Coming together: Daimler’s Elite Support program pushes for consistency in service experience
“Any bad experience has more impact than the three great experience the customer had before. That’s why we are going to raise the bar in our dealer network,” said Friedrich Baumann, senior vice president of Daimler’s aftermarket division. It’s a sentiment that the OE is taking seriously, as it gathered dealers, customers and editors together
Maintenance management structure: Centralized or decentralized?
What is the best structure for a good low cost provider maintenance program? Would that be centralized or decentralized? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each. Centralized This is where maintenance programs, policies and procedures or developed and managed and controlled from. You typically find this in a corporate office with
Power to the people: Truck stop electrification
We are a power-hungry society. Of course, I mean electrical power. Walk into any coffee shop and you’re sure to find people huddled around plugged-in mobile workstations; glance around any airport and you’ll see people uncomfortably tethered to the closest outlet. Today’s truck drivers are no different—they demand power for their sleeper creature comforts. There’s
Using electronic vehicle inspection reporting to replace written forms
Accurate and descriptive vehicle inspection reports can play a pivotal role in ensuring properly functioning fifth wheels, air and electrical systems and other systems and components, notes Fred Fakkema, vice president of compliance for Zonar. “Fleets that turn to an electronic vehicle inspection reporting [EVIR] system to replace written inspection forms,” he says, “have access
Mack lowers maintenance costs with extended service intervals
With a focus on reducing the total cost of ownership for customers, Mack Trucks announced that it is extending service intervals for diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and diesel engine oil and filter changes on all model year 2011 and newer Mack models powered by Mack MP7, MP8 or MP10 engines. Over the life of a
Defining downtime to make effective service choices
Any fleet manager will tell you that well maintained vehicles are safer, more fuel efficient and can provide for a longer and lower cost service life. For that reason, they would say, planned downtime for maintenance and repair events is a good investment. “While some downtime is a necessary and routine part of doing business
Eaton strengthens field service
Power management company Eaton has added a series of enhancements to the company’s Roadranger service network to better meet the needs of North American heavy-duty trucking customers. These include: Upgrading the features in the company’s popular Service-Ranger 4 online diagnostics and service software; Extending the availability of the Roadranger Call Center to now include 24/7/365
Michelin Advantage Program launches app
Michelin Americas Truck Tires launched a new smart phone app for its Michelin Advantage Program members, which consist of fleets and owner operators with less than 100 vehicles. The app is designed to meet the specific needs of businesses that may not have all the available resources of larger operators, said Michelin. “The Michelin Advantage Program
Meritor WABCO introduces new programming tool
Meritor WABCO introduced a new programming tool that helps significantly shorten deliver times of replacement electronic control units for antilock braking systems. Beginning in spring 2015, service centers can use the Aftermarket Programming Tool to configure a new line of partially programmed control units to specific vehicle settings, said Meritor WABCO. “Technology like our new
Four ways to shorten truck breakdown times
In a perfect world, trucks would never break down. But you’re not operating in a perfect world. While you can take steps to lessen the chance of a breakdown, there’s no way to completely eliminate them. Despite your best preventive maintenance efforts, products will still fail and your trucks are occasionally going to break down.
SAF-Holland Aftermarket introduces parts on demand electronic catalog
SAF-Holland, a global manufacturer of suspension, fifth wheel, landing gear and coupling products, introduced its Aftermarket Parts on Demand (POD) electronic parts catalog. “At SAF-Holland, we will see great benefits by providing our distributors with the right tools,” said Juan Hernandez, international marketing and sourcing manager. “POD is one of those tools – one of the most
Timken showcases commercial vehicle TechTips
The Timken Co. debuted more than a dozen new commercial vehicle TechTips at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week. Timken will showcase its technical training and products at the industry trade show in Las Vegas, from Jan. 26-29. Timken launched TechTips to provide a free online resource that offers proper bearing handling and maintenance advice for commercial