00:00 00:00

Podcast

AAPEX22: Critical Engine Parts for Trucks

In this episode, we talk about breaking news with Alliant Power, after treatment with Redline Emissions Products, and engine oil products with Lucas Oil.

Episode 239: We’re in Las Vegas at the AAPEX – SEMA show in the Venetian Expo. While at the show we had the chance to interview some manufacturers that deal with critical engine componenets.

Our Guests today are:

Logos for Alliant Power, Redline Emissions Products, and Lucas Oil. In this episode, we talk about breaking news with Alliant Power, after treatment with Redline Emissions Products, and engine oil products with Lucas Oil.

Watch the Video Version

Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy-Duty Parts Report may receive a small commission.

Sponsors of this Episode:

  1. Want to look up parts but don’t have a part number or the VIN? Download Diesel Parts for free on Desktop or on your Apple or Android device.
  2. Looking for high-quality fuel injection for heavy-duty applications? Buy now from AMBACInternational.com/Aftermarket
  3. Looking for suspension, steering, and 5th wheel parts? Buy now from SAMPA.com
  4. Looking for OEM genuine parts? Buy now from AlliantPower.com

Buy Parts:

Are you looking to purchase heavy-duty parts and get your commercial vehicle repaired? Get access to one of HDA Truck Pride’s 750 locations across the United States and Canada. Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com/BuyParts.

Transcript of Episode:

Jamie Irvine:

You’re listening to The Heavy-Duty Parts Report. I’m your host, Jamie Irvine, and this is the show where you get expert advice about heavy duty parts that keeps trucks and trailers on the road longer while lowering costs per mile.

I recently had the chance to attend the AAPEX SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and it was a great opportunity for me to spend some time with some manufacturers that deal with critical engine components. In today’s interviews, we’re going to start with some breaking news at the Alliant Power Booth. We then talk about after treatment with Redline Emissions Products, and we finish the episode with a conversation about oil as we attended the Lucas Oil booth.

So I hope you enjoy all three interviews. It’s gonna become actually pretty quick, but it was a really great opportunity for me to talk to several manufacturers about engine components. You’re listening to The Heavy-Duty Parts Report. I’m your host, Jamie Irvine. Today we’re with Mike Banks, he’s a Senior Manager for Medium and Heavy Duty. Mike, a few months ago we would’ve said Diesel Forward, but that’s not the case anymore, is it?

Mike Banks:

That’s correct. The company has now called Alliant Power as of today.

Jamie Irvine:

Right. So it’s exciting that we’re here at AAPEX. You guys are announcing this launch of the Alliant Power Brand and you’re a Senior Sales Manager, but you work in a specific area of the company, is that correct?

Mike Banks:

Yeah, that’s correct, Jamie. I work on the medium and heavy-duty side of the business. Traditionally, our company has always been more based and segmented towards the light duty pickup truck sector, and now we’re transitioning more into that medium and heavy-duty network.

Jamie Irvine:

And so what was really the genesis behind the launch of the Alliant Power brand?

Mike Banks:

It’s all about brand awareness really. We have a great product. We’re very close, closely connected with a lot of OEM manufacturers. And to tie into that, we wanted to make sure that we had a brand that spoke loudly to a customer about who we are as a company and our OEM products that we have. And to tie along with that is just in the warranty coverage that we also include.

Jamie Irvine:

And I know for myself working many years in the aftermarket side, the independent service channel side of the business, if you’re at a repair shop and you’re servicing commercial equipment, there’s just not as many resources available. And historically, you didn’t have access to that OEM kind of genuine quality product. Alliant Power really fills a need in the marketplace where those kinds of products are now available.

Mike Banks:

Yeah, that’s correct. I mean, again, I talked about our connectivity between OEM manufacturers like Bosch and Denzo and Delhi. Those are some of the leaders in fuel injection component today, and we’re partnered directly with them. So if a customer’s going out looking for an OEM component, they don’t need to look any further. I mean, Alliant Power has what they need.

Jamie Irvine:

So let’s talk to about the specific categories of products that you’re selling. So you already mentioned fuel injection. Just break down what is available through the Alliant Power brand now.

Mike Banks:

Yeah, so we have turbo chargers, we have after treatment components for all this newer vehicle that’s on the road today. I mean, everything is based on urea systems when it comes to diesel. And we have all those connectivity components between doser modules, supply modules, DPF filters and so on.

Jamie Irvine:

And I know that over the last couple years, people in the trucking industry have really felt the pain of supply chain issues that are causing parts shortages. What’s one of the things that Alliant Power has been able to do for people on the independent side over the last couple years to try to combat that a little bit?

Mike Banks:

Well, what we do offer is we have a good sales team that are experts in the medium heavy duty market. I was just doing a presentation for some of our committee the other day, and we have over 102 years of experience, just the heavy duty market alone.

So when a customer’s looking for a key component, whether it be a turbo charger, anything in the after treatment, fuel systems, we have partners all over the world that we’re connected to where if there’s a key component missing from one of our OEM manufacturers, we have ways of sourcing that product for a customer and taking care of ’em.

