Jackson Group Online Truck Show!

Jackson Group Peterbilt Truck Show

We are going to have an online truck show on our Facebook page.  If you want to participate, please send us a picture of you and your truck in a message or post it to our wall.  We will accept pictures until 7/15/2015 at 11:59 pm.  The truck show will go for an additional week

Rules

Points will be given for like and shares.  You will get one point per like and two points per share.  The person with the most points at the end wins.

To keep people from stealing pictures off the internet, you must be in the picture with the truck.  Any pictures with inappropriate content won't be posted.

Prizes

1st Jacket and Hat

2nd Hat

3rd Gloves

Semi Truck Purchase— Full-Service Lease vs New vs Used?

When the old truck gives up the ghost and it’s time for a new one, the question is if it’s better to buy a new truck, buy a used truck, or to full-service lease a truck.  There are benefits and disadvantages to all three depending on the situation.  Here at Jackson Group Peterbilt we offer all three.  In addition to selling new and used heavy-duty trucks, we operate a PacLease division to help those who would like to full-service lease.  PacLease is the preferred full-service leasing service for many commercial businesses because of the size of the operation.  There are more than 500 PacLease locations and over 600 dealer-service locations in the US, Canada and Mexico.  Some of the biggest companies in the world are PacLease customers.

• Pepsico
• Costco
• Walmart
• Boeing

How Does PacLease Work?

Full Service Leasing a truck through PacLease is rather simple. People who full-service lease trucks pay a monthly fee for the use of a truck.  This fee is usually a little less than what you would pay for a payment on a regular truck you purchased.  In addition there is a charge for miles driven.  The overall cost ends up being slightly more than what you would pay for the truck if you had purchased it. 

Reasons to Full-Service Lease a Commercial Truck

So if it costs more to full-service lease a truck than buy to a new one, why would you do so?  When evaluating costs you need to be careful to look at the operating costs in addition to the initial cost of purchasing the truck.  The operating costs of full service leasing a truck is typically far less expensive than purchasing a vehicle and maintaining it with an outside repair company.

·        Truck Maintenance- With PacLease full-service lease vehicles, all the maintenance is included.  The company leasing the truck is only responsible to bring it in.  PacLease has an extensive preventive maintenance program to minimize breakdowns and maximize uptime.

·        Roadside assistance- PacLease offers 24 hour, roadside assistance to all of their customers.

·        Downtime- If your full service lease truck has a mechanical issue that needs fixing, PacLease will provide you with a substitute truck to use until the repairs are done.  Costly downtime will literally become a problem of the past.

·        Customized Solutions- Telematics, Fuel Program, Administrative Services (licensing, fuel tax reporting, HVUT compliance) can all be included in a PacLease full service lease, which eliminates these additional burdens so you can focus on your core business.

Benefits of a PacLease Truck

•        Custom-Spec’d Vehicles

•        Full-Service Leasing

•        Finance Leasing

•        Contract Maintenance

•        Commercial Truck Rental

•        Local Decision Making

•        National Account Program

•        Preventive Maintenance

•        24-Hour Roadside Assistance

•        Customized Fuel Program

•        Vehicle Washing

•        Fuel Tax Reporting

•        Licensing & Permitting

•        Telematics (GPS vehicle tracking)

Reasons to Buy a New Truck 

Warranty, warranty, warranty!  Not only do you get a bright, shiny truck built exactly how you like it, but you also get a number of warranties to protect your new purchase.  A new truck comes with the reassurance that you are starting with a clean slate and a truck that hasn't been abused by previous owners.  You will always know the truck’s service history and the types of loads it has carried.

Reasons to Buy a Used Truck

The initial costs to purchase a used truck is far less than a new truck or a leased one.  Modern trucks are built to run between 500K to 1M miles.  Almost every part on the truck can be replaced or rebuilt.  This extends the availability for used trucks on the market.  If you can find a truck older than 2007, they are not required to have a diesel particulate filter or scr system and have less emissions requirements. This mean fewer trips to the shop for emissions-related check-engine lights and more money in the bank.  The downside to purchasing a used truck is that there isn’t a warranty and they are more prone to substantial engine, drivetrain and suspension problems.

