More than ever, fleets are focusing on maximizing vehicle uptime. Having the right parts on hand for a repair is one key component to achieving this goal. Recognizing this need, truck and component manufacturers are stepping up and making changes to their online parts catalogs.

Cummins recently launched www.parts.cummins.com, which it calls “an innovative approach to its online parts catalog.” Users can search the site for parts information using any serial or part number available on their Cummins engine or components, including Holset turbos, Onan generators, aftertreatment solutions and Fleetguard filtration solutions. Cummins says customers no longer have to go to multiple sites to research Cummins-associated parts.

“Parts.cummins.com was built to empower our customers’ success by finding the right part the first time, every time,” says Mike Champlin, director of aftermarket information management for Cummins.

Katherine Stevens, Cummins’ aftermarket information program manager, explains that the development and release of the site was motivated by functional, strategic and technical factors. “Functionally, 75% of all the traffic on our existing service website [QuickServe Online] visited the parts catalog. Seeing this as the largest content draw for our engine customers, we strategically tried to improve our overall parts catalog experience with our global customers.”

She adds, “With features like a part number search, individual part graphics and future part catalog language translations [coming in Q2-2018], users feel confident that the part they see on the website is the correct part to keep them up and running.”

Parts pages include part dimensions, alternative parts options, and applicable part-related kits “to ensure customers get all the parts they need the first time,” the company said in a recent press release.

Once the fleet finds the correct part, it can create a pick list on the website and then export, print or email that list to its local parts provider. Cummins says this allows customers to get back on the road as quickly as possible.

In the future, the company plans to enable the capability to electronically share the pick list with a fleet’s Cummins parts provider. Stevens says this will enable a smooth transition from research to fulfillment.

In another development, TRP, the all-makes parts program from Paccar, unveiled a new all-makes parts catalog on www.TRPParts.com. The company says the new catalog offers customers a more efficient online parts experience. TRP says it is the first to use Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards as a navigation tool to search for parts.

Fleets often buy parts from multiple sources, and it can be confusing if different vendors call the same part by different names. Using the nine-digit VMRS code lets fleet managers know they are ordering the exact part they need.

“We have developed a new way of using VMRS to display product information in an industry-standardized format,” explains Matt Treadwell, general marketing manager for Paccar Parts. “This strategic solution helps users identify the parts they need faster and maximize uptime for our customers.”

The site also allows fleets to search for a part a number of different ways, including by keyword, TRP part number, or competitor part number. Fleets can also access authorized TRP retail locations and learn about parts promotions.