Service Exchange provides an alternative to purchasing a new replacement component, allowing customers to exchange eligible worn or damaged components for professionally restored units. The programme launches with engines, gearboxes and injectors, with plans to expand the offering to additional components including cylinder heads, starters, alternators, turbochargers and retarders.

For commercial vehicle operators, the decision to replace a major component is not simply a workshop decision. It can have a direct impact on vehicle availability, operating costs and business productivity. Service Exchange gives customers another option to consider when making that decision.

“At UD Trucks Ultimate Dependability is everything; it’s about delivering value beyond the initial vehicle purchase and supporting our customers throughout the lifecycle of their trucks and giving them solutions that help keep their businesses moving,” says Filip Van den Heede, Managing Director of UD Trucks Southern Africa.

When an eligible component requires replacement, the UD Trucks dealer assesses the vehicle and determines whether a Service Exchange unit is available and appropriate. The customer's worn component, known as the core, is then returned in accordance with the programme requirements for potential restoration and future use.

This approach gives customers an additional option between repairing an existing component and purchasing a new replacement. Depending on the application, component availability and repair requirement, Service Exchange can support customers in managing maintenance expenditure and vehicle downtime.

Service Exchange components are supported by a one-year warranty, subject to the applicable terms and conditions.

Sanjay Naipal, Aftermarket Director at UD Trucks Southern Africa, says the programme is an important development in the company's aftermarket strategy.

“Customers operate in different environments and have different business priorities. A strong aftermarket proposition therefore cannot be one-dimensional. We need to provide customers with relevant choices that support their operational and commercial requirements”.

“Service Exchange adds another solution to that portfolio. It allows us to engage with customers earlier in the repair decision and demonstrate the broader value we can provide throughout the life of their vehicle.”

Building a more sustainable aftermarket

Service Exchange also supports a more circular approach to component management. Suitable cores can be recovered, professionally restored and returned to service, reducing the need for every replacement requirement to result in a new component.

This approach supports both the commercial and sustainability objectives of the aftermarket proposition by extending component utilization while providing customers with additional replacement options.