I’m always stunned by how much after treatment service costs. The numbers are truly astounding.
Back in January when the topic came up at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue, Lee Long with Southeastern Freight Lines confessed that his fleet “spent $1 million just on [diesel particulate filters] alone” in 2016. Swift’s Gloria Pliler didn’t report any numbers, but speaking on behalf of one of the most proactive maintenance fleets in North America, Pliler said her employer is outsourcing DPF maintenance because of cost and time associated with making so many emission system repairs.
The numbers weren’t any better at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) meeting in February. In releasing a new line of DPFs and diesel oxidation catalysts, Denso’s Frank Jenkins reported industry research shows after treatment system maintenance—a category that didn’t exist before 2007—will trail only tires as the largest cost associated with fleet maintenance by the end of the decade.
Can you imagine what that must be like for fleets? A technology they had no control over was forcefully implemented into their operations, and in just a decade has become so thoroughly and exhaustively expensive that it has surpassed nearly every other cost in their business. And those other costs didn’t go away, either. They still need to maintain their wheel ends and electrical systems and air lines and engine and everything else that makes a truck go, while also finding the funds for a gargantuan expense they never asked for and are struggling to control.
That does not sound fun.
The good—or the least bad thing, considering the circumstances—for fleets, is that costs in other areas have been much less volatile.
The early years of after treatment corresponded to the worst years of our recent recession. Not every fleet made it out alive. But those who did survived by optimizing their service and maintenance schedules for everything else, and developing a strategy that allowed them to budget for uncertainty in one area by stabilizing others.
This is an area where I think the after-market can thrive.
I don’t expect any of you to solve the after treatment problem. It’d be amazingly profitable if you did, but that’s not a realistic expectation for anyone in our industry at this point. Where the aftermarket can step up and help fleets is through proactive after treatment and emission monitoring.
What do I mean by monitoring?
Start looking at the data available in our industry on these components and their failure rates. One advantage to after treatment’s recent introduction into our industry is data availability. The life cycle and performance of after treatment components have been tracked since day one. Go find out which parts fail the most, and when.
Talk with your customers. Ask them for more information on the circumstances behind when they come to you for after treatment parts and service. Figure out what they’re doing, what you’ve been doing to help them, and then improve it.
At TMC last month there also was a fleet panel on after treatment maintenance. Each panelist openly shared their biggest after treatment pain points and steps they’ve taken in search of a solution.
Bryan Stewart with Jones Logistics says prematurely changing air filters has saved his fleet “$1,656 per truck, per year.”
At UPS, Mark Collins says adding a wet wash for DPFs that don’t pass its bake and air blow test has netted a 2- to 25-percent performance improvement for units across four locations.
These vehicle owners are looking for solutions. They’re looking for any trick they can find to keep their trucks on the road.
It’s time to help them out by presenting ideas of your own.