Jamie Irvine:

And that has big implications for people that are operating commercial equipment because as we all know with downtime, whether it’s the vehicle owner where of course they have to pay that price, but even the shop, if you’ve got a piece of equipment that’s tied up in a bay money out of the shop’s pocket.

Mike Banks:

Yeah, that’s correct. I mean, we look at that and we have those conversations with drive-in network people all the time that when a truck is sitting and a customer’s looking for a part, that’s thousands of dollars per day, that that’s costing a business owner in the drive-in repair business and they also have a customer waiting for that truck to be back on the road because that’s what makes that customer money.

Jamie Irvine:

Absolutely. Well, one of the things I do know a little bit of inside information, but there’s a few more announcements coming in 2023. We’re looking forward to that. Thanks for taking some time to talk with us, Mike. I really appreciate that.

Mike Banks:

Yeah, thank you so much, Jamie, and we really appreciate all your help too along the way and helping us build what’s coming next.

Jamie Irvine:

And if people wanna learn more, they can go to alliantpower.com correct?

Mike Banks:

Alliantpower.com is a place to go. We are your medium and heavy-duty experts for all critical engine components.

Jamie Irvine:

Thanks, Mike.

Mike Banks:

All right. Thank you buddy.

Jamie Irvine:

We’re here at AAPEX and I’m with Wayne Cochrane, National Sales Manager at Redline Emissions Products. Wayne, welcome back to the show.

Wayne Cochrane:

Well, it’s great to be here, Jamie. We’ve been wandering around AAPEX a little bit, enjoying the show and meeting lots of friends, new and old, so it’s been a great event. Little bit better than last year, not quite as good as past year’s, but it’s been a really great event and it’s really good to be here.

Jamie Irvine:

I was just saying that the amount of foot traffic here at the show is certainly significantly more than last year with all of the travel restrictions. But Wayne, as you’ve been at the show and you’ve been talking to people, you guys focus on the category of diesel emission products. What is the things that you’re noticing, let’s just say from a trend perspective in that category, and what have you been hearing here at the show?

Wayne Cochrane:

Well, we’ve only talked to a couple of people. There’s a lot of new part number SKUs coming out, so we’re really excited about that. Walking through the show, we’re looking for new vendors or existing vendors to help expand our line in the sensor category, perhaps charge air coolers, EGR coolers, so we can come to our customer base with as full a line as anyone in the industry.

Jamie Irvine:

For those of you that haven’t come to a show like this before, it is really a dual role. Yes. You’re looking for customers, but you’re also looking for partnerships. That’s really what these shows are about. As you look to 2023, what do you see as kind of a trend and where do you think it’s going with after treatment?

Wayne Cochrane:

Well, after treatment is constantly growing. I mean, there’s the electric trucks. Everyone’s afraid of electric trucks, but diesels are around for an awfully long time. And as the trucks age and people become more accustomed with aftermarket emissions parts, they’re being more and more purchases, more and more inquiries, more and more people wanting to be distributors. So we’re looking for a really solid future in the diesel emission category.

Jamie Irvine:

And you aren’t just manufacturing the actual replacement parts, you’re actually manufacturing the cleaning equipment. So how does that factor into, if I’m a distributor of yours, how would I benefit from the cleaning program?

Wayne Cochrane:

Well, the cleaning program is really the key to getting the first opportunity to bid or quote on replacement parts. You bring a product in and either it’s damaged or cannot be cleaned through the entire process. And obviously then you can quote the new product.

But at the same time, if you successfully clean a unit, then you also have the opportunity for all the ancillary parts, the gaskets, the clamps. Some of the progressive fleets are even upgrading sensors as they clean the DPF so that as the vehicle leaves the shop, they don’t have issues a hundred miles away and incur a towing bill or something of that nature.

Jamie Irvine:

And as we all know, that downtime and unscheduled downtime especially is far more expensive than any replacement part. So Wayne, for those that want to learn more about what your company does and how to get access to your product as well as your cleaning equipment where should they go?

Wayne Cochrane:

Well, we have a website. It’s www.rep.direct, or they can give me a call. And my number is 888-295-4670.

Jamie Irvine:

Fantastic. Wayne, thank you for coming back on the show.

Wayne Cochrane:

Thank you. Yes, my pleasure. Lots of luck. Have a great show.

Jamie Irvine:

Okay, you too.

Commercial Break:

Don’t have a heavy-duty part number and need to look up a part? Go to parts.diesellaptops.com or download the app on Apple or Android to create your free account.

Looking for high quality fuel injection for heavy -duty applications? Having one supplier for fuel injection allows you to better serve customers by providing them with a complete line which increases your sales and profitability. Learn more at ambacinternational.com/aftermarket.

Parts availability and quality have a big influence on fleets and owner operators total cost of operation. If they can’t find a part, it means more downtime. If they install a low quality part and it fails, it means even more costs like tow bills, hotels, meals for the driver, and lost revenue. That’s why we recommend Sampa. They manufacture a wide range of advanced parts for commercial vehicles. Their website has an intelligent product search engine and broad coverage of suspension, steering and fifth wheel components. Expect more. Expect Sampa. Visit sampa.com.

