Source for radiators Truck dealers supply 48% of radiators for heavy-duty vehicles.
How do your parts buying practices compare to those of your peers? Results from the FLEET OWNER Aftermarket Monitor survey on engine cooling systems for 1996 show that 48.1% of radiators for heavy-duty vehicles were purchased from truck dealers.
A comparison of sourcing patterns for radiators with those of other cooling system parts in heavy-duty vehicles indicates that jobbers/parts houses were used as sources for radiators about 15.6% of the time, and for other cooling system parts 40% of the time. Cooling specialists were used as a source for radiators 18.6% of the time, and 5% of the time for other cooling system parts. (Fig. 1)
Fig. 2 provides a comparison of the radiator sourcing patterns for medium-duty vehicles with gasoline engines with those of medium-duty vehicles with diesel engines. Results suggest that use of truck dealers was more frequent for those with diesel engines (37.3% vs. 27.2%), and use of jobbers/parts houses was more frequent for those with gasoline engines (35.8% vs. 22.8%).
A partial explanation for these differences may be that fleets with heavy-duty vehicles are more likely to purchase diesel trucks/tractors for their medium-duty needs. The parts for heavy-duty trucks/tractors are often quite specialized, increasing the fleet's dependence on the dealer. Fleets that don't have heavy-duty vehicles are more likely to purchase gasoline trucks/tractors for their medium-duty needs, and are free to source all of their parts from the local jobber/parts house.
The Aftermarket Monitor divides components into 15 major groups and sends out more than 4,000 questionnaires each month to commercial vehicle operators. Parts categories covered are diesel engines; gas engines; electrical and lights; air brakes, wheel seals and bearings; hydraulic brakes, wheel seals and bearings; manual transmissions and clutches; automatic transmissions; drive axles, universal joints and drivelines, and PTO drives; exhaust components and engine cooling systems; front suspension and shock absorbers; rear suspensions and springs; engine oil and filtration systems; tires; electronics, wheels and fifth wheels; seats, mirrors, tanks, and leak detection equipment; and paint.
For more information on FLEET OWNER's Aftermarket Monitor, call Tom Duncan at 914-287-6710.
The following individuals recently received prizes for participating in last month's survey: Steve Maxson, Averitt Express, Cookeville, Tenn.; Ronald D. Spencer, Coca-Cola USA, Atlanta, Ga.; and H. Ross Harshbarger, H. Ross Harshbarger Inc., Belleville, Pa.
(For more information, see charts on page 119 of Fleet Owner's December 1997 issue.)
