The intense competition in the truck and trailer parts aftermarket has made it even more important to choose genuine parts and components from trusted retailers like PACCAR Parts and TRP stores
According to the latest ARTSA data on truck registrations, as of 2021 Australia had more than 190,000 heavy-duty trucks registered and on the road. The sector grew 17 per cent from 2015 to 2020 and with current trends on truck sales, it’s showing no signs of slowing.
And if that’s the stats on trucks, it is easy to imagine the follow-on effect this has on the growing demand for truck and trailer-related parts and accessories.
Wanting to get a piece of the pie, online retailers from around the world are offering generic parts at bargain prices, preying on cost-conscious operators working in a low-profit margin industry.
According to Trevor Dickson, PACCAR Parts Technical Sales Manager, the problem with the increasing competition is that the truck and trailer aftermarket is saturated with both original equipment (OE) and generic aftermarket products.
Due to challenges created by the complexity in enforcement of component parts standards in Australia, retailers can sell parts that have not been tested or, if they have been tested, may not meet specific application requirements as a way to cut prices.
“If you use genuine or known-quality brands then you can have peace of mind when it comes to quality and performance,” he says.
“In the aftermarket, as it gets more price sensitive customers can be tempted to buy less complex or non-critical items from alternative sources.
“These parts may not have been tested to any standards and can represent a risk. So, the safest path is always to buy OE,” he recommends.
However, there is another way you can purchase competitively priced aftermarket parts with a proven quality guarantee. The team at PACCAR Parts has also developed the TRP range of truck and trailer components.
“We developed the TRP range to be able to put a brand out there that’s backed by a major OEM, PACCAR. We have the testing resources, and we use them,” Dickson says.
“With the enormous costs associated with your truck being out of action, it is actually money well spent to invest in quality-backed aftermarket parts that maximise your uptime, rather than risk excessive down-time due to the failure or short lifespan of generic parts. In the transport game, time really is money.”
In terms of testing TRP products, Dickson says PACCAR will first look for an Australian Design Rule (ADR) to meet the standards, however, a lot of them refer to international standards.
“Where ADR standards exist, then we test to those standards,” he explains. “Otherwise, we use independent US FMVSS and European ECE testing, depending on the component.”
The “Australian-first” method also applies to parts sourcing, Dickson adds, pointing to the Australian-manufactured spring suspension equaliser pins in the TRP range as an example.
“When we do source overseas, PACCAR has either offices there or supply quality managers that visit the parts facilities on a regular basis to ensure that they are being manufactured as promised,” he adds.
“As a major multinational company, we have the economy of scale and the resources to invest in the quality assurance.”
As such, the company is so confident in the quality of the components in the TRP range that each product boasts a minimum 12-month warranty.
“If a TRP part fails from a manufacturing fault, as long as there is no clear evidence of part abuse and installation was performed correctly by a qualified technician, then we’ll honour the warranty straight away,” he says.
“You can go to any PACCAR Parts dealership or TRP store and get a new part over the counter.”
PACCAR’s 46 PACCAR Parts and 11 TRP dealers are located across Australia and offer a comprehensive range of genuine and TRP parts side by side.
Transport companies cannot afford to have their trucks off the road and with PACCAR dealers and TRP stores achieving an industry leading 96 per cent retail availability, customers have peace of mind that the parts they require will be available when they need them.
“We’re not the only retailer, but we’re one of the strongest in terms of stock levels. Our dealers carry significant stock levels in core undercarriage components such as suspensions, axles and brakes, so we can get operators back on the road as fast as possible. That’s really the key,” he says.
As the truck and trailer parts market shows no signs of slowing, Dickson says the already healthy aftermarket will continue to become inundated with more competitors, “but the best way to ensure quality, safety and reliability is to buy trusted parts from trusted partners”.
A range of TRP parts will be available to view at the PACCAR stand at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.
Location: Stand 40, Hall 4
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