AAAE: Pedders to launch vehicle weight innovation

AUSTRALIAN suspension and brake component supplier Pedders will showcase a range of new products at this year’s Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo (AAAE), including an all-new onboard weight scale technology it says will become a critical occupational health and safety tool for its agricultural, defence, fleet and mining customers. 

Recently, Pedders has invested significantly in broadening its product range to offer suspension and brake upgrade kits to a wide variety of light commercial utility models, while continuing to supply essential suspension, steering, towing and brake replacement, upgrade and service parts for passenger cars and SUVs.

When GoAuto spoke with Pedders brand and marketing senior executive Adam Gillick about what visitors can expect to see at this year’s AAAE, he said the Expo was an opportunity to not only showcase the latest innovations from Pedders’ catalogue, but a vital means of networking with industry peers.

“From our perspective, you’ll see a host of new products that are either recently launched or are about to be launched. We’ve invested in a brand-new, purpose-built display stand for the show, which is exciting for us; we’ve set aside significant budget this year to go to a lot of shows and events, including the AAAE,” Mr Gillick said.

“There’s a real need in the business for us to really get to the ground level and talk to people. It’s a great networking opportunity for any Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) member to come in and speak to a state operations manager, or someone else at a senior level in the business, to hear from us about what our story is and how we can assist them in their business.”

Among the latest Pedders products to be showcased at the AAAE is its new LoadRyder onboard weight scale system.

The model-specific technology displays accurate vehicle weight metrics to the driver, or back to a central base, alerting the driver or fleet manager as to whether the vehicle is operating within a safe range.

Mr Gillick said the system was an Australian first and a must-have for major vehicle fleets where occupational health and safety (OH&S) requirements and associated chain of responsibility and insurance requirements are significant.

“It’s an in-car dashboard that displays the live weight of the vehicle – an onboard weight scale system – and it’s something of an Australian first, and an accurate means of ensuring a vehicle stays within its certified legal GVM rating,” Mr Gillick explained.

“We see that this will not only become a vital tool in adhering to important OH&S guidelines for many of our larger fleet customers, but also a useful tool for tradies carrying heavy equipment, and even four-wheel drive enthusiasts loading up their vehicles with camping equipment and accessories.”

Mr Gillick said the new LoadRyder technology would work hand in hand with Pedders’ growing range of locally engineered load carrying products. 

Pedders now offers a comprehensive catalogue of GVM upgrade kits, airbag suspension kits and performance brake packages for a wide variety of two- and four-wheel drive light commercial vehicles, many of which will be on show at this year’s AAAE.

“We’ll be showcasing a wide range of products, including our new brake upgrade kits, which have been very popular in the ute segment, as well as our drum to disc conversion kits, bigger front brake kits, and high-performance pads,” Mr Gillick said.

“As you know, two biggest selling vehicles in Australia are the Ford Ranger and the Toyota HiLux, and these two vehicles have been a very popular part of our product portfolio. We’ve also seen a lot of interest in product upgrades for Ranger and HiLux, as well as Navara, D-Max, BT-50, and a lot of other utes and four-wheel drives.

“We’ve been concentrating on aftermarket products in the brake and suspension sector, as well as GVM upgrades – which have resonated really well with our fleet, mining and defence customers.”

Mr Gillick reiterated how important the AAAE was to businesses like Pedders in allowing critical business-to-business networking to take place. He said he expected many of the 250 exhibitors at this year’s event would share a similar outlook.

“From our perspective, we would really like to use the Expo to showcase our products to AAAA members and to network with our peers. Those one-on-one conversations are really valuable to us, as I suspect they are to all exhibitors at the Expo, and a terrific chance to educate people about what it is we’re doing, and about our product ranges,” he concluded.

The Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo (AAAE) is set to take place at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from 7 to 9 April. This year’s AAAE will be co-hosted with the Collision Repair Expo and is the only exhibition to showcase Australia’s $25 billion aftermarket industry. 

The event is expected to welcome over 10,000 visitors from across the country and, with more than 250 exhibitors currently registered, is close to being a sell-out success.

More information is available at autoaftermarketexpo.com.au