Accessing expert knowledge with Haldex Trailer Application Guide
Trailer technology specialist Haldex has explained the benefits of its Trailer Application Guide (TAG), a tool it has developed to support professionals in selecting and applying trailer braking systems.
The TAG is a free, always-on digital resource that delivers users the technical information they need without having to wait for a callback or trawling through emails.
Whether you’re a trailer technician who needs to diagnose a fault at 2am, a manufacturer in Shanghai looking to specify a braking system, or a fleet manager wanting urgent access to type approval documentation, TAG can assist, says Haldex.
It started as an internal system for Haldex staff, helping them find, organise and share information about the company’s product range (electronic braking systems, anti-lock braking systems, air suspension controls, disc brakes and tyre pressure monitoring for commercial vehicle trailers).
But as TAG evolved, staff realised it could be useful beyond its own offices – and now it is a comprehensive online resource relied upon by trailer builders, workshop technicians and fleet managers.
“For our work, we need a lot of documentation and a lot of knowledge,” said André Wilt, trailer products specialist at Haldex, recounting how TAG started.
“There were new people coming on board regularly. So, we’d need, not just initial training, but also day-to-day training. Every day you need access to a lot of information about a lot of different products in our range, with different levels of detail.”
Before TAG, there was too much information scattered across too many places, with no central point to share it.
“The initial idea was an internal website where we have some links to access the documents organised by product range, by technology, etc.,” Wilt continued.
“And it was working so well that we decided to push this product online for customers. This was the start of Trailer Application Guide on our public website.”
Since Haldex was acquired by SAF-Holland, the combined group’s broader product portfolio and expanded technical expertise have made a centralised knowledge resource more valuable than ever.
TAG ensures that customers benefit from this increased capacity – providing a single point of access to documentation, specifications and support materials.
“When you have no colleague or someone to refer to, you still have this second line with the Trailer Application Guide that helps you to find quickly an answer even if your colleagues are not here to help 24 hours per day,” said Wilt. “That’s also how it creates continuity in technical support.”
Lars-Olof Ohrberg, technical sales engineer at Haldex, added: “The Trailer Application Guide is my daily work platform. I use it every day – I love it.”
On first visiting TAG, the landing page features overhead visualisation of a complete tractor-trailer combination, with pictures of components arranged around the vehicle. Users can click on any part to access technical specifications, then drill progressively deeper into the information they need.
Whatever component users click on, they will be presented with the same uniform arrangement of information, helping to make the whole system extremely intuitive.
“The structure is duplicated everywhere,” said Wilt. “If you use only the first page of each product, you get an overview – detailing how the product is used on the trailer, and outlining the customer benefit.
“And then if you need more information because you are a fleet manager or a service technician or a trailer builder and you want to understand more, then you go deeper and deeper in the menu.”
This layered approach serves multiple audiences.
“I can use it for OE customers who are building the vehicle, and I can also use it for aftermarket, and for training if I want to,” said Ohrberg.
The 24/7 availability of TAG means that Haldex technical support has reached a new level of efficiency, says the firm.
“In the past you would need to email a Haldex representative, a sales technician, like Lars-Olof,” said Wilt.
“He would then need to read all the emails… and answer questions about cables, part numbers, possibly having to access technical drawings, and then reply. So, instead, we have replaced this process with full availability on the website.”
Now, diagnostic information sits directly within TAG. For cable troubleshooting, for instance, the guide provides step-by-step testing procedures.
“It’s really a help for us because we can easily say to the customers, okay, you have this problem. Just go on Trailer Application Guide, and follow the instructions, and then call me back if there is still a problem,” said Wilt.
For trailer manufacturers, TAG streamlines the specification process. OEMs can jump onto the website and see all the parts that are available, with full descriptions.
“Then they can get the drawing, get the 3D model, make the analysis on their vehicle and go further,” added Wilt.
