J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Kenworth Ranks Highest Among Heavy-Duty Truck Brands for Customer Satisfaction With Over-the-Road Trucks, Pickup and Delivery Trucks, and for Dealer Service; Volvo Ranks Highest for Vocational Trucks
Owner Satisfaction With Class 8 Trucks Declines, as Fuel Economy Dips Below Six Miles per Gallon
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Oct. 12 -- Kenworth ranks highest in customer satisfaction for three segments: over-the-road, pickup and delivery, as well as for dealer service, while Volvo improves to rank highest for the vocational segment, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Heavy-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study(SM).
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Now in its 10th year, the study includes responses from 2,429 primary maintainers of two-year-old Class 8 heavy-duty trucks. The study focuses on smaller fleets and owner/operators with an average fleet size of 53 trucks at a single location. The study also measures satisfaction with services received from an authorized truck dealer's service department.
Customer satisfaction for the three product segments is measured on six factors: quality, exterior, engine, ride/handling/braking, transmission and interior. In the over-the-road segment, satisfaction with the vehicle's sleeper is also measured.
Overall customer satisfaction with heavy-duty trucks has declined from 2004, with lower scores for the six factors that drive satisfaction, particularly with quality and engine. Owners report considerably more problems with their trucks than in 2004, averaging nearly twice as many days of downtime. Owner satisfaction with fuel economy also declines versus 2004, with the average reported fuel economy dropping below six miles per gallon for the first time in the study's history.
"As operating costs, including diesel fuel prices, continue to rise, truck owners grow more sensitive to areas such as fuel economy and truck downtime," says Brian Etchells, senior research manager in the commercial vehicle group at J.D. Power and Associates. "An additional day of truck downtime or a slight drop in fuel economy can have a big effect on a fleet's bottom line. Manufacturers should be particularly aware of customer expectations to promote high satisfaction levels."
Kenworth ranks highest in the over-the-road segment, with particularly high satisfaction scores in the quality, engine, and sleeper factors. Kenworth also ranks highest in the pickup and delivery segment, receiving the top scores for all six factors that drive customer satisfaction.
Volvo Trucks of North America ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the vocational segment. Volvo leads the vocational segment in the factors for quality, ride/handling/braking and interior.
Kenworth ranks highest in dealer service, receiving particularly high ratings from customers in six of the seven factors that drive customer satisfaction: dealer attitude, dealer facility, service delivery, service initiation, service advisor and price. Peterbilt, which closely follows Kenworth in the service ranking, receives strong scores for service quality and service advisor.
"Dealers who go the extra mile to provide exceptional service can not only lessen the negative impact a breakdown has on satisfaction, but can also increase loyalty by strengthening the relationship with the customer," Etchells said.
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education and BusinessWeek. The Corporation has more than 300 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2004 were $5.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.
J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts: John Tews Michael Greywitt Director, Media Relations Director, Media Relations Troy, Mich. Westlake Village, Calif. (248) 312-4119 (805) 418-8526 john.tews@jdpa.com michael.greywitt@jdpa.com
No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com
Segment Definitions: Vocational segment: Heavy-duty trucks operating in typically rugged business environments such as construction, sanitation/refuse, forestry, mining or utility services. Also included in this segment are dump trucks, concrete mixers, cranes and other related vehicles. Over-the-Road segment: Non-vocational trucks with sleepers, typically used for long-haul applications that are not returned to home base each night. Pickup and Delivery segment: Non-vocational daycabs, typically used for city stop-and-go applications with a return to home base each night.
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