1888PressRelease – A new NationaLease blog warns fleet owners and managers to make sure the aftermarket auto and truck parts they purchase are genuine.
In a recent blog, Jane Clark, Vice President of Member Services for NationaLease – one of the largest full service truck leasing organizations in North America – covers the alarming topic of aftermarket counterfeit parts. Citing the Federal Trade Commission, Clark states that “counterfeiting represents a $12 billion per year problem for the entire automotive industry.”
Detailing the problems these fake parts can cause, the blog makes clear that cost is the least of the issues, suggesting the reader consider the situation of a fully loaded truck with a compromised braking system. The problem is increasing and as most of the counterfeit parts are manufactured overseas, there are limits to what government can do to control the problem.
The blog also quotes Stephane Godbout, Vice President of Fleet Management for Location Brossard NationaLease in Quebec, Canada, who has been dealing with this issue for some time. Because of this, Godbout states, “We make sure we know what to look for and keep our people informed as to why we put our trust in such a part or a brand. We are always suspicious if something seems too good to be true.”
Clark lists the four main things that companies need to look for when they’re purchasing aftermarket parts: price, suppliers, quality issues, and installation problems and goes into detail on each. Alluding to the fact that substandard parts can actually diminish the life cycle of a vehicle, she quotes Godbout, who stated “cheapest is not always the least expensive.”
To read more about this pressing issue, view the entire blog at http://blog.nationalease.com/if-it-seems-too-good-to-be-true-it-might-be-counterfeit/.
About NationaLease
Founded in 1944, NationaLease is one of the largest full service truck leasing organizations in North America, with over 600 service locations throughout the U.S. and Canada and a combined customer fleet of over 125,000 tractors, trucks, and trailers. The company provides comprehensive fleet management services for private fleets and transportation service providers. More information can be found at http://www.nationalease.com.