SUPPLIERS to the tank truck industry are taking advantage of the Internet and its many possibilities for showcasing their services. To their initial marketing initiatives, they've added catalogs, technical manuals, warranty information, and educational sources.
Following is a view of some suppliers that have updated their sites with product information designed to inform their customers and others who visit their pages.
http://ch.hayes-lemmerz.com
Hayes Lemmerz International Inc of Northville, Michigan, a global supplier to the automotive and commercial highway industry, has introduced a new Web site for its commercial highway group.
Special site features include: technical bulletins, warranty information, an archive of company news releases, as well as general product information.
“Our objective is to offer customers in the truck market immediate and convenient access to pertinent information,” said Dan Jaksic, director of information services.
The company supplies automotive and commercial highway wheels, brakes, powertrain, suspension, structural, and other lightweight components.
The technical section includes documents with descriptions of engineering tests, nut clamping force loss, attaching part-requirements for 18-wheel tractor and trailer, and loose wheel causes and conditions. Documents are in PDF format and can be printed.
One page on the site discusses highway capabilities of the products and describes the company's use of computer aided design (CAD) systems for two-dimensional design and drafting and three-dimensional solid modeling. Information is available about product testing and validation at the company's QS9000 test laboratory.
Another section lists product announcements that have been made in the past five years. The list is provided in chronological order.
Hayes Lemmerz also will provide commercial highway product catalogs on the site at a later date.
www.hendrickson-intl.com
Hendrickson International, Woodridge, Illinois, has expanded its site, adding a comprehensive library of air-ride trailer suspension technical literature. The library can be found in the sales and tech support section.
Hendrickson is a supplier of truck, tractor, and trailer suspensions, lift axles, spring, bumpers, and stamped components to the commercial transportation industry.
Eighty-one technical documents that span technical topics include installation, inspections, and maintenance procedures. There are operator and troubleshooting guides and product references. They cover a majority of Hendrickson air-ride suspension products, such as Intraax, Vantraax, Quik-Draw, and Surelock.
Hendrickson plans to add truck, auxiliary axle, and components division technical literature to the site. Sales and marketing documents and forms are also slated for a future appearance.
www.hortoninc.com
A heavy duty products catalog is on line at the Web site maintained by Horton Inc, Roseville, Minnesota. It includes the same application and cross-referencing information found in the company's printed catalog. Horton supplies components for diesel engine cooling systems.
The catalog home page offers searches and drop-down menus for finding various products. Or a search can be conducted by entering a part number in the part number search box. Another search can be conducted through a vehicle applications search.
The individual product pages contain component information, specifications, and diagrams.
A link to distributor Web sites is provided.
www.spray.com
Spraying Systems Co of Wheaton, Illinois, has launched a newly designed and updated site that features technical and education resources. The company supplies spray nozzles and offers technical services for various industries requiring cleaning equipment.
Profiles of industry-specific application problems and their solutions along with detailed illustrations are featured in the application help section.
Among the information highlighted on the site is the product center section. It includes information on the application of specific spray nozzles to help assist in specifying the right nozzle for the correct application.
In the customer service section, information describes the company's spray nozzle maintenance seminar that helps identify and reduce costs associated with poorly performing nozzles.
A tech center section supplies a question and answer format, as well as information on spray nozzle basics, drop size measurement, and a look at the company's testing facilities for product evaluation.
www.stemco.com
Stemco Inc, Longview, Texas, has redesigned its Web site and added new features and benefits. The company is a manufacturer of truck wheel-end products and is a division of Goodrich Corp (www.goodrich.com).
Online ordering has been added to the site for customers to have an easy way to place orders and check the status of outstanding orders. The order entry pages are secured for existing Stemco aftermarket customers in the United States. Each customer must register to receive a user identification password. A demonstration order form is available for visitors who want to view the process.
The site also offers extensive descriptions of the parts and provides full company catalogs. Reference materials, policies, warranties, sales bulletins, and technology tips are available. New products are posted to give latest updates.