The pandemic changed the way consumers made purchases, with huge numbers of people shifting much of their purchases online. There was also a shift in the way businesses obtained the things they needed; even fleets moved to buy some parts online. And things might have shifted back to brick-and-mortar purchases if the availability of parts had not been severely curtailed by supply chain issues that resulted in the inability to source essential parts needed to repair and maintain trucks and trailers.
When fleets could not find parts from their local suppliers, they were forced to cast a wider net and expand where they were willing to purchase parts. Further exacerbating the issue was the fact that new truck production was crippled by a microchip shortage, so fleets were not receiving the new trucks they had ordered, forcing them to operate older assets for longer. As we all know, older trucks need more repair and maintenance. And all this happened at a time when freight demand was high. The cliché here is that trucking was in the perfect storm.
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While online parts purchases may have declined a bit since the pandemic, fleets are still making some of their parts purchases online. That would not be happening if e-commerce sites had not delivered what fleets need when it comes to their suppliers. That includes full and accurate parts descriptions, getting the exact part they ordered (not a substitute part), having the part delivered when promised, and having access to technical support if they ran into a problem installing the part.
Basically, fleets have the same expectation of their online parts sellers as they do of the brick-and-mortar locations with whom they traditionally have done business. Whoever can best meet the fleet’s expectations is the most likely to continue to be the fleet’s preferred vendor, and that very well could be an online parts seller.
David Seewack is the founder and CEO of FinditParts. Seewack is focused on transforming how heavy-duty truck and trailer parts are bought and sold. Founded in 2010, FinditParts is the No. 1 supplier of these parts online, with more than 10 million SKUs available from more than 1,800 manufacturers and customers in over 210 countries.
