

All Harman HVS facilities are positioned near Ontario Kingshighway 401, the busiest roadway in North America.

Source: Google Maps, Harman HVS

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By Jonathan Willis, Associate online editor jonathanwillis@randallreilly.com

Cover Story

Taking care of business

Aftermarket still working to stay up to speed on Obamacare 16

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Cover Story

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he way of doing business continues to evolve and change, bringing with it a constant need to stay on top of things.

One such change came with the introduction of United States’ Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, one of the most expansive pieces of healthcare legislation in American history, which was signed into law on March 23, 2010.

Commonly known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare, the legislation was developed in an effort to increase the number of Americans covered by health insurance and to reduce overall healthcare costs in the United States.

One key component of the ACA that is especially relevant in the aftermarket is the legislation’s requirement that employers with more than 50 employees must provide minimum essential insurance coverage to all associates and their dependents.

The law has forced businesses throughout the trucking industry to make, or at least consider, wholesale changes to their benefits packages.

Employers with less than 50 full-time equivalent employees can still provide insurance for their employees, but they are not required to do so. If a company with less than 50 employees chooses not

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Businesses throughout the trucking industry continue to face changes brought on by the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

to provide insurance, the employees are expected to do so independently, with the employer providing reimbursement.

At Pascale Service Corporation in Rhode Island, Owner Jim Pascale says he’s continued offering coverage for his 23 full-time employees despite the ability to withdraw the coverage under the ACA. “(The ACA) didn’t really affect us in the fact that we had to offer it, because we already did,” Pascale says.

“But certain criteria have changed and that has affected the rates and limits our options as to who we can provide coverage through.”

Pascale’s Human Resources Director Lisa Toye says many smaller insurance providers pop up each year and are quickly gone. She says that creates issues related to what doctors employees can use.

“We want to make sure that our employees have access to the doctors and treatments that they want, so we made a decision to stay away from the newcomers in the marketplace,” she says.

Adding higher deductibles to the

employees’ coverage also has been an unfortunate aspect of growing healthcare costs.

“We have tried being creative in finding ways to keep the costs down and for them not to affect the employees,” Toye says.

The Affordable Care Act also offers small businesses with fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees — with average annual wages below $50,000 — various tax credits to help pay for employee premiums.

And Toye says those credits are tough to get.

“We try and try but have not been able to get the tax credits,” she says.

In cases where a small business decides to offer coverage, the IRS also requires reporting to determine whether employees have been offered affordable, minimum essential coverage, and whether the employer is subject to shared responsibility payments under the Internal Revenue Code.

Requirements are much more detailed for large employers. The IRS says

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Cover Story businesses that employed an average of at least 50 full-time employees and full-time equivalents (FTEs) during the preceding calendar year are considered an applicable large employer (ALE), and are required to offer coverage. Additionally, any person or organization that provides minimum essential coverage to an individual must report to the IRS and furnish statements to individuals.

This includes health insurance issuers, plan sponsors of self-insured group health plan coverage and the executive department or agency of a governmental unit that provides coverage under a government-sponsored program.

All ALEs also must file the report, regardless of whether the employer is a tax-exempt or government entity including federal, state, local, and tribal governments, according to the IRS. For companies such as Four Star Freightliner, which operates six dealerships and employs 180 people, the ACA has forced them to add coverage on items previously not covered through their group insurance.

The Affordable Care Act requires some businesses to cover items that their employees rarely use.

Dealer Principal Jerry Kocan says his company has always offered good health insurance for his employees and their families, but additional benefits do add extra costs to business owners.

“One of the things a business my size has to do is take care of their employees

Does your business need to offer health insurance?

With the passage of the United States’ Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010, all employers with more than 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees are required to provide minimum essential insurance coverage to all associates and their dependents.

The law has forced businesses throughout the trucking industry to make, or at least consider, wholesale changes to their benefits packages.

Employers with less than 50 full-time equivalent employees can still provide health insurance but are not required to do so.

What is a full-time employee?

