Dealerships pull out stops to keep fleets moving

Truck manufacturers have been battling to maintain aftermarket support for UK customers through their dealer networks as the coronavirus pandemic takes hold.

MAN has put an additional two months’ worth of fast-moving parts into the dealerships it owns and has introduced new shift patterns for their workshop technicians. The aim is to reduce the number working at any one time so they can remain 2m away from each other.

The exception is if two technicians are needed to tackle a particular task for reasons of safety; if a heavy component has to be manhandled into place for example. In these and in other circumstances, anti-virus hygiene measures will be maintained at all times.

“What we will not do however is allow a situation to arise where only one technician at a time is on duty,” says a MAN spokesman. “Those days are long gone, again on safety grounds.”

Workshops are potentially dangerous places, and if a technician working alone has an accident, and is incapacitated, then it may be a long time before help arrives.

MAN’s Mobile24 emergency roadside assistance service will continue to be available through its network says the manufacturer.

It operates through three call centres based in different countries around Europe, so if one is badly hit by coronavirus, a call from a stranded UK driver will be routed to another. The call handler will be able to speak English, pinpoint the vehicle’s whereabouts, and organise help.

If MAN’s UK parts delivery operation is seriously affected by coronavirus then it will be able to call on extra support from the manufacturer’s parts distribution centre in Salzgitter, Germany.

Mercedes-Benz is equally determined to help ensure its dealer networks deliver the support customers need, and lays the same stress on the need to do so without exposing their employees to unnecessary health risks.

“Our colleagues in our service facilities make a significant contribution to ensuring our society can cope with the current state of emergency as well as possible, and we therefore thank these everyday heroes from the bottom of our hearts,” says Daimler Truck board of management chairman, Martin Daum.

Daimler Truck brands include Fuso and Freightliner as well as Mercedes.

Mercedes parts availability is unlikely to be an immediate problem in Britain.

Last year saw Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK invest an extra £20m in stock – a 50 per cent or thereabouts increase – in anticipation of a no-deal Brexit that has yet to materialise. That created a substantial buffer, much of which is still in place for dealers and their customers to call on.

“We have not only targeted fast-moving lines, but also those parts that are used less-often, but which may cause a vehicle to be off the road,” said the then customer service and operations director, now national sales director, Sam Whittaker at the time. “It is our intention to continue our first-pick service level at over 93 per cent.”

With 134 locations across the UK and Ireland, DAF reports that its network is operating at, or close to, normal levels.

Statutory inspections are still being undertaken, repair and maintenance contracts fulfilled, and parts delivered, it states. That include parts for trailers and for makes other than DAF under the company’s TRP programme.

Parts distribution centres across Europe, including those in Leyland, Lancashire, and Eindhoven in the Netherlands, have put in additional stock, and the DAFaid breakdown assistance service continues to operate.

DAF warns that dealer staff sickness or self-isolation could lead to vehicles delivering essential supplies such as food and pharmaceuticals being given priority when it comes to service and repair support.

Says Iveco: “All our dealer workshops are 100 per cent open and our roadside breakdown service is continuing. That said, we’re monitoring the situation daily.”

Says Geoff Rigg, aftermarket director at refuse collection vehicle builder Dennis Eagle: “Our spare parts service and field service engineers are still working, our workshops are all open at the normal times, and work will continue as normally as possible, with obvious provisions made for restricting the spread of the virus.

“We currently have good stocks of spare parts both in our central stores in Chorley, Lancashire and throughout our nationwide network of service centres,” he adds.

Not all franchised truck dealer workshops around the country have been able to keep functioning. Two small ones were believed to have shut temporarily at the time of writing due to technicians having to self-isolate, and one location which was running a Sunday shift has had to scrap it for the same reason.

Some car dealer groups that also hold light commercial franchises were shuttering their premises in their entirety at the time of writing until further notice. Other car and van operations were closing showrooms, but retaining a skeleton staff in their parts departments and workshops.

In this context it is worth noting that a number of truck manufacturers also have light commercials in their ranges, including MAN, Iveco and Renault Trucks. Their dealers sell, service and repair them.

Several truck dealers, including some holding DAF franchises, also represent Fiat Professional. LDV – due to be rebranded as Maxus – is another brand that is represented at some truck locations.

Mobile servicing remains an option for some types of job despite the health crisis, including light commercial tyre replacement. Fast-fit giant Kwik Fit operates a fleet of over 200 tyre fitting vans across the UK, and has put precautions in place to help both the fitters and their customers avoid infection.

