Distributors and dealers are the primary source 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 wheel seals and bearings for 1996 showed that 31.5% of wheel seals for heavy-duty vehicles were purchased from distributors. Truck dealers were also widely used as a source, supplying wheel seals for 29.3% of heavy-duty vehicles. Jobbers/parts houses served as a source for 22.0% of the wheel seals purchased for heavy-duty vehicles.
Analysis of the data by GVW class shows that truck dealers were used as a source of wheel seals for heavy-duty vehicles more frequently than they were for midrange and medium-duty vehicles. Use of jobbers/parts houses increased as GVW increased, with heavy- and medium-duty vehicles using this source for wheel seals much more than midrange vehicles do (Fig. 1).
Data for heavy-duty vehicles was also analyzed in terms of fleets that purchase only new vehicles vs. those that purchase only used vehicles. The results indicate that `new only' fleets purchased 39.4% of their wheel seals from heavy-duty distributors and 27.5% from truck dealers, while `used only' fleets used these sources for 17.0% and 20.1%, respectively, of their wheel seal purchases (Fig. 2).
`Used only' fleets purchased 32.5% from jobbers/parts houses and 21.6% from independent garages, vs. 17.3% and 0.2%, respectively, for `new only' fleets (Fig. 2). These sourcing differences can be attributed to different operational frameworks, the new truck/ dealership relationship (warranty coverage, etc.), and the fact that 'used only' fleets are generally smaller than new only fleets.
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: Robert Shumaker, S.W. Jack Drilling Co., Indiana, Pa.; Mario Nava, Greyhound Lines Inc., Dallas, Tex.; and John Thompson, South Dakota DOT, Pierre, S.D.