The Affordable Care Act defines a full-time employee as anyone working more than 30 hours a week or 130 hours per month. Full-time equivalents are determined by adding up all of

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the part-time hours in a month (up to 120 hours/ employee) and dividing by 120. For example, if six employees work 20 hours/week, the employer would have four FTEs.

What is a part-time employee?

Part-time employees are categorized as anyone working less than 30 hours per week, and are included in a staff total on a sliding scale.

An employer can find its number of part-time employees by taking the number of part-time hours it assigns in a month and dividing that by 120. That number plus the number of full-time employees equals the total number of employees for ACA regulations.

For example, a business with 40 full-time employees and 20 part timers accumulating 2,000 total hours has nearly 57 employees under ACA rules.

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and their families,” Kocan says. “I am responsible for 180 families and I have always tried to provide coverage that is good for them.”

The ACA has forced them to put benefits into place, however, that employees rarely or never use.

“It forces us to pay for items that our employees don’t need or have never asked for,” he says. “That is the biggest issue for us.”

Fyda Freightliner, which employees 380 people, has been minimally affected by the ACA, says Controller Patty DePaola.

“Our health plan already covered most things required in the Affordable Care Act,” she says. “About eight years ago we changed our coverage for preventive exams to be covered at 100 percent with no employee copay. We have always stressed preventive exams and want our employees to get them annually. We feel that it is very important that all of our employees have a relationship with a primary care physician and receive all preventive screenings that are age and gender appropriate.”

Cover Story Kocan says Four Star Freightliner now buys gap insurance that helps cover employees’ deductibles and offers a flexible spending account that allows employees to put money in to offset out-of-pocket costs.

“The No. 1 complaint that we get relates to the extra out-of-pocket costs,” he says.

“That’s where we have made the most changes in trying to help our employees cut down on those. That’s a real issue and we want to take that pressure off our employees. They are hard-working, good people and I want to help any way that I can.”

Fyda Freightliner President and CEO Tim Fyda agrees.

“Comprehensive and extensive health care coverage for our associates has always been a priority for us. We feel that it is a differentiator in finding and keeping the best employees,” he says.

“We want our people focusing on their job and not how to pay health care bills. Many aspects of ObamaCare will make this a challenge in the future, such as the ‘Cadillac tax’ and incredibly excessive administrative costs. I am very concerned that small businesses can bear this cost burden in the long run.”

But, good health care plans are also an attractive recruiting tool for most businesses.

“We do mandatory open enrollment meetings every year where we review all of our benefit levels and how they compare with industry averages. Our benefits continue to be more extensive and cost our employees less than industry averages,” DePaola says.

“We also spend a lot of time in our meetings going over our wellness programs. We need our employees to make good personal choices to do everything they can to reduce their personal risks and help contain health care costs.”

Kocan partially attributes Four Star’s

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low-employee turnover to his ability to provide an extensive health care plan.

“We put a high emphasis on good pay and good benefits,” he says.

“I want to keep our employees for life.

Untitled-8 1

Taking care of them and their families make them want to work for us, so it is imperative that they know we care about them and will do all we can to take care of them.”

See how you can handle specialty assemblies www.hunter.com/tps

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9:33 AM

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

Service Bay

Bracing for impact Winterizing customers’ equipment for the weather ahead

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s days get shorter and nights get colder, fleets and owneroperators throughout North America are once again turning their attention toward winter.

Service providers should be doing the same.

Winter is the toughest season for heavy equipment, and one most vehicle owners avoid battling unprepared.

Aftermarket service providers offering comprehensive winterization inspections and maintenance programs now offer peace of mind to customers dreading the cold, wet days ahead.

Any service provider offering a winterization package of

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their own would be advised to include inspection points for the following parts and systems:

Tires Tires are at risk during all weather extremes. Oppressive summer heat drives air pressure up while chilly winter weather does the opposite, driving tire pressure down and causing under inflation.

Gary Clark, market manager at GCR Tires & Service, says under-inflated tires greatly increase the likelihood of a failure that leads a customer “to being parked on the side of the road.”

Clark says to never reinflate a truck tire that has

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been run at very low inflation pressure (80 percent or less of normal operating pressure) without a complete inspection of the entire tire.

