North American Detroit Diesel-Allison and Webasto distributors and will soon be sporting a new image

, and the group will be stepping up efforts to market the new brand as a retail service, repair, and parts provider. Established in 2004 to implement a common set of quality metrics that would help the group enhance specific, customer-defined service performance criteria, the network-wide initiative became known internally as WheelTime.

The 21 independent member companies in the group voluntarily invested over $8 million in system and staffing resources to create measurable standards of repair quality and service consistency. The concept has expanded to include quality measurements across a complete truck service portfolio.

With the appointment of Mike Delaney as its president and CEO in September, WheelTime is taking the brand "public" so customers all over North America can access the network on a single agreement with consistent standards of quality service.

"We are transitioning WheelTime from a generally internally focused initiative to a recognized retail brand representing a comprehensive array of high quality truck services," said Delaney, formerly senior vice-president of marketing for truck and component brands at Daimler Trucks North America. "Every WheelTime member is committed to excellence in the most complex repairs through uniform quality measurement and a customer-first mindset. I'm proud to be leading the WheelTime effort, and I'm excited to play a key role in bringing this unique vision to life."

WheelTime is about more than engines and transmissions. The company will focus on post-warranty service across all makes of trucks and engines as well as across the total truck to one degree or another.

"Without exception, all WheelTime affiliates are working in that direction," says Delaney. "WheelTime will come to be seen as a safe haven where all customers can get any job done the way they want it done."

Key to WheelTime's expansion plans is establishing fleet maintenance and service contracts done to customer standards -- right down to using the fleet's own PM routines -- at every affiliated shop across the network.

"Our customer's will provide us with the PM routines, and that will be exactly what comes up on screen when customer's truck arrives at the door. All the work will be done exactly as it would be in the customer's own shop," Delaney claims. "I'm predicting that when the supplier starts doing the work the way the customer wants it done, the customer won't want to do it anymore. The increasing complexity, capital investment and operating costs of maintenance in a risky and changing market will make investments in truck maintenance seem increasingly non-core. Shop time doesn't produce profits -- only wheel time does."

Despite the relationship with Daimler Trucks North America through the Detroit Diesel authorized service channel, WheelTime is not affiliated with Freightliner ServicePoint locations found at Travel Center of America (TA) locations.

WheelTime offers service support through more than 30 training facilities and nearly 200 service centers located across the U.S. and Canada. Mobile repair services are also available from a fleet of more than 1,500 service vehicles equipped with the latest diagnostic tools.

For more information about WheelTime, or to find the nearest service location, see www.wheeltime.com.