BARRY STEEL
The work truck industry as a whole is constantly on the prowl for efficiency. What saves a fleet time, money, or both is worth looking into, and HUBB Filters understands. HUBB’s executive vice president of commercial solutions, Barry Steel, has more than 28 years of experience in the automotive and fleet management industries and leads all sales and business development efforts for the company. Steel shares his insight on the ways HUBB Filters benefit the vocational work truck industry.
MWS: IN YOUR NEW ROLE AS EVP TO LEAD ALL SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS FOR HUBB FILTERS, WHAT AREAS HAVE THE MOST POTENTIAL TO IMPACT THE WORK TRUCK INDUSTRY AND WHY?
STEEL:
The HUBB solution is a perfect fit for the work truck industry. Trucks and vans are literally “the engine” that keeps business moving and generating revenue for their owners. The HUBB filter is a dramatic improvement over the traditional oil filtration products that have not changed in more than 40 years. The HUBB filter is designed to make sure that your trucks have better oil flow, better filtration, and extends the useful life of your engines. Our patented filtration process is backed by our industry first 100,000-mile engine warranty and can better protect your vehicle’s engine and reduce your overall preventive maintenance (PM) spend.
MWS: WHEN IT COMES TO REUSABLE OIL FILTERS FOR LIGHT- AND MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, WHAT DO FLEET OWNERS NEED TO KNOW? HOW DO HUBB FILTERS HELP FLEET OWNERS (COST SAVINGS, MAINTENANCE INTERVALS, ETC.)?
STEEL:
In addition to the savings achieved by extending the life of your engine, fleet operators can benefit in other ways. Our filter showed a reduction in emissions of up to 30 percent on a controlled test performed by ATDS. The HUBB filter is made of 100 percent reusable materials that can be recycled into other working materials, instead of crushed and sent to a landfill like old-style filters. A traditional oil filter holds between 2 and 6 oz of used oil in the dirty filter. HUBB filters are non-absorbent which directly translates into oil savings each time our product is used. No crushing filters at the end of a shift, and no spillage resulting from that crushing, which is more environmentally friendly and eliminates filed spillage reports which helps maintain higher safety ratings. Because the HUBB filter does a better job of cleaning your vehicle’s engine oil, we can extend the oil drain frequency and save as much as half your total budget for oil purchases.
MWS: DO YOU HAVE GOALS FOR HUBB FILTERS AS IT RELATES TO SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT?
STEEL:
What attracted me to the HUBB filter business was its roots as a high-performance solution that also has a strong sustainability benefit. In every industry, a disruptive product can change how business looks at its current operational beliefs and procedures. The HUBB filter created its own category in the vehicle maintenance and operation space. Early adopters have been progressive, local, county, and state government organizations and commercial operators who want to improve their investment in assets. Our goal is to bring this savings opportunity and sustainability benefit to every segment of the fleet industry such as rental car companies, the agricultural industry, equipment rental companies, and any other fleet operators.
MWS: WHY ARE HUBB FILTERS WELL-SUITED FOR FLEETS?
STEEL:
As the economy continues to improve, we anticipate the work truck industry will need to acquire more new vehicles to meet demand. This will put even more emphasis on maximizing the longevity of existing and new work truck investments, adding to a list of fleet owners’ current concerns. All commercial vehicle operators want better longevity for their vehicles, lower total operating costs, and a reduced environmental footprint. Most solutions sacrifice one or more of these goals. HUBB’s filters have an immediate positive impact in all three of these areas. Better protection, better total cost, and better for the environment.
MWS: CLOSING THOUGHTS?
STEEL:
I have more than 25 years in the commercial automotive industry and have seen many strategies come and go. The current trend is electrification and driverless vehicles. All these opportunities are expensive and difficult to implement in a work truck. In contrast, the HUBB filter solution reduces a fleet’s PM spend, improves the sustainability impact of their vehicles, and extends the life of these assets. HUBB filters can impact a company’s bottom line immediately, simply by adopting a product that is a dramatic improvement over current filters. Our product is truly economy proof, as companies look to save money and reduce their environmental impact.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Before joining HUBB, Steel ran his own consulting practice, Capital-Fleet Consulting, and also held leadership positions with Donlen Corporation, GE Capital Fleet Services, and Enterprise Leasing. HUBB is a revolutionary oil filter system for most passenger cars and light- and medium-duty trucks that use a spin-on filter. Find out more, visit www.hubbfilters.com.
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MODERN WORKTRUCK SOLUTIONS: MARCH 2018 ISSUE
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