Independent garages get the most service work from owner-operators with truck dealers coming in second. Dealers get more owner-operator parts business than distributors. But everybody has an opportunity here, and knowing the owner-operator market may make the difference.
One of the advantages Truck Parts & Service magazine enjoys is sharing the resources of the other magazines, trade shows and industry activities produced by our parent company, Randall-Reilly Publishing. In addition to the editorial experience and industry intelligence spanning the spectrum of trucking, we engage in ongoing research to learn as much as we can about the audiences we serve.
One such research project was recently completed by our sister publication, Overdrive. The Overdrive Owner-Operator Market Behavior Report polled thousands of Overdrive readers on a variety of issues and preferences. A portion of the report delves into the aftermarket habits of owner-operators – what maintenance and repairs they do themselves, where they go when they do outsource the work and where they purchase their parts.
While we will be sharing the full report with you later this year, I’d like to give you a sneak preview of some highlights. Owner-operators account for varying amounts of business for Truck Parts & Service readers, but they are an important segment, especially in a down market like this when every segment takes on greater importance. Further insight into how and why owner-operators spend their aftermarket dollars may help you capture a larger share of their business.
As you already know, owner-operators are traditionally do-it-yourselfers (DIYs) and most will perform their own routine maintenance – general inspections, changing fluids and filters, applying grease, etc. The majority of these owner-operators are proactive with their maintenance work and base their regimen largely on their own experience. What you may find surprising is that a very small number – less than 4 percent – rely on the advice of an outside service provider to create their maintenance program. Perhaps even more alarming is that nearly 20 percent have no formal maintenance program at all. They simply wait for changes in truck performance or warning signs to reactively perform maintenance.
There are a couple of possibilities here. If you can reach this audience with a cost-effective argument for a PM plan versus downtime and major repairs, you may create customers for life. Or you can wait for them to come to you after their neglected vehicles breakdown, and they may be more receptive to the ounce of prevention versus pound of cure argument.
When owner-operators aren’t doing their own work, 22 percent said independent garages are their primary source for general maintenance, followed by 13.9 percent who use truck dealers and 3.3 percent who take their rigs to truck stops.
When it comes to buying parts, both DIYs and those who outsource listed the truck dealer as their primary point of purchase, and by quite a large margin. More than 60 percent said their first stop is the truck dealer. Heavy duty parts distributors were the top choice for about 20 percent of owner-operator DIYs and 12.6 percent of owner-operators who outsource.
Dealers, distributors and garages all are serving owner-operators, finding their respective strengths and business niches among this somewhat elusive market. And, clearly, there is opportunity for everybody to grow their share. Worth noting is that owner-operators who exercise formal preventive maintenance plans also earn more than their counterparts who do not. This could be a result of their stronger business sense and appreciation of uptime as it relates to customer service. Long-haul drivers also are the most likely to outsource, probably because their at-home time is at a greater premium.
Make a convincing claim that your business can provide greater uptime or leisure time through a solid PM program and on-hand parts availability and you may be able to turn do-it-yourselfers into loyal customers.
