Overall Findings of Social Media in Canadian Trucking

Our findings of the trucking industry as a general group showed some interesting facts. Facebook looks to have the highest volume of users among the industry. This would probably be because of facebook’s size of community and popularity in mainstream population. People in trucking most likely already have or had a facebook account, so they use it to connect to colleagues, suppliers and industry manufacturers.

The industry has not grasped other platforms like twitter, Linkedin, or Blogs yet. A recent Land Line Magazine reader survey showed that of the group of Owner Operators they questioned 56.1% used facebook, 7.5% were on twitter, 6.4% blogged, and 3.2% had Linkedin. These numbers confirm the previous blog post findings.

One thing the Land Line survey did not measure was the amount of views the Owner Operators would say they had of trucking related YouTube videos. We found that YouTube was a major platform for the truck manufacturers to get their message out. The manufacturers combined for hundreds of thousands of views with two of them not even having a channel. Volvo trucks global YouTube account had over 2 million views. As stated by Eric Qualman, in his Socialnomics book, YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world. There must be a way for the trucking industry to capitalise on its popularity and connect the community through videos.

Canadian Trucking Associations and Social Media

In addition to researching the truck manufacturers we took a look at Trucking Associations across Canada to see how social they were. We looked at the 7 provincial and 1 national association (Canadian Trucking Alliance)websites and were surprised to see the lack of social engagement. Many of the sites do not even have a feed from a Social Media site let alone a link or icon.

Here is what we found:

Canadian Trucking Association Websites with Social Media Links
		facebook	twitter	YouTube	LinkedIn
Canadian	CTA	No	Yes	No	No
Alberta	AMTA	No	No	No	No
Atlantic	APTA	Yes	Yes	No	No
British Columbia	BCTA	No	No	No	No
Manitoba	MTA	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Ontario	OTA	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Quebec	ACQ	No	No	No	No
Saskatchewan	STA	No	No	No	No

It is quite shocking to see the lack of communication going on (or not going on) using the free tools that available to most people in the industry. Is the lack of communication a sign of the industry and those that run it, or has the technology just not reached the trucking industry? I hope it’s the latter but that will need to be seen.

Truck Manufacturers and Social Media

Being a part of the Canadian trucking industry and very interested in social media we decided to take a close look into how the industry is utilizing the tools and technology that are available to them.

We started our research where the trucks themselves start, at the manufactures. We found that all of the manufactures are involved in social media in one form or another. That’s not to say that any of them are doing it well. As is common with a number of large companies, they seem to be involved with one to three platforms but are not really making connections with their public. They are posting information but not involved in conversations. They are not utilizing social media to its full potential.

The findings showed there are 3 common social media platforms being utilized by the truck manufacturers. The following shows the connections each manufacturer has on the 3 main platforms:

Truck Manufacturers Social Likes, Followers, and Views
	facebook	twitter	YouTube
International	21,411	163	109,119
Freightliner	16,015	2,505	127,412
Volvo	6,680	89	2,625,794	YouTube #’s include Europe
Mack	4,070	242	156,199
Kenworth	13,437	2,597	–
Peterbilt	27,741	2,047	–	Protected twitter account
Western Star	4,716	401	1,530

The numbers show that the most popular sites used to connect with their customers are facebook and YouTube. They all use twitter but lack followers. We found that none of the manufacturers had a blog although International does have a page announcing a “conversation is coming“.

Top 7 Winter Tips For Your Truck

If you are going to be doing any cold climate driving this winter then you need to take a look at our list of maintenance tips for your truck.

1. Fuel – Winter-weather and anti-gel additives are an important part of your winterization. Add them to the tank whenever you fill up to ensure the smooth flow of fuel and better vehicle performance during the cold season. Consult your owner’s manual for specific additive guidelines and always follow mixing procedures to the letter or risk fuel system damage.

 2. Fuel Filter and Water Separator – Temperature changes and higher humidity levels, which differ from region to region, can increase the occurrence of water contamination. There is no way to completely prevent the presence of water in the tank, but many diesel fuel systems feature water separators that collect and store water droplets away from the fuel.

