The Timken Company announced Wednesday plans to expand its portfolio of Timken tapered roller bearing sets, hub units and seals for medium-duty vehicles.
The new products are now available to distributors serving the commercial-vehicle industry.
“We and our distributors see strong demand from the medium-duty vehicle market sector,” says Tom Tecklenburg, director of commercial vehicle original equipment and automotive aftermarket for Timken. “Today, nearly 40 percent of commercial vehicles are considered medium-duty and that number continues to grow as businesses increasingly opt for smaller vehicles to save fuel costs, particularly for in-city deliveries.”
Until recently, access to replacement bearings and hubs for vehicles in weight classes 4 – 6 was limited, while recent research indicates the medium-duty vehicle market sector is growing at a faster pace than the global gross domestic product, due to rising demand for freight mobility and more efficient in-city deliveries. In addition, medium-duty vehicles stay on the road longer. The average U.S. medium-duty truck is more than 11 years old.
“The cost of labor and lost productivity due to failure of an economy bearing can easily exceed the price of a premium bearing and hub unit,” says Tecklenburg. “To help keep their trucks running well while carrying heavy loads in stop-and-go traffic, many medium-duty truck owners and operators are choosing long-lasting Timken premium bearings.”