Immediately have the tire demounted and inspected by a qualified tire service professional to determine the cause for the air loss and usability.

“Tires lose up to 2 PSI for every 10°F of change in temperature,” adds John Carpenter, field service manager for Toyo Tire Canada. “A 5 PSI loss is enough to sacrifice handling, traction and durability.”

In regions where snow and ice are especially common, GCR Store Manager Matt Ellis says siping — a process where tiny incisions are made

into the tread of a tire to expose more rubber to the road — also can provide additional traction and improve vehicle control.

Wheels Heavy-duty truck wheels are manufactured with metals that are vulnerable to corrosion. And with a growing subsection of municipalities turning to extremely aggressive road salts and de-icers to keep roads clean in the winter, wheels are increasingly coming under attack.

Winterization inspections should allow time for examining and cleaning all wheels to remove rust and identify corrosion. Any wheel (or wheel attaching part) displaying corrosion that has begun to weaken the integrity of the unit should be immediately replaced.

Brakes As bad as road salts are on wheels, brakes have it even worse. Coated by abrasive road chemicals thrown upward by tires while in motion, brakes and other under carriage parts are equally susceptible to degradation from corrosion and lack the premium exterior position to be easily cleaned.

The phenomenon of rust jacking (where corrosive chemicals seep into a brake system between a pad and shoe table and over time push the two units apart, weakening brake performance) is

almost exclusively the result of these events.

And that’s just from winter moisture. When temperatures drop below freezing things get even worse.

“I’d bet the majority of our [winter] service calls are due to locked up brakes,” says Ellis, referring to brakes that get covered with snow and road chemicals then corrode, freeze, and become inoperable.

Full brake replacements during a winter PM will limit, but not eliminate, the risks for both problems.

Electrical systems Fighting corrosion is the No. 1 priority for electrical systems in the winter as well, says Tom Begin, director of innovation and emerging technology at Phillips Industries.

Similar to how tires throw moisture and chemicals at wheels and tires, electrical currents attract moisture to wires and lighting systems.

Begin says technicians performing winterization inspections should apply dialectic grease to all connections as a first line of defense against winter moisture and corrosive chemicals. He says checking for proper voltage levels across all electrical systems is another must-do. Once that is complete, all weakened systems should be inspected further to identify root causes, and any corrosion found should be removed and the wiring replaced.

Begin says wire splicing

should be avoided as much as possible.

“We never recommend that you cut through your insulation,” he says. “Harnesses come in sections. They are designed that way for a reason. If you have to make a change, replace that section.”

Batteries also should be included during the electrical step of an inspection.

Because most heavy-duty truck batteries are lead acid based, they are impacted by the ‘lead acid paradox,’ says Doyle Choate, U.S. director of heavy-duty aftermarket sales at Exide Technologies.

Choate describes the paradox as “the colder it gets the more cranking power you need. But the colder it gets the less current you actually get because the current is produced by a chemical reaction.”

An additional concern of which to be aware is the danger of leaving batteries in a low state of charge. The process of discharging dilutes the acids within the battery and creates water, therefore becoming increasingly susceptible to freezing. Choate says technicians should measure a battery’s voltage and cold cranking amp (CCA) ability during all inspections, and should recharge or replace a battery when low readings are uncovered.

“I would say if a battery tests at lower than 12.35 volts the chances of regularly starting the truck are not good,” he says.

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Photo courtesy Luber-finer®

Service Bay

Replacing filters is just one of many necessary steps in a winterization service stop.

Oil & Fuel Fluid checks are another necessity during winterization and pre-trip inspections, says Rommel Atienza, commercial brand manager at Chevron.

Atienza says severe cold thickens heavy-duty engine oils and creates “resistance” that inhibits proper flow. This problem is most common at starting but can persist during regular operation if not addressed. Additionally, thickened oil accelerates engine wear, ruins related components and eventually can trigger cataclysmic engine and vehicle failures.

Diesel fuel has its own list of winter-related issues.

Similar to oil, diesel can thicken and start gelling once temperatures fall below the fuel’s “cold filter plugging point,” says Mark Kardon, director of marketing at Penray.

