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Serving the heavy duty industry is much like the automotive industry — just bigger tools and larger equipment, right? Yes, the tools are bigger, and the equipment is larger, however, there are many other factors to consider for mobile tool dealers looking to add heavy duty repair shops to their route or looking to expand their heavy duty sales. Kansas-based independent tool dealer Ed Wright serves both the automotive and heavy duty industries. With over 20 years of experience, he can attest there’s more to it when selling heavy duty tools and equipment.
For starters, heavy duty tools and equipment carry a higher price tag.
“They’re bigger and heavier,” Wright says. “Most are a lot more expensive than your automotive tools.”
However, most technicians are used to the higher cost. If a technician needs it to do their job, they will buy it, Wright notes.
When prices reach closer to $800 or more for a tool or piece of equipment, selling generally shifts to shop owners or shop managers.
“Typically, a technician won’t want to buy a $1,500 gear installer or remover,” he says.
And since the tools are generally larger in size, they take up more space. When there’s already limited space on a tool truck, this can make it tricky for tool dealers to know which tools to stock.
“That’s the million-dollar question,” Wright says laughing.
Wright tries to stock a fair share of tools for all the industries that he serves. When his stops range from automotive to large heavy duty dealerships such as Peterbilt, Detroit, and Cummins, as well as some combine and tractor shops, it can be challenging. A lot of the time, he’ll have his automotive technicians asking about some of the heavy duty tools.
“They don’t even know what it is,” he says, referring to brake spring tools. “I have to tell them it’s for the big semis.”
Wright advises that to be successful selling heavy duty tools, you have to do your research.
“That’s one thing I thrive on,” he says. “I always try to keep my knowledge base up, so I know what is going on when a customer asks about something.”
The need is real
Hand tools are generally the same as automotive, just bigger, Wright notes.
“Bigger wrenches, socket sets, pliers, alien wrenches,” he lists. Same goes for power and air tools. Instead of 1/4”, 3/8”, and 1/2” tools commonly used in automotive repairs, heavy duty shops need 3/4” and 1”, he adds.
“Technicians [in heavy duty applications] need more power because what they’re messing with is bigger,” Wright says.
Although hand tools and power and air tools are still good sellers, his heavy duty technicians are more interested in specialty tools.
His top sellers are measuring and installing tools, but he also stocks brake spring tools, brake adjusting tools, clutch tooling, pilot bearing tools, and other smaller tools specific to commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Duramax flywheel lock kits, Cummins barring tools, and injector cup brushes.
Until more recently, the need for bigger tooling in the market has caught the attention of many tool manufacturers.
“It’s an underserved market,” says Jim Laughead, marketing consultant for Lock Technology. “Every year there seems to be more and more inquiries for heavy duty tools.”
When attending various industry events, Laughead says it’s not uncommon for technicians to ask tool manufacturers, like themselves, whether their tools will work on heavy duty vehicles.
When Lock Technology’s Shockit Socket O2 Sensor Removal Kit, No. LT994, came out over a year ago, technicians asked almost immediately if they had something for diesel. After some research, the company found the same application would work in heavy duty but just needed to be bigger.
Now in development, Lock Technology is creating a diesel (NOx) variation of the kit with larger sizes (22mm and up) as well as “extra-large” sizes for their Shockit crows foot and line wrench sets, geared towards the heavy duty industry.
However, not all tools can simply be made bigger to work for the heavy duty industry. Some may need to be re-fabricated or re-designed.
“The main thing is coming up with problem solving tools by listening to the end-user,” says Laughead. “Getting input from the end-user is very important and helpful.”
Eddie Lisle, sales manager at Lisle Corporation, agrees that feedback from end-users is everything.
“It’s interesting, we had our Davco wrenches out for quite a while now with a handle on them,” Lisle says. “Then we received some feedback that because sometimes where the fuel filter canisters located it’s a tight space, so we came out with compact wrenches for Davco. There’s a 3/8” square drive on them to make it easier to get into those tight spaces.”
Lisle’s Compact Wrenches are available in 5”, 6”, and 8” for Davco and one for Paccar.
“We’re always looking to add more heavy duty tools to our line,” Lisle notes. “Heavy duty tools are like specialty automotive tools. You want the right tool for the job. If you have a specific tool, it can save you time and money.”
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Not just tooling
Since components found on heavy duty vehicles are bigger and heavier, having the right shop equipment is not only helpful but essential for shops and technicians. The right equipment helps shop productivity, efficiency, and most importantly, safety.
