Kenworth says fleet maintenance management is moving to a new level of sophistication, thanks to the introduction of the Kenworth PremierCare Connect Plus system announced in conjunction with the Mid-America Trucking Show. According to the company, the comprehensive application is a true enterprise-level fleet maintenance management system, which gives Kenworth customers access to a high-end system at considerably less cost than comparably featured competitive systems. "Kenworth PremierCare Connect Plus will help medium and large fleets move to a whole new level when it comes to fleet maintenance management," noted Tom Clevinger, general marketing manager of Kenworth PremierCare. The company says the new tool expands upon the Kenworth PremierCare Connect system introduced five years ago. "We have over 800 customers on Connect and expect that many of them will be very impressed by the increased functionality of Connect Plus and move up to it," Clevinger said. According to Clevinger, Kenworth fleet customers participating in Connect Plus testing over the past 18 months were impressed with their accomplishments and results. "For example, their controls over expenses are tighter, and their estimates on the amount of time for service jobs and the parts required are much more on target," he said. "Plus, they've found that the system is simple to use and has excellent support. We're proud to be able to offer it to all of our customers now." Clevinger noted that Connect Plus offers a number of benefits for fleets. First, the program is web-based with real-time reporting, a convenience when managers need to have an up-to-date picture of what is happening with their fleet. Second, fleets with multiple repair facilities can easily network all locations using Connect Plus and then begin to manage their fleet enterprise-wide in real time. A third advantage, according to the company, is the ability to affordably customize and integrate with any number of accounting systems, Qualcomm and many other third-party systems. Integration eliminates double-entry of data, ensures tighter cost controls, and improves management of parts, shop labor, and receivables. Connect Plus also can be expanded to include optional integrated accounting and dispatch modules. "The initial response is very strong. I'm getting calls about Connect Plus daily," said John Wisdom, market development manager of Kenworth PremierCare Parts & Service Programs. "Fleet managers who have heard about it are interested in the extent to which they can monitor their shop labor and manage their parts acquisition costs and parts inventory investment. "They also get excited about the overall design and the workflow the system offers. It allows a fleet business to almost effortlessly improve warranty recovery, core management and surplus inventory management," Wisdom said. "Bottom line, we want to help our Kenworth customers manage their costs of doing business and thereby ensure their health and success in the marketplace." To learn more about the Kenworth PremierCare Connect Plus system, contact your Kenworth dealer. Kenworth Truck Company, a division of PACCAR Inc, is a manufacturer of heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth's Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com.