Great Dane rolls out AdvantEDGE parts and service program, connecting customers to nationwide network

Oct. 1, 2010
Fleets are responding positively to Great Dane's AdvantEDGE national account parts and service program, which connects customers to a nationwide network that fulfills their parts and service needs

FLEETS are responding positively to Great Dane's AdvantEDGE national account parts and service program, which connects customers to a nationwide network that fulfills their parts and service needs, according to Dave Durand, Great Dane's director of aftermarket.

“One of the fleets is now using us all the time, especially in road breakdowns,” Durand says. “We've processed quite a few transactions with them, primarily from the service side. We're probably more focused on service than parts. We do accommodate both, but we think the bigger need for fleets we deal with is primarily from the service side.

“Another fleet is a very large fleet that serves the US and Canada that tested and worked with us for two years and officially enrolled September 7. This is a fleet with parts and service requirements nationwide that required some very detailed and specific electronic connections.”

After a successful pilot launch that began in February, the program debuted September 1. Durand says Great Dane is the first to offer such an all-inclusive program.

“There are other bits and pieces of this in the trailer industry, but nothing like this,” he says. “Our goal is to take care of our fleet customers that buy our trailers in a bigger and better way. We see this as a great way to provide ever-increasing aftermarket support to these fleets, covering them on the service and parts aspects after they purchase our trailers. From that standpoint, it's a great addition to Great Dane's programs. We're hopeful we will gain additional business from current Great Dane fleet accounts and gain some new business from future Great Dane accounts.

“Our business is totally dependent on our network of factory branches and dealers. They are Great Dane in the marketplace and our link to the marketplace. Without them, we wouldn't have a market. We feel a program like this will drive more fleet business back to our branches and dealers.”

Some of the key features:

  • A fleet customer can be assigned one account number that can be used at 100 of Great Dane's branch and dealer locations. Before, a fleet customer had to establish an individual account at each location.

  • The entire program is online and allows a fleet customer to look up a provider in the program to find one of the locations when in need on a 24/7 basis. There also is a 24/7 toll-free number if the customer can't get online.

  • The customer can view its parts pricing and detailed invoices from any of the locations, pay a bill online, or look at historical data (parts purchases, service work performed).

“We're giving fleets more control over purchases,” Durand says. “We can, at the point of sale, control the purchase based on fleet requirements. For instance, if a fleet requires a purchase order on every purchase or the VIN number or unit number of a trailer, we can make sure that is done at the point of sale. Also, let's say the customer has 100 drivers. He can theoretically give each driver a different dollar limit on purchases. There are good controls for fleets. Whatever he sets up, we can verify at the point of sale and ensure that he is protected based on his requirements.”

The program is a collaborative effort between Great Dane and Multi Service, a global transaction management company specializing in billing and payment systems. Multi Service handles all of the back-end processing, manages the website and all electronic connections, and offers 24/7 capabilities and support.

“They have relationships with other folks such as us on the tractor side,” Durand says. “They know our industry, processes, and quite a few of our customers through dealing with them on other programs.”

Customer enrollment applications are available at all Great Dane full-service branch and dealer locations, and can also be downloaded from Great Dane's website www.greatdanetrailers.com/AdvantEdge.

For more information, call 877-600-3433, email [email protected] or go to the website at http://AdvantEdge.GreatDane.net.

About the Author

Rick Weber | Associate Editor

Rick Weber has been an associate editor for Trailer/Body Builders since February 2000. A national award-winning sportswriter, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Fort Myers News-Press following service with publications in California and Australia. He is a graduate of Penn State University.