Westlake Village, California - Mercedes-Benz ranks highest among heavy-duty truck manufacturers in satisfying customers with vocational trucks, according to a new report by J.D. Power and Associates. The study, now in its 12th year, measures customer satisfaction with engines in two-year-old heavy-duty (Class trucks by examining engine quality, engine performance, cost of ownership, and warranty.

Mercedes-Benz, which supplies engines for Daimler Trucks of North America, received an index score of 760 on a 1,000-point scale. Cummins and Mack engines, at 733 and 727 points respectively, follow in the rankings.

The study found that sales personnel for heavy-duty truck dealers need to have a better understanding of their customers’ engine needs; 40 per cent of owners either relied solely on the salesperson to choose their engine for them, or purchased their truck “as is” off the lot. The average satisfaction score overall is 712 points for those who let the dealer choose the engine, versus 745 points for those who purchased “as is”.

The study is based on the responses of 2,692 primary maintainers of two-year-old Class 8 trucks, which include dump trucks, concrete mixers, and garbage trucks.