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Fleetowner 39462 Truck Breakdown Beeldbewerking Getty
Fleetowner 39462 Truck Breakdown Beeldbewerking Getty
Fleetowner 39462 Truck Breakdown Beeldbewerking Getty

Meritor creates express parts delivery unit for emergency repairs

Nov. 19, 2019
The axle and brake maker will launch the special group Jan. 1, 2020, to provide customers with higher uptime.

A few weeks ago, Meritor launched an array of products to capitalize on the e-mobility movement sweeping the transportation sector. Now the 110-year-old manufacturer based out of Troy, MI, is adopting a speedy e-commerce-style approach to parts delivery with the creation of the Uptime Services Group.

Beginning the very first day of the next decade, the new unit will focus on expediting special order parts not in stock to a customer during emergency situations, such as for an emergency repair.

This also extends to parts in short supply and includes brake and axle components as well as remanufactured carriers, clutches, transmissions, driveline and suspension components. With this new “Meritorious” service, each customer will be given special treatment, with one point-of-contact to streamline communications and provide accurate delivery expectations.

“Customer service has always been a priority for Meritor and the Uptime Services Group’s focus on fulfilling special orders is a further commitment to that,” said Christy Westrich, director of customer loyalty. “We know how important uptime is to our customers, and we do everything within our power to expedite orders for the parts needed to get vehicles back on the road.”     

Meritor has made its largest aftermarket distribution facility in Florence, KY, the headquarters for the specialty group. The facility — 20 minutes from Cincinnati and 90 minutes from Louisville — manages 23 product lines and more than 70,000 active parts numbers.

And downtime is inevitable. The American Trucking Associations Technology & Maintenance Council found the average truckload carrier breakdown interval was 10,663 miles in Q4 2018, a 3% increase from Q4 2017. And every minute counts, as the costs of downtime beyond the actual repair can range anywhere from $400 to more than $1,000 a day. Extended periods of downtime, which would happen while waiting for a part, may exacerbate an already tenuous driver availability issue going on with fleets. 

“If they aren’t on the road and earning, drivers may find a new job,” added Jim Nachtman, marketing director, heavy-duty segment, for Navistar, which has one of the largest distribution and services networks.

About the Author

John Hitch | Editor

John Hitch, based out of Cleveland, Ohio, is the editor of Fleet Maintenance, a B2B magazine that addresses the service needs for all commercial vehicle makes and models (Classes 1-8), ranging from shop management strategies to the latest tools to enhance uptime.

He previously wrote about equipment and fleet operations and management for FleetOwner, and prior to that, manufacturing and advanced technology for IndustryWeek and New Equipment Digest. He is an award-winning journalist and former sonar technician aboard a nuclear-powered submarine.

For tips, questions or comments, email [email protected].

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