Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
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24 Service Bay to determine achievable fuel effi ciency benchmarks beyond industry averages. These numbers — known as Smart- Way standards — provide the require- ment for shippers and manufacturers looking to gain SmartWay approval. Bynum says an overwhelming major- ity of OEMs, component suppliers and large shippers actively strive to meet the standards of the voluntary SmartWay program. "When we started we had 15 trucker partners and now we have more than 3,000 [partners]," she says. "We've grown in response to the needs of our partners." SmartWay's popularity within the North American trucking industry is most obvious in the aftermarket by its support from component OEs and fl eet customers. Suppliers are building so many SmartWay-verifi ed products today because customers are eager to buy them, says John Dennehy, vice president of marketing and communications, Eberspaecher NA. "The response from customers has been excellent," says Dennehy, whose company produces a variety of Smart- Way-approved idle reduction products. "It's the kind of thing where when you look at how successful it has been, you wonder why we didn't do this 20 years ago." "The trucking industry has been very, very receptive [to SmartWay]," Bynum says. "I think shining a light on these advantages and being transparent about performance is a powerful marketing driver." But while lowering fuel expenses might alert customers to the value of SmartWay, Gary Roberts, business devel- opment manager at Fleet Engineers, says there's also a benefi t to being on the right side of environmental manufacturing. The green movement is likely to only increase, and Smart- Way fi ts perfectly within its message. "I think there's value to having products that promote sustainability and doing the right thing," Roberts says. "That's going to matter" in the future. "The majority of our fl eet customers are able to use the SmartWay certifi ca- tion to highlight their environmental focus while improving their bottom line," adds Steven Rodger, marketing manager, Innovative Tire & Mileage Solutions at STEMCO. The EPA says fl eets and owner- operators achieve SmartWay's carrier designation by voluntarily spec'ing any combination of SmartWay-approved components that reduce fuel consump- tion "by 10 to 20 percent for 2007 and newer long-haul tractors and trailers." Some customers — such as large na- tionwide and regional carriers — reach these standards through spec'ing during production, while others achieve valida- tion through aftermarket spec'ing. But vehicle owners aren't required to achieve a SmartWay carrier designation to benefi t from the program's approved technology, which is what makes Smart- Way such an enticing sales opportunity for the aftermarket, says Josh Lupu, director of marketing at Webasto. It only takes one properly selected SmartWay product for a customer to slash their fuel expense. "When you can show hard data to fl eets and customers and tell them how much [money] they are going to save — T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | A u g u s t 2 0 1 5 SmartWay identifi ed the fuel economy benefi ts of low- rolling resistance tires almost immediately. There are hundreds of commercial vehicle tires on the market today that are SmartWay- verifi ed to improve fuel economy. The green movement is likely to only increase, and Smart- Way fi ts perfectly within its market today that are SmartWay- verifi ed to improve fuel economy. Auxiliary power units are great resources for drivers, but their design also offers a signifi cant fuel savings by eliminating long idling periods.