TMD Friction launches its new Engineering Fleets Program

Tom Green

Nashville/Tennessee, March 10, 2013– At a press conference held at the T.M.C. Annual Meeting TMD Friction announced the launch of a new customer support program aimed at reducing fleet maintenance costs by “pushing” brake relines out of vehicle life cycle.  “The TEXTAR Fleet Assistance Program” includes a direct communication to TMD engineers to help fleet maintenance managers analyze their brake life cycles and costs, select the appropriate friction for each application and answer other brake questions.  Offered in the program are free, custom made lining wear gauges for both drum and disc brakes for any fleet using TEXTAR products.

Tom Green, TMD’s Managing Director explains, “Brake relines are one of the highest maintenance costs a fleet experiences and there is limited technical guidance out there to assist a fleet in making the optimal lining selection.  The Textar Fleet Assistance Program has been developed to help fleets determine the different duty cycles within their fleet and select the appropriate grade of friction to minimize the maintenance expenses over the life of their vehicles.”

Jim Clark, TMD’s director of engineering states, “Not all fleets recognize the value of premium linings.  If a single brake reline can be eliminated from a vehicle’s brake life cycle, then the small added cost of a premium brake re-line kit is easily justified.  Fleets may have other questions TMD engineers can help with as well, including the new stopping distance rules, new products like disc brakes, and old problems still lurking around like brake balance.” 

The TEXTAR Fleet Assistance Program starts when the fleet manager fills out a simple information sheet that breaks down his vehicle population into smaller “mini-fleets” that likely have different brake life cycles. Examples of mini-fleets could be simply tractors versus trailers, or long haul sleeper tractors versus short haul day cabs, or flatbed trailers versus van trailers.  Other distinct brake life cycles would be found in routes - regional haul versus cross country.  TMD engineers use the fleet’s information to calculate if life improvement from Textar linings would push relines out of the life cycles of each mini-fleet and how many total relines would be saved.  These calculations are based on extensive wear testing of aftermarket linings on specialized TMD laboratory dynamometers. 

“If a fleet will try TEXTAR products as part of the program, TMD will supply free lining wear gauges that have been customized to the fleet’s brake life cycles. With these gauges, mechanics can avoid wasted linings that result when a lining is removed prematurely because the mechanic is not sure it will make it to the next inspection.” says Clark. 

To get started fleets can contact TMD engineers at their technical support email address: [email protected].

About TMC

TMC is America's premier technical society for truck equipment technology and maintenance professionals. TMC features a diverse membership of equipment managers, service-dealers, owner-operators, industry suppliers and manufacturers, educators, academia and others that support the trucking industry. TMC member fleets represent the broad range of industry vocations, including truckload, less-than-truckload, municipal, private, on/off-highway, construction and other operations. Find out more about TMC online athttp://tmc.truckline.com.

About TMD Friction

TMD Friction is among the world's leading manufacturers of brake friction materials for the automotive and brake industries. Its product portfolio comprises disc brake pads and drum brake linings for passenger cars and commercial vehicles together with brake pads for racing cars and friction materials for rail and industrial applications. TMD Friction is one of the largest suppliers to the global replacement parts aftermarket with its Textar, Pagid, Mintex, Don and Cobreq brands. Brake pads for rail and industrial applications are developed and produced under the brand names Cosid and Dynotherm. TMD Friction has operations in Germany, the United Kingdom, and three other European countries, as well as in the US, Brazil, Mexico, China, Japan and South Africa. The TMD Friction Group employs approximately 4,800 people worldwide. For further information please visit www.tmdfriction.us or www.tmdfriction.com.

Media enquiries  NAFTA                                                                                                 Media enquiries Corporate

Tom Green                                                                                                                         Tim Pelargus

Managing Director NAFTA                                                                                               Corporate Communications

TMD Friction Inc.                                                                                                              TMD Friction Holdings GmbH

1035 Crooks Road                                                                                                            Schlebuscher Str. 99

Troy, Michigan                                                                                                                   51381 Leverkusen

USA                                                                                                                                      Germany

Tel.:        +1 248 280 4050                                                                                                              +49 (0) 2171 501 974

Email:     [email protected]                                                                          [email protected]