Conclusion

All three options are good in their specific ways.  The most important thing is to carefully evaluate your situation and choose what is best for you and your company.  Whatever choice your make, remember to be safe and thoroughly perform your pre-trip inspections.  Service your vehicle on a regular basis to keep it running at peak performance.

What's an SCR Light and What Does It Mean?

What's an SCR System?

SCR stands for Selective Catalytic Reduction.  The systems is used to reduce the amount of NOx (mono-nitrogen oxides NO and NO2) that is released in diesel exhaust.  Trucks newer than 2010 are required to have a NOx limit of no more than 0.2g/bhp-hr for all heavy-duty diesel engines.

How Does the SCR System Work?

http://www.dieselforum.org/about-clean-diesel/what-is-scr-

As the exhaust leaves the oxidation catalyst there is an injector that sprays urea (DEF Fluid) in the chamber.  This combination causes a chemical reaction that converts the nitrogen oxides in to nitrogen, water and trace amounts of CO2.  Few people may know that breathing diesel exhaust is far less harmful than exhaust from a regular gas engine (which will kill you!)  

What is DEF Fluid?

DEF stands for Diesel Exhaust Fluid which is urea.  Most equipment with an SCR system will have a DEF tank behind the gas tank.  DEF fluid should be checked regularly even though it is consumed far slower than gas.

What To Do If the SCR Light Comes On? 

When the SCR light comes on, breathe calmly knowing that your truck isn't going to explode.  It just means your after treatment system has some issues that need to be resolved.  The bad news is that if the truck runs for too long with the light on, the computer system will de-rate your power and possible shut the engine off .  This is particularly aggravating because often it doesn't have anything to do with how the engine runs.  The SCR light is something that should be taken to a dealership to be fixed since there usually isn't a clear-cut answer to what is causing the light.  Often we see trucks come in with an SCR light multiple times and it is hardly ever the same problem twice.  A good mechanic is worth their weight in gold.

Find parts for SCR systems  

When To Change the Oil on a Heavy-Duty Truck

Engine Service on Heavy Duty Trucks

Regularly maintain your truck for optimal performance

The problem with servicing heavy-duty trucks is that there are many different trains of thought on when they should be serviced and which filters should be changed.  Because a commercial truck can drive more than 100,000 miles per year, it is important to keep the truck running smooth and on the road.  Every hour the truck is off the road, drivers and companies are losing money so it's important to keep trucks regularly maintained.

What is the general rule of thumb for interval between servicing heavy-duty trucks?

There are several different Manufacturers that make the engines for heavy-duty trucks.  The three main manufacturers are Cummins, Caterpillar and Paccar.  Each manufacturer has specs on their engines and the recommended time between services.  These can usually be looked up easily by engine type.  If you aren't able to get the specific information on your motor you can use 20,000-30,000 miles as a general rule of thumb.

When to service your heavy-duty truck--running hours vs miles driven vs operating time

For this example we are going to use the Paccar MX-13 engine.  In the operator's manual it suggest changing the oil every 25,000 miles, 800 hours or every 12 months.  It is very important for operators with trucks equipped with cranes or other operating equipment to keep a close eye on operating hours.  It is easy for drivers and service people to forget to service a vehicle with high running hours but low miles.  Here at Jackson Group Peterbilt in our Utah Valley Peterbilt location we maintain a fleet of service vehicles.  One of their vehicles hadn't been serviced for years because they were basing maintenance on miles driven and not engine hours.  When the mechanics finally serviced the truck, many of the filters had started to rust making them extremely difficult to get off and the oil was filthy.