This has multiple effects, none of them good.

“Once a fuel starts to crystallize or gel it becomes un-filterable,” says Scott Henningsen, senior field service engineer at Donaldson.

Kardon says gelled fuel also clogs fuel injectors, creates hard starts and craters fuel economy.

Fuel cleaners, conditioners and other treatments added to a fuel system during fueling or winterization inspections are the most common treatments to combat these risks.

Kardon says these chemical treatments can be purchased for individual fuel fills and in bulk depending on customer preferences.

Coolant The most common coolants used in the trucking industry today are 50-50 ethylene glycol and water concentrations with freeze points of approximately -34°F, says Stede Granger, OEM technical

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Service Bay

Adding dialectic grease to all connectors is the best defense against moisture and corrosive chemicals that can destroy electrical systems.

manager at Shell Lubricants.

That number may appear plenty safe from a distance, but Granger says freeze protection levels can change over time for coolants depending on their environment and duty cycle. Freeze protection levels should be checked regularly to ensure they have not changed due to the addition of water or loss of water over time. Which makes a coolant freeze protection test with a refractometer a must for any winterization inspection.

John Myers, heavyduty business development manager at Prestone Command, says a visual cooling system inspection also should complement a coolant performance test.

“Look for debris, rust coloration to the antifreeze/ coolant and low levels. Check hoses, clamps and belts. Make sure the cooling system fan is operating properly, the temperature gauge is properly working and remember, check your heater operation before you take off for that long haul,” says Meyers, adding “Check often. There is no harm in inspecting the cooling system in extreme winter

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weather conditions every 10,000 to 15,000 miles, or less if the truck is going through a gallon or more antifreeze/ coolant a month.”

And in cases where coolant needs to be added, Granger says aftermarket businesses should inform customers that a 50-50 mix isn’t their only coolant option. Most coolants provide even lower freeze points when upped to 60 percent ethylene glycol — but oddly, their freeze points rise dramatically once they surpass that 60 percent threshold. Sixty percent antifreeze and 40 percent water is the maximum concentration Shell recommends in vehicles, especially in extreme cold.

“The freeze point for 100 percent ethylene glycol is actually about 10°F,” Granger says.

Filters The gelling and sludge points above make filters a clear must-check item for any winterization inspection.

Layne Gobrogge, director of heavy-duty marketing for Luber-finer, says filters are first line of defense (and typically the first casualties) of

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fluids weakened by winter.

“In winter temperatures, fluids become more viscous and create more resistance to flow,” he says. “This can be especially noticeable in fuel filters with the cloud/gel point of fuel where the waxes solidify and block the flow of fuel through the filter media.”

Air filters take their own winter-related beatings from snow and moisture and are equally at risk of clogging and reduced performance, adds Donald Chilton, vice president of product management at WIX Filters.

In each case, manufacturers recommend service providers check all filters during winterization maintenance, replacing worn units and any filter that has been compromised.

Regarding air filters, Chilton says “a quick glance at the air filter is recommended in extreme conditions. A visual inspection of the air box or housing will show any blockage.”

Maximum protection winter fluid filters — built to better withstand gelling and thickening — also are available for customers in the harshest climates.

Engines & Related Components Engines are rarely the focal point of PM stops but service providers still need to include them in any winterization service offering. Inspecting the fluids and filters mentioned

above will minimize risks of premature engine failures but won’t uncover all winterrelated risks.

Cummins Director of North American OEM Service Ron Chapman says his company advises vehicle owners and service providers to perform detailed visual inspections at the outset of the winter and then supplement those inspections with additional scheduled checks.

In the worst climates, Cummins also recommends engine modifications to better equip their engines for the harsh environments, Chapman says.

“Our directions typically depend on the type of climate the unit will be operating in,” he says. “We have temperature ranges where we will specify what type of modifications need to be made.”

Chapman says this information can be found in engine maintenance manuals, service bulletins and through Cummins’ customer support.

In addition to the engine itself, there are other under hood components that should be inspected — and in some cases installed — ahead of the winter.