“To avoid direct contact between the Kwik Fit technician and the customer, the company is asking customers to provide their van key without direct contact, for instance by putting the key on their front doorstep and going back inside,” it advises. “Once the customer is at a safe distance, the technician will pick the key up.

If the wheels are secured by locking wheel nuts, then the technician will ask the customer to provide the wheel nut key, which is usually kept inside the van. “This way, Kwik Fit can carry out the work without entering the vehicle,” says the company.

“The technicians themselves are thoroughly cleaning their hands between each job and using fresh protective gloves for each vehicle,” it adds. “These measures, along with not coming into close contact with the customer, are designed to minimise any risk of passing infection between customers.”

Kwik Fit’s bricks-and-mortar fast-fit centres were remaining open “where possible” at the time of writing. “We consider the services we provide to be essential for transport but their scale may have to be reviewed,” says the firm.

Turning to component manufacturers that operate their own support networks, ZF Services UK remains open for business, says head of commercial vehicles, UK and Ireland, David Wakeling.

“Mobile service support can be provided, our parts supply chain is working and our factories in China are open and fully functioning,” he reports.

Firms that supply capital equipment to transport companies are eager to demonstrate that they can continue to deliver back-up.

Triscan Group’s product portfolio embraces fuel pumps, bulk fuel tanks and fuel management systems.

“Our engineers are placed strategically around the country with vans fully stocked with key parts and consumables, and we are stocking up on all fuel pump spare parts to ensure we are able to keep your fuelling equipment running smoothly,” Triscan states.

“Even if your refuelling equipment was not originally supplied by us, or is not currently protected by one of our support contracts, our team will get you up and running again.”

Last words to a truck industry executive who would prefer to remain anonymous.

“What recent weeks have shown is that road transport is vitally important when it comes to delivering the food we all need,” he observes.

“I hope consumers remember this when they are following a supermarket truck prior to doing their weekly shop, and do not revert to viewing it as a nuisance.”

Volvo technicians keep Knowles Transport rolling

In an example of how dealers are going the extra mile for customers in the current crisis, a team of technicians from Volvo Truck & Bus Centre East Anglia gave up their weekends to keep customer Knowles Transport on the road, with essential repair and maintenance.

Managing director Alex Knowles, who presides over a fleet of more than 100 Volvo trucks, put out a request for assistance to his local dealer, Volvo Truck & Bus Centre East Anglia, following an intense period of demand on his fleet’s services.

Knowles Transport reported its highest ever load volumes, as it transported dried pasta, sauces and tinned goods to regional distribution centres.

The centre asked its Ely-based technicians to volunteer for two additional weekend shifts for Knowles Transport. Three of them travelled directly to the Knowles workshop in Wimblington on a Saturday, following a morning shift at the dealership.

Seven more technicians worked throughout Sunday – and the same process was to be repeated the following weekend.

Alex Knowles said: “We’ve never been this busy in March before; it’s the equivalent of Christmas-level volumes, plus a bit more. Everyone’s been under intense pressure to keep the trucks moving, which brings an additional level of challenges as we normally gear up for a seasonal peak – this time it’s hit the industry without much warning.”

He continued: “We have the majority of our fleet on a service contract with Volvo, but we normally stagger maintenance throughout the week – and we’d never normally service trucks on a Sunday. The speed of response from the dealership in Ely has been fantastic; they’ve really stepped up to help us out.”

Michael Revens, dealerpoint manager at Volvo Truck & Bus Centre Ely, says: “We only had 48 hours’ notice to pull these first two additional shifts together and we were amazed at the response from our team – every single technician put their hand up to volunteer.

“There’s a genuine understanding in the business for how much pressure the transport companies moving food and pharmaceuticals are under, and our team wanted to do their bit to help.

“This isn’t a role you can do from home; they’re still coming into the workshop every day, following the strict social distancing rule to keep two metres apart, and doing an incredible job to support our customers. We couldn’t be prouder.”

The dealership was also able to provide Knowles Transport with additional traction to assist with its efforts, with truck sales executive Alan Didwell and Fuelwatch manager Jon Warby juggling the demonstrator fleet to make an extra Volvo FH available.

“We’ve literally needed every single truck we could lay our hands on,” Knowles added.

“Having the loan of an extra tractor unit has come in really handy.”