HOMESTEAD, Fla. — The head of Daimler Trucks North America’s aftermarket business outlined a busy 2014 for the division, especially for the use of telematics to reduce downtime for fleets.
Friedrich Baumann, a Daimler senior vice president, made the comments at a media briefing here Nov. 16, just hours before the race car sponsored by its Alliance Truck Parts division finished the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series in second place.
Baumann said he expects the number of dealers certified in DTNA’s “Elite Support” program, which aims to provide customers an estimate of cost and downtime within two hours, to surpass 200 next year. That compares with 122 dealers in the program this year.
The program allows “dealers to take ownership of driving improvements in their facilities,” Baumann said.
DTNA said dealers have 135 criteria to measure, including turnaround times, communication and parts availability.
Baumann said a new software portal will give fleets a real-time view of their trucks at any Daimler dealership.
Using vehicle telematics to predict repair and parts needs via DTNA’s Detroit Connect and Virtual Technician programs offers additional gains in the future, Baumann said.
He projected a time when Daimler would ship parts to a dealer location 48 hours ahead of when they’re needed because of automatic notification that a nonemergency repair is necessary and the truck will be in an the area at a certain time.
