DTNA Continues Expansion of PDC Network to Best Serve Dealer Channel

Daimler Trucks North America‘s (DTNA) aftermarket footprint is growing.

The company Thursday formally opened its newest parts distribution center in Grimes, Iowa — its third new facility in less than two years — as it continues to expand its aftermarket service presence and shorten delivery times to its nationwide dealer network.

Located at 1000 SE 19th Street, the Grimes parts distribution center is situated just west of Des Moines, Iowa, and serves more than 200 DTNA dealers throughout the Midwest and Great Plains. The facility now allows DTNA’s overall distribution network to provide next-day delivery to more than 80 percent of its dealer order volume, improving customer uptime and satisfaction throughout the North American marketplace.

“Uptime is critical to our customers’ business and having the right part at the right time is essential to achieve a 24-hour or less service turn-around time,” says Stefan Kurschner, senior vice president, Aftermarket for DTNA. “The new facility located in Iowa is fundamental to our ongoing investment in our network.

With Thursday’s opening, DTNA now operates nine PDCs. Other facilities recently added to the network can be found in Indianapolis and Dallas, and in each case, DTNA says its new PDC location was selected through a strategic evaluation of its dealer network locations and access to highways and transportation hubs. Jay Johnson, general manager of Aftermarket Supply Chain for DTNA, says the additions of these three PDCs was necessary for DTNA to maintain its position as a market leader in the ever expanding and competitive aftermarket landscape.

A quick look inside the Grimes facility is a snapshot of efficiency and productivity.

The new facility has 50 employees and operates two shifts on a Monday to Friday schedule. James Baker, manager at the Grimes location, says the PDC begins receiving bulk product shipments as early as 6:15 a.m. and can receive up to eight truckloads of product each day. All product into the facility is quickly unloaded, sorted and stocked by 1:30 p.m., ahead of DTNA’s 2 p.m. deadline for Western region dealers served by the Iowa location to submit stock orders for next-day delivery. The facility also has a 4 p.m. deadline for Great Plains and Midwest dealers, and a 5 p.m. deadline for critical and warranty repair orders.

Baker says the more than 80 dealers served by the Grimes location receive dedicated delivery next-day service, accounting for more than 75 percent of the total parts distributed out of the facility. He adds all dedicated delivery service orders depart the facility by 10:30 p.m., and in some cases dealers can begin receiving their shipments within hours the following morning.

The DTNA team says its enhanced distribution network also allows the company to better serve dealers and customers in rushed circumstances. Carlos Billingsley, director of supply chain operations, says all emergency and critical parts orders that cannot be serviced by a specific location are immediately transferred to the nearest PDC that does have the part in stock, and that location will then direct ship the product to the dealer or fleet in need.

Story originally published on successfuldealer.com.