Finding the right truck for the job is a time-consuming task. International wants to change that with the launch of its truck locator, an electronic database which gives truckers the power to scan the truck maker’s entire dealer network inventory for available trucks by province or state across North America.

Truckers looking for trucks on International’s truck locator web site (www.InternationalDelivers.com) punch in their desired specs, the jurisdiction they want to search and postal code and the system produces a list of International trucks that meet those specs along with contact information for the closest local dealer.

Building that search process into one comprehensive electronic site should take out lots of the inefficiencies inherent in today’s system that has truckers spending hours on the phone, scanning Web sites and walking dealer lots, according to Steve Keate, president, Truck Group, for International.

“It’s a tool beyond anything in the market today,” Keate said but that’s as far as International is willing to take the system. The purchase transaction will not be an electronic one. It will still take place at the dealer level, as will discussions about the precise package of products and services to be ultimately purchased.

“We have no plan now to sell trucks on the Internet and around our dealers,” Keate emphasized. “Our strategy is to continue to leverage our dealers, but our dealers will be involved with customers over the Internet.”

Meritor launches electronic B2B initiative for the parts market

Meritor Automotive, a dominant player in the heavy vehicle components market, is setting its sights on the truck services sector with its plans to launch FleetWorks.com, one of the first business-to-business (B2B) Internet-based service parts trading exhanges to serve the commercial medium- and heavy-duty aftermarket.

The intent for FleetWorks, which Meritor hopes to go live with by summer’s end in the U.S., is to bring buyers and sellers together in one comprehensive marketplace. If Meritor can get the cooperation of industry suppliers, the site will provide buyers with a seamless way to reach all their parts and service providers at the click of a mouse. In turn, sellers – OEMs, truck dealers, parts distribution and service providers – will have ready access to existing and new customers on one common electronic site without having to spend extra money on marketing or picking up the tab for building the architecture. Susan Kampe, who will head the new venture, added she hopes for a rapid expansion to Canada and beyond.

Kampe also stressed that Fleetworks will serve as a neutral trading exchange that will generate revenue by charging a transaction fee to sellers.

“Fleetworks does not sell parts. It does not set prices or hold inventory. It’s the service in the middle,” Kampe explained. “It will not give Meritor products any advantage. Meritor (products) won’t be treated any different. If we did that we would kill this.”

Fleetworks will operate as an independent company and be based out of Boston, Mass. Meritor holds the majority stake in the initiative but it has partnered with Accel Partners, a venture capital firm, and Gen3 Partners, a firm specializing in building and launching e-business strategies as well as providing the technical support crucial to getting such new ventures up and running.

Kampe said although the trucking industry has invested much in technology that interfaces with its shipper customers and allows dispatch to track and communicate with its trucks in the field, the back office where the parts ordering is done remains in the manual age. Sourcing parts is a tedious exercise of working through a combination of electronic and manual parts catalogues. Fleetworks plans to make the parts ordering process much easier by creating one industry standard electronic parts catalogue.

Volvo is expanding its Internet truck sales efforts

A new Volvo truck is only seven clicks of a computer mouse away.

Volvo Trucks has redesigned its Web site at www.volvotrucks.com to include the ability to order tractors and vocational trucks from the dealers of their choice in the U.S. or Canada. All users need to do is answer a few application-related questions and the choice of model. Once options are chosen, a price is provided, which can then be taken to a local dealer.

Other services on the site include information on products, services and dealer locations, facts about special programs and promotional items, and a communication forum.

The company plans eventually to offer everything from insurance to replacement parts, and even a virtual walkaround of the trucks they want to buy. By choosing colors from a palette, buyers will also be able to ‘paint’ their new Volvo truck while it’s still on the computer screen.

Dealers have been using the Internet since December to access customer purchasing records.

Peterbilt lays out extensive e-commerce strategy

Peterbilt is launching a series of e-commerce initiatives for the B2B market.

Windows-based eBilt will help truckers figure out if one component spec is compatible with another by creating a basic truck configuration for specific applications based on the answers they provide to application-oriented questions. Truckers can then customize the “standard” application spec.

The software also includes components and vehicle photography for instances where it may be useful such as interiors and tire treads. eBuilt will be rolled out at the dealer level later this year but will eventually be made available directly to truckers, according to Dan Sobic, Peterbilt assistant general manager. However, although eBilt will arm truckers spec’ing equipment with increased information that will be easier to access, truckers will still be directed to dealerships for the final sale.

Peterbilt has also added some interactive features to its web site (www.peterbilt.com) including a virtual truck tour of the Model 397 conventional.

The last piece of the Peterbilt e-commerce puzzle is a relationship with PNV to provide, among other things, wireless communications. Drivers will be able to go on-line once they’re within a half mile of PNV’s 268 domiciled travel plazas in 41 states, eliminating the need for hard wires.

Leasing package brings ProMiles to small operators

ProMiles’ mileage, fuel tax and on-line pricing programs are now available in a lease package, making it possible for even the smallest of truck owners to reap the same technological advantages as large carriers.

The company has also formed an association with Link Logistics, the country’s largest freight matching service, to provide the same lease benefits to its customers.

The ProMiles’ fuel optimization (pricing) program, which updates fuel prices at the more than 4,500 truck stops included in the ProMiles system on a daily basis, is particularly beneficial considering the current state of diesel pricing.

The company is offering a 14-day no-obligation trial of all its programs. These can be downloaded at the company website (www.promilescanada.com).

The ProMiles programs are also compatible with mobile communications offered by Cancom and Highway Master and dispatch systems, such as Maddocks. Vehicle positions based on GPS readings can be plotted on ProMiles maps and communication to the driver can be directed through the ProMiles application. The integration with the Maddocks’ TruckMate dispatch program means that ProMiles can be used to provide miles, driving time, location authentication, and route optimization information.

New T-Chek initiative aimed at providing service to small fleets

Add interactive fuel and cash advances to the list of functions available to fleets using T-Chek cards and IES Access. Real-time transaction processing is the first in a series of services T-Check Systems and IES Access plan to make available over the next few months.

The IES Access software can be accessed with a PC over the Internet. The software supports batch interfaces with all major third party billing services. The partner
ship with T-Check, which provides payment and information services, is exclusive for an interactive interface for small carriers.

“With this partnership we can offer our services to small trucking companies at extremely competitive rates,” says J.J. Singh, president of T-Chek. “Fuel and cash advance management is the initial step toward helping automate small carriers’ day-to-day operations and helping them save money and be more competitive”.

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XATA fleet management now available through Cancom

Cancom, providers of Qualcomm satellite communications in Canada, will now also be distributing XATA Fleet Management Solutions north of the 49th.

XATA’s systems use onboard computers, mobile communications, satellite positioning, and fleet management, route optimization, dispatch and Internet software to improve fleet productivity. The systems had not been previously sold in Canada.

“Our objective is to expand our product offering to provide the right solutions to the Canadian trucking Industry,” said Mike Ham, vice president of Cancom Tracking Solutions. “Xata’s presence within North America providing both hardware and software solutions to private fleets is yet another step along the path we have chosen to reach our long-term objectives.”

Maddocks releases new version of TruckMate

Maddocks Systems Inc. has released Truckmate for Windows, Version 3.2.

The new features include an integrated carrier system for interlining freight and matching payments to third-party carriers; payroll integrated in the accounting product; rules-based dispatch with supervisor override; ProMiles, RandMcNally, and Prophecy mileage systems; automatic mileage look up and LTL functionality for mobile communications; LTL quick-billing information; local dispatch; manifesting for LTL; a program to map resources and loads and a financial statements generator.