Truck dealers supply nearly 34% of shafts and gears for heavy-duty vehicles
How do your parts buying practices compare to those of your peers? Results from the FLEET OWNER Aftermarket Monitor survey on manual transmissions for 1997 showed that truck dealers were used as a source of manual transmission shafts and gears for heavy-duty vehicles 33.4% of the time.
When we look at data segmented by GVW class, we can see that use of truck dealers and heavy-duty distributors was highest for heavy-duty vehicles, and decreased as GVW decreased. Use of jobbers/parts houses and transmission specialists was highest for midrange vehicles, and decreased as GVW increased.
In looking at a vocational segmentation of the heavy-duty data, we can see that for-hire fleets were the most frequent users of truck dealers (41.3%) and manufacturer-direct purchasing (24.2%) as sources for these parts. Owner-operators used jobbers/parts houses (34.1%) and heavy-duty distributors (29.7%) more frequently than did other vocations. This segment also went to used-truck dealers less frequently (19.8%) than did all other vocations ( Fig. 1).
Severe-duty private fleets used heavy-duty distributors and independent garages as sources more frequently (29.7% and 13.5%, respectively) than did other vocational segments. Transmission specialists were used as a source for manual transmission shafts and gears most frequently by the regular-duty private fleet segment (13.6%) ( Fig. 1).
When the data is segmented by fleet size, we can see that use of truck dealers and manufacturers-direct increased as fleet size increased. Conversely, use of jobbers/parts houses, heavy-duty distributors, and transmission specialists decreased as fleet size increased (Fig. 2).
The Aftermarket Monitor divides components into 15 major groups and sends out more than 4,000 questionnaires each month to commercial vehicle operators. Parts categories covered are diesel engines; gas engines; electrical and lights; air brakes, wheel seals and bearings; hydraulic brakes, wheel seals and bearings; manual transmissions and clutches; automatic transmissions; drive axles, universal joints and drivelines, and PTO drives; exhaust components and engine cooling systems; front suspension and shock absorbers; rear suspensions and springs; engine oil and filtration systems; tires; electronics, wheels and fifth wheels; seats, mirrors, tanks, and leak detection equipment; and paint.
For more information on FLEET OWNER's Aftermarket Monitor, call Tom Duncan at 914-287-6710.
The following individuals recently received prizes for participating in last month's survey: James Bailey, Hogan Livestock Co., Dublin, Ga.; Clifford Berchtold, Monroe Woodbury Transport, Monroe, N.Y.; and Ron Clivio, Continental Baking co., Long Beach, Calif.
The Aftermarket Report is a snapshot of information gathered each month as part of an ongoing research project known as FLEET OWNER's Aftermarket Monitor. It is intended to keep readers informed of important trends and new developments in the commercial-truck aftermarket.
(Note: For more information on charts mentioned in article, refer to page 112 of FLEET OWNER's April issue.)