Chapman mentions coolant and oil heaters and temperature control fan drives as a few examples, while Henningsen adds fuel filter heaters and fuel water separators.

Henningsen says tractors equipped with these components should be inspected

Service Bay

Accessories/Driver needs Finally, windshield wipers, fenders, mud flaps and trailer aerodynamic devices each deserve a quick peek during winterization maintenance.

Wipers are best replaced, while fenders, mud flaps and trailer aero products should be checked to ensure proper installation.

Then there are driver needs. Extra wiper blades, filters, belts, hoses, fuel additives and winter-centric items such as chains, flashlights, bunk heaters and blankets are all items distributors and service providers should offer

Photo courtesy Prestone Command®

in the fall and parts should be replaced when necessary, and says other tractors lacking the technology can have each product installed fairly quickly during winterization maintenance.

Belts, hoses, wiring and other under hood components also should be checked during this stage. Henningsen mentions rubber components specifically due to their increased risk of freezing and cracking in cold climates.

“Cold weather brings the worst out in a lot of components,” he says. “You have to make sure they haven’t degraded.”

When temperatures drop, coolant marketers say moving from a 50-50 to 6040 ethylene glycol to water mix proivdes lower freeze point protection.

in addition to winterization maintenance.

Even the most comprehensive preventive maintenance work cannot eliminate downtime, and no end user should be unprepared if they end up in a snow bank or stuck on the side of an icy road.

“Our top priority for our customers is safety,” Atienza says. “We recommend [end user] customers make sure they are prepared for any scenario, including having an emergency bag in case a truck breaks down and they are stranded.”

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Maximizing your MPT™ – miles per tire – is essential. And Meritor® is the MPT leader. Our Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS™) by P.S.I. extends tire life by up to 10 percent. And our ThermALERT™ option adds protection from wheelend overheating. When you total all the benefits, MTIS can pay for itself in under one year. Visit our online MTIS payback calculator at MeritorCYA.com. ©2016 Meritor, Inc.

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Marketplace

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

Ultra wide-base drive tire

Proprietary tandem axle

Yokohama Tire Corporation introduces its first-ever BluEarth commercial tire, the BluEarth 709L ultra wide base (UWB) drive tire.

SmartWay-verified and designed for maximum fuel efficiency, the 709L is available now in size 445/50R22.5.

It also has a six-year retread warranty.

Various bumper, fender parts Dorman HD Solutions has released its monthly crop of new former dealer only parts to its heavy-duty aftermarket product offering.

This month the products include a bumper end cap, bumper extension, bumper trim, exhaust manifolds and fender support brackets.

Articulated steel piston AFA Industries introduces an Articulated Steel Piston for Detroit Diesel engines.

The piston is available with 16.5:1 C.R. and a 3.0 mm top piston ring featuring the company’s proprietary coating designed to reduce high heat scuffing and provide added break-in protection.

AFA says it also has piston kits, in-frame and complete overhaul kits for DD Series 50 8.5-liter and DD Series 60 11.1-liter and 12.7-liter engine families.

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Paccar is launching a new proprietary tandem axle that the company says is the industry’s lightest and most efficient axle in its class, The new axle is rated at 40,000 lbs., supporting a gross combination weight of 80,000 lbs. The Paccar axle offers ratios from 2.47 to 3.70 with engine torque compatibility up to 1,650 ft.-lb. and multitorque rating compatibility up to 1,750 ft.-lb.

Kenworth and Peterbilt will begin offering the axle to customers in January 2017, Paccar says.

Lightweight aftermarket brake drum Meritor has expanded its wheel-end portfolio to include Opti-Lite brake drums that offer costconscious aftermarket consumers a new lightweight drum option.

Meritor says Opti-Lite drums are offered in the most popular wheel-end configurations for steer, drive and trailer axle applications. For ease when ordering, Meritor says the Opti-Lite brake drums will carry the same base nomenclature as the genuine STEELite X30 offering with the number 50 included as a prefix for product clarification.

The prefix 50 is associated with all Opti-Lite series part numbers.

Additionally, Meritor says Opti-Lite brake drums are covered by Meritor’s standard aftermarket warranty.

