Tom Gosnell, president of ArvinMeritor's Commercial Vehicle Systems and Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket, said he is confident there will be a resurgence in the trucking industry's aftermarket, despite the current state of the economy.

Gosnell gave the keynote address, "Assess the Damage and Rebuild," at the National Wheel and Rim Assn.'s (NWRA) annual meeting earlier this month in Banff Springs, Canada. The meeting's theme was "Navigating the Storm."
Because the general economy is sluggish, the industry may be facing another year of troubled waters, Gosnell said. "We aren't facing the same difficulties as we were six months ago, but the market isn't as good as we thought it was two months ago."
There will continue to be a rebuilding of the market, through an increase in value-added services, efficiencies and driving costs out of the supply chain.
Gosnell expressed confidence that the aftermarket is poised to recover, saying it just may take a bit longer than previously anticipated.
"While the aftermarket is a cyclical industry, and will continue to be, the next few years will bring us many changes and advancements," said Gosnell.
"We have begun to see the used truck surplus reducing, the trade cycles will continue to extend to about five to seven years, and the overall fleet population will continue to expand."
As the used vehicle surplus decreases, the vehicle age will increase, which will lead to higher parts demand and consumption and to the increased need of service centers. Gosnell believes that since there is a shortage of dealer service capacity, the demand for parts will lead customers more and more to the independent service garage.
He suggested that both financial stability and technology adoption is critical for the entire aftermarket and all of its players for them to compete and to win. Technology has advanced within the past few years and will continue to be an integral part of this business. On-line ordering and parts information will continue to be the wave of the future, he said.