Recenty in Fleet Owners.com Blog Sean Kilcarr discused the incressing trend toward aftermerkt heavy truck parts. This is some of what Sean said, see the link for the whole atical. http://fleetowner.com/blog/aftermarket-trends-and-trucking Aftermarket trends and trucking by Sean Kilcarr in Trucks at Work As a result of all this, several new trends are forming that Ferro believes will significantly affect the aftermarket parts arena for suppliers and fleets alike. They are: Growth of private brands in the aftermarket: Most OEMs and many large independent distributors are creating their own parts brand to speed up repairs, drive service business into the dealerships and stores and to offer new choices to the customer. Greater influence of information services on the parts business: More fleet operators are becoming comfortable with shopping and buying their parts on the Internet and often go online to make comparisons. Whether looking for parts availability or learning and training tools, online information continues to play a greater role in the aftermarket. Appeal growing for “all-makes” parts where it makes sense: Today’s truck operators serve more markets, offer more services and support more applications than ever before, explained Ferro, so it’s not always practical for them to maintain an inventory of genuine replacement parts spanning the multiple brands of today’s mixed fleet. When suppliers implement the concept of all-makes parts, truck operators can enjoy the benefits of “one-stop shopping” while dealers and distributors can streamline inventory and capture more business regardless of a fleet’s brand composition. Growth of “value brand” all-makes part sales: In particular, second and third vehicle owners are turning to “value brands” or all-makes parts due to lower costs, proven performance criteria and extensive laboratory testing of parts. “Good-enough” parts typically don’t hurt on-highway fleets because the parts usually take the vehicles through to trade. The refuse industry tried “good enough,” but after finding the price compromise equaled shorter component life, made a quick retreat back to “genuine” long-life components. Spec’ing software to drive more of the parts strategy: To deliver application-specific requirements for transit, utility, military and municipal vehicles, suppliers must know and prepare for specific vocational demands, said Ferro, so field representatives use spec’ing software can now better help determine what specific components will deliver the best performance for the way a vehicle is being used at the time of repair. Continued growth in remanufactured components: Key advantages include lower cost, nationwide warranty and reliable quality. Remanufactured truck and trailer components are products of a process that includes disassembly, cleaning, rigorous inspection and qualifying, in addition to replacement, reassembly and testing. Ferro thinks reman components are ideal for customers who want performance, service life and warranty support without the cost of new components. Remanufacture of trailers, chassis, and even tractors built with glider kits is a new trend in the aftermarket business.