Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks are launching a new model of truck ownership and maintenance. The new model aims to improve truck maintenance by providing it based on the truck’s actual needs at a virtually all-inclusive price that remains consistent. This new approach will ensure that trucks are better maintained, reducing the risk of breakdowns and downtime, and ultimately saving owners time and money.
At the Technology & Maintenance Council’s spring meeting, Volvo announced the launch of its new service contract called Volvo Blue. This service plan is designed to be comprehensive and covers all of the preventive maintenance requirements of Volvo trucks. The plan utilizes data collected from the trucks to determine their maintenance needs accurately. The goal is to provide a more efficient and effective maintenance plan that is tailored to each truck’s specific needs.
The new service plan, Volvo Blue, replaces the old one-size-fits-all preventive maintenance (PM) schedules with a more truck-specific approach. The maintenance plan is based on the truck’s usage and needs, ensuring that each truck receives the attention it requires. Service appointments are scheduled based on the availability of the required parts and technicians to expedite the maintenance process. Customers are billed on a subscription basis, eliminating the possibility of unexpected cost overruns when the truck visits the shop.
“The Volvo Blue service contract is an enabler for best-in-class uptime. This new form of premium, adaptive maintenance is managed by the local connected dealership, who is monitoring the truck’s state-of-health and operations 24/7 by utilizing a suite of over-the-air services on-board the truck,” Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America, said in an accompanying release.
“This provides the dealership with vehicle data to dynamically tailor and schedule maintenance specifically to the truck’s operations, needs and availability. Further it enables dealers to work with the fleets in a much more predictive way to proactively address emerging repairs and avoid unplanned stops.”
As part of the new Volvo Blue service plan, each service visit will include a comprehensive 74-point inspection to ensure that all potential maintenance issues are identified and addressed. The service contracts will be available for different durations ranging from 12 to 60 months. Customers will have the option of building the subscription fee into their truck payments through Volvo Financial Services or being billed via bank draft.
Mack Premium Service Contracts
Mack Trucks has also introduced a similar service plan called Mack Premium Service Contracts, which is available for all of their models, including the Mack Granite. Customers can select from plans based on either 100,000- or 50,000-mile (160,000 or 80,000-km) increments, depending on their specific application. Vocational customers have the option to build a plan based on the truck’s usage hours rather than mileage. This allows for a more customized service plan that is tailored to each customer’s specific needs.
“Our customers can see real results from the Mack Premium Service Contracts, including the prevention of unplanned downtime events as a result of our 74-point inspection,” said Patrick Brown, Mack Trucks services and solutions strategy manager. “This translates in time and money saved for the customer.”
Both Vovo and Mack customers can have their trucks serviced at participating dealers.
“This has been in pilot or soft launch mode for about a year. Five dealer groups throughout North America were trained on the process,” Mike Furst, director of contract services with Volvo, said during a TMC press conference.
According to the spokesperson, the trials of the new service plans were successful with positive feedback from both dealers and fleets who participated in the program. The new service plan includes a 74-point inspection and utilizes oil analysis to optimize drain intervals. By coordinating maintenance with oil drain intervals, most maintenance work can be done in a more timely and efficient manner. The plan also covers additional services such as DPF cleanings, rear axle oil changes, valve adjustments, and even annual DOT inspections, making it a comprehensive and all-inclusive service package.
“It’s all designed to prevent multiple stops at the dealership,” Furst said. “At its core, it’s a comprehensive maintenance plan…designed to optimize how that truck operates and to have fewer unplanned stops.”