The following comes from the August 2017 issue of Truck Parts & Service. To read a digital version of the magazine, please click the image below.
Part of life as an independent aftermarket distributor is the understanding that you can’t have every part for every customer every day. Good distributors stock as much as possible, but without access to everything, the possibility a customer one day requests a part you don’t have is an eventuality.
In these instances, where the options are send the customer away or find another route to serving their needs, independent aftermarket distributors avoiding the former must accept the reality of the latter: that sometimes, the independent aftermarket is reliant on truck dealers.
In a market as competitive as today’s parts industry, that reliance can create uneasiness on both sides. But with a focus on the end user and the importance of fulfilling his needs, independent distributors can forge sturdy relation-ships with dealers that eventually benefit both sides.
“There is intense competition between us and the dealers, but there’s no question we have to rely on them sometimes,” says Midwest Truck Parts President Howard Siegel.
“It’s not something that we have to do daily, but we have to do it. Every company in this industry has to go to competitors because our customers (the fleets) are always in a hurry.”