Marketplace

Air disc brake pads Marathon Brake Systems introduces DiscStar Highway Premium (DSHP) brake pads designed for air disc brake systems used in on-highway truck, tractor steer and drive axles and motor coach applications.

Marathon says DSHP is premium

low-metallic friction material rated for 23,000 lbs. The high-performance commercial vehicle disc pads feature exceptional rotor compatibility and show up to 33 percent less brake rotor wear than leading OE linings, Marathon says.

Retrofitable in-ground lifts Rotary Lift introduces three retrofit options for service providers looking to upgrade older heavy-duty in-ground lifts.

Rotary Lift’s 70Q, MOD30 and MOD35 heavy-duty inground lifts are available as direct structural “frame only” replacements for all Rotary Lift standard inground lifts, as well as most competitive inground lifts of this vintage. If an existing pit is still good, Rotary Lift says this strategy can save shops up to 50 percent of the cost of installing a new heavy-duty inground lift.

In-line gear reduction starter motor Prestolite Electric’s Leece-Neville Heavy Duty Systems has introduced a powerful and highly robust new in-line gear reduction starter motor (the M110608) for Paccar MX-11 and MX-13 engines and Peterbilt and Kenworth 2007 and newer applications up to 16L. According to the company, the inline, gear-reduction design helps ensure greater power from a lighter unit that can easily fit within tighter spaces.

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Marketplace

Air tank kit for suspension

Adhesive wheel weights

Ridewell Suspensions now offers a preplumbed, factory integrated air tank kit option for the self-steering RSS-233 8K, 10K, and 13K suspension systems.

Ridewell says the kit includes a 1,300 cubic in. air tank and a pressure protection valve (PPV). A 30 amp relay for lift in reverse operation, pigtail and high flow Lift Axle Control Module (LACM) are included to remove the need for an air control kit enclosure. A pressure gauge, pressure regulator and hoses for primary air supply connections to complete vehicle installation can be purchased separately to be shipped with the suspension.

Plombco has launched StickPro, a new brand of adhesive wheel weights and related accessories.

The StickPro brand, in addition to the adhesive wheel weights, also includes a full line of tools, accessories and cleaners necessary to properly remove the existing weight and left over adhesive residue, the company says.

Off The Line Spotlighting a new OEM innovation

Cummins debuts new X15 series engines Cummins on Wednesday has started production on its newest heavy-duty engine line, the X15.

According to Cummins, X15 engines exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2017 greenhouse gas (GHG) and fuelefficiency standards, with lower fuel consumption, extended service intervals, enhanced performance and the highest quality standards across a 400 to 605 horsepower ratings range.

Both configurations are available in limited production through the remainder of 2016 with full production beginning in January, 2017, Cummins says.

“I am proud of the innovative, hard work that has gone into this game-changing engine platform, and we are excited to see these important products rolling off the line,” says Srikanth Padmanabhan, president, Engine Business, at Cummins. “Attention to detail was paramount from product design, to our talented colleagues bringing them to life on the manufacturing floor, to every step in between.

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T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6

Welding fumes extraction tool Chief introduces its new welding fume extractor, which the company says helps lower a technician’s risk of breathing harmful airborne particulates by capturing weld fumes before they can reach the technician’s breathing zone.

The Chief fume extractor’s arm is manufactured of powder-coated aluminum with cast aluminum joints.

This heavy-duty construction helps prevent wear and breakage in even the most demanding shop settings.

The 7 ft.-arm holds a bell-shaped extraction hood with an integrated 360-degree handle for easy maneuvering, and an ember catcher prevents hot particles from reaching the filter, the company says.

New heavy-duty engine oils Petro-Canada Lubricants has revealed its API CK-4 and FA-4 diesel engine oil product line, DURON. The line will be available Dec. 1 and Petro-Canada says it represents the most durable, high performance line of heavy-duty diesel engine oils to-date. The product line will be available in four performance tiers: ■ DURON HP (High Performance) ■ DURON SHP (Super High Performance) ■ DURON UHP (Ultra High Performance) ■ DURON Advanced (API FA-4)

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