People In The News
Following are personnel changes that recently occurred in the
trucking industry:
·ArvinMeritor named Aaron Bickford its new director of marketing-North America for the company’s Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket (CVA) business.
·Frank Sheehan retired from Dana as president of International Business for the Heavy Vehicle Group.
·DST, Inc. appointed Stan Gowisnock to CEO and president.
·Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems promoted Bob Johnson to vice president of aftermarket sales and marketing.
·HDA Parts Network (HD America) appointed Bo Ward and Ron Fleischhacker to the marketing group’s new positions of business development managers.
STEMCO, Duroline SA Form Strategic Alliance
STEMCO, an EnPro Industries company, recently announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with Duroline SA, a Vipal SA partner. The STEMCO Duroline agreement will provide brake linings to the on-highway commercial vehicle market in North America.
Duroline, based in Caxis do Sul, Brazil, manufactures high-performance friction material for commercial vehicles using its proprietary “Wave Process,” which the company said delivers superior stopping performance with reduced noise and reduced drum wear.
According to the announcement, Duroline will transfer all distribution of its products in North America to STEMCO and STEMCO will invest in the expansion of Duroline’s Brazilian manufacturing facility to meet the anticipated increase in demand.
The announcement said that the alliance combines both company’s focus on commercial vehicles, product technologies and commitment to training and customer support. It will use STEMCO’s 45 member fleet-based technical sales team to assist customers with the repair and selection of friction products appropriate to their needs. The sales team also will provide on-site foundation brake training to maximize both the life of friction material and vehicle safety.
“This alliance combines Duroline’s great product with STEMCO’s precision training to improve the braking performance of customers’ equipment while lowering their total operating costs,” said Jon Cox, STEMCO president. “We are very excited to enter into this relationship with Duroline. We are committed to the long-term success of this relationship, and we look forward to exploring other opportunities to expand it in the future.”
FleetPride Acquires Pro Truck & Trailer Supply
FleetPride Inc. announced it acquired the assets of Pro Truck & Trailer Supply Inc. The acquisition, terms of which were not disclosed, includes a 21,000-square-foot retail and warehouse facility in Lubbock, Texas. This represents FleetPride’s 15th location in Texas and 187th location overall.
“Lubbock has a well-established economy with thriving agriculture and oil-field services markets,” said Lee Stockseth, vice president of operations and Central Region general manager for FleetPride, headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. “As the economic center of the region, it is a perfect expansion market for FleetPride.”
Pro Truck & Trailer Supply, owned by Gary and Sandra Ball, has served the heavy-duty industry in West Texas since 1990. Gary Ball will join FleetPride as the branch manager and oversee the transition.
“This strategic acquisition is consistent with our approach to expanding our national footprint,” said Mike Paxton, vice president of business development and strategic planning. “Entering the Lubbock market will strengthen our presence in West Texas, give us the capacity we need to meet increased demand and ensure that we can continue to provide our customers with the quality of service that has become the cornerstone of FleetPride’s reputation.”
ArvinMeritor May Outsource Machining, Relocate Assembly Operations
ArvinMeritor, Inc. announced it is considering outsourcing its machining operations and moving its assembly operations currently located in Carrollton, Ky., to other facilities in Kentucky and Ohio.
The company said it met with union officials of the United Auto Workers Local 1813 to discuss the plans, which will impact about 49 hourly positions. A final decision will be made following further discussions with the union.
“We are focused on reducing costs and maximizing capacity across the commercial vehicle business,” said Wayne Watson, general manager of North American operations for ArvinMeritor, based in Troy, Mich. “This reflects another step we are taking to reduce fixed costs in response to significantly lower vehicle production volumes.”
The company will continue to operate a casting center, which also is located at the Carrollton facility.
Caterpillar, Navistar Sign Deal
Caterpillar Inc. and Navistar International Corp. announced they signed a definitive agreement to produce Caterpillar heavy-duty vocational trucks for sale in North America and formed a 50/50 joint venture for commercial truck business outside of North America and India. The agreement finalizes a planned alliance announced in June 2008.
The new Caterpillar trucks, to be unveiled in late 2010, will be co-developed by Caterpillar and Navistar and built at Navistar’s Garland, Texas, facility. The trucks will be sold and serviced exclusively through the Caterpillar North American dealer network.
“The heavy-duty vocational trucks will be purpose-built to complement Caterpillar’s existing product line and will give Caterpillar dealers an unmatched ability to support customer needs from extraction through delivery,” said George Taylor, director and general manager of the Caterpillar Global On-Highway Department.
The new Caterpillar trucks are expected to go into production in early 2011 – a timeframe that parallels the expected availability of Navistar’s MaxxForce 15 engine, for which Caterpillar will supply blocks, cranks, heads and other foundation components. Caterpillar announced in June 2008 – simultaneous with the initial announcement of the Navistar strategic alliance – that it will not market its own on-highway heavy-duty diesel engine once the next round of emissions regulations kick in Jan. 1, 2010.