 3. Cooling System – A regular preventive maintenance program will uncover problems within the cooling system and cab heater, as well as radiator leaks, plugged hoses and cracked belts.

 4. Air Dryer – In colder climates, water can freeze in the valves and cause serious problems with the operation of your air-brake system. To ensure proper brake function and keep your vehicle running smoothly in freezing conditions, air dryer maintenance is a must. Before winter is also the perfect time to have your air dryer filter changed.

5. Engine – Check that the block heater cord will accommodate a three-prong plug and ensure it is securely held in place. Also, check the operation of intake pre-heaters and glow plugs (if equipped) to ensure they are functioning properly.

6. Battery – The perfect time to check on the age of your battery is just before cold weather arrives. Replace the battery if it is close to the end of a typical 48 to 72 month life cycle. Otherwise, make sure the battery is securely mounted and connections are tight and clean.

 7.  Use HCR Heavy Duty Truck Parts – If you haven’t already, check out the HCR Heavy Duty Truck Parts website and request a no obligation parts quote for all of your winter maintenance parts needs.

Why You Should Try Aftermarket Chinese Parts

 

With all the parts manufacturers now setting up factories in China including OEM and aftermarket companies, China is becoming the new standard for truck parts. Truck manufacturers like International, Paccar, and Freightliner have all added parts lines like Partsmart,  TRP, and Alliance that are made up of parts that are sourced from China. But that’s not where it ends. Even the chassis parts that are being used at the factories to build the trucks are partly Chinese as well as other manufacturing regions of the world like India and Mexico. This is showing you the direction that the industry has taken and will most likely continue to take.

But is this a bad thing? We would say no. Outsourcing is something that isn’t going to end any time soon. So the real question is, how can you, the owner operator trying to make a buck and save a buck benefit? By giving the aftermarket parts that some would look down on a chance. If the OEM parts you pay top dollar are being made in China what is wrong with the aftermarket equivalent. You can’t say the quality is any different. They are all using state of the art manufacturing facilities nowadays and the quality standards are the same for both.

At HCR Heavy Duty Truck Parts we sell both OEM and aftermarket so we have no reason to push you one way or another. But if both OEM and aftermarket are going to use similar manufacturing why not save yourself some money and try the aftermarket.

Hacked, What Next

As we have been discussing, the HCR website is coming along. The new designer is doing well and she has made very good progress.

So I woke up this morning, made a tea, and headed to the computer to see how we are making out only to see HACKED. Hacked? I’m not even live yet. What next?

So here’s what I saw:

Great way to start the day. I guess this is just part of the development process. Little setbacks. At least it was the server and not the site. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Keep on Trucking

Websites, not as easy

We have been in development for months now with our website. We have gone through a couple of designers, revisions, additions, subtractions, images, etc. All this being said, we are very close to being ready.

Here is a sneak peek of what’s to come.

This image shows what the main focus of our website is as well as what the difference will be between HCR Heavy Duty Truck Parts and the other online parts websites. Customers will use the ‘Request A Quote” feature to submit their information, including VIN #, and our parts professionals will do the rest. Customers will be emailed a parts quote with the price and availability and a quick link to a purchase page.

Your parts can be ordered from the cab of your truck (while safely parked, of course) and shipped while your driving down the road.

Keep your butt in that Bostrom air ride seat and out of long parts counter lines.

And yes, we do sell those Bostrom seats.

Keep on Trucking

Truck parts made easy

A new way to buy your truck parts is on the way. HCR Heavy Duty Truck Parts is bringing the parts counter to The truckers. We are making the process mobile.

No more waiting in long lines at the dealer or being on hold for the next available parts person. When you supply your personal, truck, and part information with the Request A Quote feature you can sit back and relax while we do the work. We will get back to you with the price and availability.

So when is the big change coming? Right now all we can say is “coming soon“. Our designers are optimistic that we will be live in the next 3 to 4 weeks.

Follow along and we will keep you updated on our progress. We are setting up new suppliers everyday and are always looking for your input on what parts you would like to access to.

Keep on Trucking