Variations in when to service a commercial vehicle

Always remember your truck may need to be serviced more often than what your manufacturer recommends.  If you are hauling particularly large loads on a regular basis and putting heavy strain on the engine you need to get it serviced more often.  You may need to service your heavy-duty truck more often when you work in a vocational setting where the environment is very dusty or dirty.  Some people believe using special types of oil will extend the time between necessary services.  We suggest being cautious and following the guidelines given by the manufacturer.  You may also want to change the oil more often if the engine has a lot of miles on it.

Best practices for maintaining heavy-duty equipment

Remember to use good judgement when maintaining your truck.  Keep it maintained on a regular basis and more often when hauling very heavy loads or while working in dusty or dirty environments.  Always make sure to be familiar with your truck, the motor and the maintenance history.  Be sure to thoroughly perform the pre-trip inspection.  When dealing with maintenance, always lean towards the side of caution.  It is far less expensive to service the truck than replace the motor.   

OEM VS Aftermarket Heavy-Duty Truck Parts

OEM VS Aftermarket Heavy-Duty Truck Parts

Your truck is due for some general maintenance you are willing to do yourself and you pull in to one of the Jackson Group Peterbilt stores for parts.  You are looking for filters an air dryer.  The parts guy looks your truck up by VIN number and give you the all-too-famous question.  Aftermarket or OEM?

Benefits of OEM Heavy-duty Truck Parts

We will start with the benefits of ordering OEM heavy-duty truck parts.  Firstly, when you purchase an OEM truck part you can be sure you are getting the right part for the application and that it will fit.  These parts are made specifically for that truck and have patents protecting their design and fit.  Generally speaking, with OEM parts you will find there is a consistency in part quality that you can't find with aftermarket parts.

The other benefit is when purchasing parts that normally use a branded logo.  OEM will have a bright, shiny, great-looking logo.  Normally the aftermarket parts will look similar in appearance, but will have a plain-looking finish where logos would normally be found.

Disadvantages of OEM Heavy-Duty Truck Parts

The only major complaint we get from customers about the OEM truck parts is pricing and sometimes selection.  Since the manufacturers spend a lot of time and money on creating their parts and patenting those products, they pass those expenses on to the customers.  Since aftermarket parts are re-engineered from the OEM parts, they are able to make them at a much lower cost.  When referring to body parts and lighting, aftermarket often offers a larger selection of parts and designs.

Benefits of Aftermarket Heavy-Duty Truck Parts

As I think all of us know, price is the biggest advantage of aftermarket truck parts.  You can often get a part that is comparable for a fraction of the OEM price.  If you are careful with the manufacturer, you can also find some aftermarket truck parts that are better quality than OEM.  There are a couple of specific companies that come to mind.  Atro Engineering makes extremely high quality poly bushing for a number of applications that work much better than traditional rubber bushings.  Another good example is replacing your OEM shocks with Monroe Shocks.  As mentioned above, lighting is somewhere you can get good quality, aftermarket parts at a better price.  They even offer a much bigger selection than OEM applications as well.

Disadvantages of Aftermarket Heavy-Duty Truck Parts

There are two major reasons why people prefer OEM parts over aftermarket parts.  Firstly, is how the parts fit.  It often occurs that in order to get around patent infringement, the aftermarket-parts manufacturers have to make subtle changes to the design.  Often times these changes make it hard for them to have an exact fit.  Generally speaking mechanics can make them work, but sometimes it is a bit of a struggle.  A couple aftermarket truck parts we have seen problems with in the past are wheel nuts and shifter knobs.  This isn't too say they are all bad, but those are a couple of select parts we have had with specific companies.

The second major issue with aftermarket truck parts is the consistency of quality.  More often than not, companies that make aftermarket parts have them manufactured over seas in order to save costs.  The quality control portions of these businesses are often not as stringent as companies who directly manufacture their parts.

Conclusion

When making the decision between OEM and aftermarket OEM truck parts, it's always best to consult with a parts specialist.  They generally have a lot of experience with both brands and can consult you on the pros and cons of each.  Jackson Group Peterbilt's parts specialists are highly trained and experienced in finding every part your need to repair your truck.  They also have a full selection of parts you can order online and have delivered directly to your home.