The independent parts sector pushes franchised competitors hard in the truck and trailer aftermarket industry, writes Jack Carfrae.
BUY or lease your trucks with a maintenance contract and the local franchise will inevitably be your first and probably only port of call for parts.
Independent suppliers are unlikely to get a look in at that point but, beyond fixed-cost packages, the franchised sector has been under pressure from nonpartisan specialists and forced to up its game.
Price is the elephant in the room. It is not news that non-OEM suppliers are typically cheaper than main dealers – be it for parts or any other service – and while independents freely admit that official retailers have addressed what were previously standard issue chasms, they still apply to certain components.