Goodyear, Boss Truck Shops Partner for On-highway Service
Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems announced it is expanding its on-highway service network by partnering with Bosselman’s Boss Truck Shops.
“We’re pleased to be working with the Bosselman family, which has a long history in the travel center and truck repair business,” said Joseph Copeland, vice president of Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems. “Their 10 facilities, located throughout America’s heartland – Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Kentucky and New Mexico – will give truckers and fleets added on-highway support with our line of tires. Each Boss Truck Shop location offers new tires, retreads, mechanical services and repairs, as well as emergency roadside service.”
TMC to Explore Fleet, Service Provider Issues
The Technology & Maintenance Council recently formed a new committee to explore issues between fleets and their service providers “in order to create industry practices, improve efficiencies and build better relationships between fleets and service vendors,” according to the announcement.
The new Service Provider Committee (SPC) will establish recommended practices aimed at improving relationships between fleets and both independent and OE service providers.
“The committee has taken on the task of raising the bar on service,” said SPC Chairman Chas Voyles, service manager for Truck Centers Inc. The committee will rely on the interaction of TMC’s fleet members and its service-dealer membership.
“As we gain a better understanding of the challenges that both the fleets and service providers face, procedures can be created that will benefit both parties,” Voyles said.
The SPC has designated seven task forces:
- Repair Assessment Task Force – Chairman Scott Zeppenfeldt, vice president of service operations, Velocity Vehicle Group. The task force will create a recommended practice to provide customers with a repair diagnosis within a specified period of time.
- Warranty Task Force – Chairman Jack Porter, fleet/service trainer, Decisiv Corporation. The task force will create a recommended practice for each OEM to follow that will allow them to determine a customer’s basic coverage and extended coverage.
- Approval and Authorization Task Force – Chairman Gary Cummings, executive vice president, Fleet Net America. The task force will create a recommended practice for estimating repairs and determining the approval process for repairs to begin.
- Customer Notification Task Force – Chairman Ike Chunn, group service manager, Lonestar Truck Group. The task force will create a recommended practice for communicating the status of a fleet’s truck being repaired at a service provider.
- Customer Satisfaction Task Force – Chairman Dick Von Lehman, national sales and marketing manager-service, Paccar. The task force will provide a training outline that will cover the elements needed to facilitate a successful and repeatable service event from a customer satisfaction perspective.
- Successful Practices Task Force – Chairman Bob Bullard, service director, Empire Truck Sales. The task force will identify the practices that successful providers employ to achieve the highest levels of trust with their customers.
- Fair Bill Times Task Force – Chairman Randy Haines, service center division manager, Bosselman Companies. The task force will define a fair industry standard for repair times.
In addition to Chairman Voyles, the SPC includes: first vice chairman, Ken Calhoun, vice president for customer relations for Truck Centers of Arkansas; second vice chairman, Eric Ostrowsky, vice president of operations for W.W. Williams Corp.; and secretary, Jill Gingrich, director of business Implementation for Wheeltime; and board liaison, Oren Summer, president & CEO, FleetNet America.
For more information about the SPC, contact Chas Voyles at 800/669-3454, ext. 3241, or e-mail: [email protected].
Hendrickson Debuts Shipping on Demand Program
Hendrickson Auxiliary Axle Systems introduced a new Shipping on Demand (SOD) program that allows customers to order selected lift axles and have them shipped straight from the factory within 48 hours or less.
The company said there is need to have products readily available without the hassle of warehouse fees or inventorying the product, and this program is designed to help meet those needs and more. Two products are available under the program – COMPOSILITE ST and HLM-2 – and others may be added.
According to the announcement, members of the program have SOD lift axles shipped straight to them from the factory within 48 hours or less, and freight is prepaid and added to the invoice, allowing members to save costs by taking advantage of Hendrickson’s discounted freight rates.
In addition, for every SOD order placed, members will accumulate valuable SOD points that may be redeemed for cash, free freight or even a free SOD lift axle, the company said. All SOD lift axles are backed by Hendrickson’s five-year limited warranty.
To become a member of the Shipping on Demand program or for additional information, please call Hendrickson Auxiliary Axle Systems at 800/660-2829 or visit www.hendrickson-intl.com.
ArvinMeritor Says Cuts Expected to Save $430M Annually
ArvinMeritor Inc. recently announced that it has taken actions since October 2008 that will result in savings of about $430 million on an annual basis.
“The difficult conditions we continue to experience in our commercial and light vehicle markets has required us to take aggressive steps during the past six months to align our organization to the lower capacity levels,” said Chip McClure, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Troy, Mich.-based ArvinMeritor. “Many of these actions have regrettably impacted our employees, but the ArvinMeritor leadership team is committed to successfully manage the company through the continuing economic turbulence. We identified and implemented these actions quickly and are pleased to report the savings are significant, which will help protect the long-term health of the company.”
In February and March, the company implemented initiatives – including the reduction of nearly 250 employees and other cost-reduction actions – that it said will result in annual savings of $95 million, or $64 million in fiscal year 2009, that is incremental to the $335 million in savings the company announced during its first-quarter earnings report on Feb. 5.