The right shop equipment alleviates a lot of tiresome work of handling these larger components, says Todd Michalski, vice president of sales and marketing at Gray Manufacturing.
Technicians need to be able to lift and move parts and components easily. Examples include bigger floor jacks and lifting eyes to engine stands and dollies, Wright notes.
With the trend of commercial vehicles transitioning to disc brakes, technicians are now turning to disc brake dollies.
“When you look at the calipers and rotors, they’re awkward and difficult to handle,” Michalski says. “Typically, the caliper is in a weird position and the technician has to get into a non-ergonomically correct position to manhandle it.”
Gray Manufacturing’s DBD-200 Disc Brake Dolly allows technicians to easily remove and install both calipers and rotors. The DBD-200 not only holds and lifts components for removal and installation, but it also allows technicians to rotate the component for easy servicing and realignment.
Many heavy duty shops are also making the switch to mobile column lifts, Michalski notes.
“We’re seeing technicians are finding huge productivity gains by working on their feet verses supporting the vehicle 20” to 30” off the ground and doing repair work that way,” he says.
Since heavy duty equipment is not something commonly stocked on a tool truck, it may require a different selling strategy.
“For mobile tool dealers, it’ll be a different sales cycle and different customer,” Michalski says.
Michalski recommends creating a good relationship with the shop’s service managers and owners to understand what equipment can solve their problems. Then, look at the return on investment of that equipment. Focus on how much that equipment costs a month versus the revenue that could be generated by using that equipment.
And like the vehicles themselves, keeping downtime on equipment to a minimum is just as important.
“[Shops] also need to look at repairability of that equipment,” he advises. “Are parts available to repair the wearable items, do they have to dispose of the equipment if something goes wrong, does the manufacturer have a parts service available for quick and easy repair, is it in-house or do they send out?”
Difference in diagnostics
Because the construction of heavy duty vehicles can be widely different than light- and medium-duty vehicles, performing diagnostics is different.
“Heavy duty is different programming,” tool dealer Wright notes, citing commercial vehicles require 6-pin and 9-pin connectors, the need to adjust parameters, and require more coverage to name a few.
Heavy duty trucks are comprised of a variety of OE components, whereas nearly every major component found on light- and medium-duty vehicles come from the vehicle manufacturer. This means technicians working on heavy duty vehicles must be proficient at diagnosing and repairing components from a significant number of OEs, says Jason Hedman, product manager at Noregon.
Not to mention that many vehicle manufacturers source parts from different OEs to configure heavy duty vehicles to fit the owner’s needs.
“One combination of ECUs may work better for long-haul trucking while another configuration is more suited toward constant stopping and starting like a local delivery truck or trash truck would,” Hedman notes.
When it comes to diagnostics, Hedman recommends the following when it comes to evaluating diagnostic solutions.
Ability to diagnose the entire truck regardless of which components are on-board.
Easy-to-use interface. Given the complexity of the vehicles, a user-friendly interface will help technicians navigate the steps needed to repair the vehicle.
OE system integration. This is especially for technicians at a dealership where they may need to crease case files and submit warranty information to databases like ASIST or OnCommand.
Technicians may also need a tool that assists with the diagnostic process. For this, Hedman recommends JPRO Professional, Noregon’s in-shop diagnostic and troubleshooting tool that provides guided diagnostic features and tips to help with diagnosing the root cause, plus troubleshooting steps.
Selling techniques
In the 20 years that Wright has been selling tools, he has never been much of a “tote and promote” type of guy where you bring new tools into the shop to get technicians out to the truck. But for no other reason than just being lazy about carrying the tools in and out of the shop, he says laughing.
He’s been doing it long enough that everybody knows him and just walks out to his truck when he arrives.
Learning the heavy duty industry wasn’t hard for Wright, but it did take some time.
“The biggest thing is just to listen to your customers and pay attention,” he says. “They will tell you want you need.”
Wright is more the laid-back type of salesman. His tactic is to give his customers just enough information, such as the features and benefits, and then lets them make their own decision.
“I’ve been married for almost 36 years,” he says. “Sometimes you have to make them think it’s their idea. You just light the fuse and let them think a little bit.”
However, to talk about the product, you have to know the product.
“The best thing you can have on your truck is knowledge about the equipment so when [customers] ask you about it, you can say “yeah, so and so makes that. I can get it for you,” he says. “Do your research for them. When they realize that you will go the extra mile, they will come to you first.”
Wright’s last piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to sell a big-ticket item.