Jamie Irvine:

Today we’re here in Las Vegas at the AAPEX SEMA Show, and today we are at the Lucas Oil booth and I’m with Brandon Greene. Brandon, thanks for being on the show.

Brandon Greene:

Thanks for having me today.

Jamie Irvine:

So one of the things that we’re talking about with everybody who’s exhibiting here is just what kinds of conversations are you having because you are a medium heavy-duty specialist. So what are those conversations? What are you focusing people’s attention on?

Brandon Greene:

Mainly we’re talking about our high-quality engine oil that would be used in the heavy duty marketplace. Lucas has a full line offering of heavy-duty lubricants for that diesel truck that’s out there on the road.

Jamie Irvine:

I know when I was selling heavy-duty parts, it’s been a few years now, but wasn’t really what I thought of when I thought of Lucas Oil. So it’s exciting that you’re making inroads and people are starting to use that product. At the show, we always talk about how to lower total cost of operation. So what kinds of recommendations do you make to your customers for them to achieve that with your oil?

Brandon Greene:

So with the use of our regular heavy-duty engine oil, which is a fantastic product, we actually push people toward incorporating our heavy-duty engine oil stabilizer in the engine oil. When you use the engine oil along with the heavy-duty engine oil stabilizer, you are gaining a huge benefit. The parts wear is far, far less, the ability of the engine oil to protect the hard parts and pieces to clinging to the metal parts and pieces to actually coat the metal parts and pieces better than the engine oil alone.

That is what is the best gain from incorporating the heavy-duty stabilizer. Other things that are actually achieved by doing that, less friction, less wear, and even been reported some mile per gallon gains by using a product that reduces the friction and lessens the heat.

Jamie Irvine:

And that’s a huge deal right now with record fuel prices as well as one of the things too, and I’ve known this for all the years I sold parts, it’s one thing about buying the right product at the beginning, but it’s also like how does that impact total cost of operation? And what you’re saying is when you combine these two, you can actually drive that down in multiple ways.

Brandon Greene:

That’s right. So what we don’t think about is the long term, right? What is a parts failure cost long term and a diesel engine, it’s astronomical sometimes. So incorporating a product that one coats the engine oil or helps the engine oil, coat the metal parts much, much better. It could save you that failure long term saving you money.

Jamie Irvine:

When it comes to selling engine oil, one of the things you have to think about, there’s been a lot of changes in oil over the years, so what about things like reverse compatibility?

Brandon Greene:

Yeah, so our engine oils for the heavy duty marketplace, we wear the API CK badge on our oils. And the reason that we chose to do that is so that we can meet that standard and offer the consumer or the user of that product the availability of using the most current specification in any older vehicle that would require the earlier specifications because API says you have met the most stringent standard, and by all means, it is going to protect the older specification engines just like it would have back in the day, if not better.

Jamie Irvine:

And the other thing too is I know if you’re in a trucking company and you’re traveling all over the United States, or in Canada where I’m from, for example, if you go from the coast and you go across the Rockies in just a few hours, you’ve gone through rainforest, a desert, rocky mountains, and then depending on what time of year it is, you could be going from positive temperatures to sub temperatures. Right. Do you have recommendations for people who are operating in different climates?

Brandon Greene:

We would, as a matter of fact. So thinking about how that unit is being used would be what the recommendation for the oil weight is. If we were always in that cold, cold climate, we would most certainly try to push someone to thinking about using the 5W40 to protect that engine. On initial startup. We’re talking about oils that are 5-40 and 1540. They’re very similar in nature. However, a 15-40 at that super cold temperature, it is not gonna flow well enough to protect the engine parts and pieces up on the top end of the engine.

So that would be the reason for pushing someone toward a 5-40 in the cold climate. Let’s think about someone that’s operating in super warm conditions. We’re always gonna push ’em to that 1540. The weight is there at initial start to protect it, and the 40 weight comes into play once those viscosity modifiers start working and it allows that engine to be protected at that 40 weight is what is most of them call out for a 40 weight oil.

Jamie Irvine:

Fantastic. Also, when I was selling parts, there was always the package products and then there was bulk. Do you have both of those programs available depending on the customer?

Brandon Greene:

Yes, we do for sure. So we sell our diesel oils in the gallon size jug all the way up to the tote and even the tanker load. So definitely bulk is something that we love to do.

Jamie Irvine:

Fantastic. Fantastic. Well, I really appreciate you taking some time to talk to me. Welcome to The Heavy Duty Parts Report family. I appreciate you absolutely sharing a bit of your expertise as well.

Brandon Greene:

It was a pleasure. It was an absolute pleasure. Thank you very much.

Jamie Irvine:

And if you’d like to learn more, go to lucasoil.com and also follow The Heavy-Duty Parts Report at heavydutypartsreport.com. Thank you so much for your support and checking out today’s episode.

Share this:
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Email
Related:

FOLLOW THE PODCAST

Receive a weekly email with links to the latest episodes.

Your Ultimate Destination for Heavy-Duty Parts.

You Won’t Believe How Much You Will Save

The heart of the independent parts and service channel

Search