Heavy Duty Trucking, January 2018

AFTERMARKET INSIGHT HDT JANUARY 2018 42 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM Denise L Rondini Aftermarket Contributing Editor drondini@ truckinginfo com ore than ever fleets are focusing on maximizing vehicle uptime Having the right parts on hand for a repair is one key component to achieving this goal Recognizing this need truck and component manufacturers are stepping up and making changes to their online parts catalogs Cummins recently launched www parts cummins com which it calls an innovative approach to its online parts catalog Users can search the site for parts information using any serial or part number available on their Cummins engine or components including Holset turbos Onan generators aftertreatment solutions and Fleetguard filtration solutions Cummins says customers no longer have to go to multiple sites to research Cummins associated parts Parts cummins com was built to empower our customers success by finding the right part the first time every time says Mike Champlin director of aftermarket information management for Cummins Katherine Stevens Cummins aftermarket information program manager explains that the development and release of the site was motivated by functional strategic and technical factors Functionally 75 of all the traffic on our existing service website QuickServe Online visited the parts catalog Seeing this as the largest content draw for our engine customers we strategically tried to improve our overall parts catalog experience with our global customers She adds With features like a part number search individual part graphics and future part catalog language translations coming in Q2 2018 users feel confident that the part they see on the website is the correct part to keep them up and running Parts pages include part dimensions alternative parts options and applicable part related kits to ensure customers get all the parts they need the first time the company said in a recent press release Once the fleet finds the correct part it can create a pick list on the website and then export print or email that list to its local parts provider Cummins says this allows customers to get back on the road as quickly as possible In the future the company plans to enable the capability to electronically share the pick list with a fleets Cummins parts provider Stevens says this will enable a smooth transition from research to fulfillment In another development TRP the all makes parts program from Paccar unveiled a new all makes parts catalog on www TRPParts com The company says the new catalog offers customers a more efficient online parts experience TRP says it is the first to use Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards as a navigation tool to search for parts Fleets often buy parts from multiple sources and it can be confusing if different vendors call the same part by different names Using the nine digit VMRS code lets fleet managers know they are ordering the exact part they need We have developed a new way of using VMRS to display product information in an industry standardized format explains Matt Treadwell general marketing manager for Paccar Parts This strategic solution helps users identify the parts they need faster and maximize uptime for our customers The site also allows fleets to search for a part a number of different ways including by keyword TRP part number or competitor part number Fleets can also access authorized TRP retail locations and learn about parts promotions Parts suppliers step up online presence Denise Rondini offers information and insight to help fleet managers make smart parts and service choices A highly respected freelance writer in the transportation industry she has covered the aftermarket and dealer parts and service issues since 1982 and now covers those areas exclusively for Heavy Duty Trucking and Truckinginfo com She can be reached at drondini@ truckinginfo com or 773 951 8563 M The goal is to help fleets find the right part the first time every time