Blog Archives
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This pressure cooker is not for me
I was one of those students who typically performed well in school but too often did not test well. That is one of the reasons I was so impressed with the competitors - all 106 of them - at this year's TMCSuperTech2010. The two-day event is designed expressly to showcase a technician's diagnostic and problem-solving skills though a series of troubleshooting tests and challenges - both written and hands-on. Organized by Professional Technician Development Committee (PTDC) of the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), TMCSuperTech is held conjunction with TMC's annual Fall Meeting. I am proud to note that Fleet Maintenance Magazine is a platinum-level sponsor of the TMC SuperTech. The TMCSuperTech is touted as "North America's... -
Getting my hands dirty
I have a new found respect and appreciation for professional vehicle technicians, especially for those that possess the ability to diagnose the source of a problem quickly and accurately. This comes from my participation in a hands-on engine tear-down and rebuild at Peterbilt's Training Center in Denton, TX. I was invited by Peterbilt to participate in a training session on Paccar's new heavy duty MX engine, which was launched in January. The Paccar MX is in-line 6-cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder, 12.9-liter engine that comes standard with an integral engine compression brake. The engine uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) in combination with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). My training session was a special condensed... -
The Hall of the Bizarre
Managing any type of vehicle maintenance operation is a demanding and challenging task. There are all kinds of daily pressures and problems that need to be dealt with, and the unexpected always seem to occur at the most inopportune times. There are also those shop incidents that stand out because they are odd, strange or funny. By way of example, I recall a maintenance manager telling me about the time he sent one of his newer technicians out to the lot to bring a long-haul road tractor into the shop. In short order, the technician ran back into the shop visibly shaken. He told the manager that there was a couple in the tractor’s sleeper, and they weren’t sleeping. Seems the driver assigned to the tractor figured it would... -
DIANA is looking into vehicle electronic controls
To be sure, the electronics systems in today’s vehicles are highly complex, containing numerous electronic control units. Experience has shown that the actual causes behind as many as 40 percent of the errors reported by vehicle electronics cannot be identified exactly. For vehicle owners, this can mean return visits to repair shops and high repair costs, in part because the repair process relies on swapping out various system components until the problem is resolved. A research project known as DIANA has been established in Germany to change that. It is focused on improving the analytic and diagnostic capabilities of electronic control units in motor vehicles. Partnering in this project is car maker Audi AG, tire... -
Seeing the Light Differences
I received a call the other day letting me know that Grote Industries’ Trilliant Technology Tour would be in my area and asking if I’d to attend. I figured what the heck. I’m always game for an opportunity to get out of the office. The tour consists of a custom-designed vehicle with an inflatable mobile theater, multi-media experience, mobile work lamp comparison platform and lamps - lots of lamps. The tour is traveling around the U.S. and Canada to demonstrate the differences between Grote’s Trilliant LED WhiteLight lamps - in particular its work lamps - and other lamps. I couldn’t help but notice the tour vehicle upon arriving at the designated spot. It is a 2009 Ford E350 van and Knapheide utility body... -
It is Worse in Some Places
Among other things, traffic congestion causes additional wear and tear on vehicles and that, in turn, increases maintenance and repairs costs. The greater the congestion, the more need for maintenance and repair. Naturally, some areas of the nation experience greater congestion that others. As part of the ongoing Freight Performance Measures (FPM) initiative, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Freight Management and Operations monitor freight significant highway locations. This research uses ATRI-developed analysis methods, GPS technology, truck-specific information, sophisticated customized software applications and tools and terabytes of data from trucking... -
Never Thought About What Is Inside
While I have been using them for many, many years, I’ve never given much thought to the common commercial stick tire pressure gauges. That was until I read an article in a recent issue of “Commercial Fleet Tire Digest,” a monthly publication produced by Pressure Systems International, the manufacturer of the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI. The article described how this tool functions and provided some cautions, and I thought the information was worth sharing. The stick pressure gauge has a calibrated stick with numbers that fits inside a helical spring. When gauge is applied to the tire valve stem, pressurized air rushes in and pushes the piston to the right, explained the article. The spring pushes back and the calibrated... -
Scrutinizing Snake Oil
There is an overabundance of products on the market that make various claims about improving fuel economy by simply adding this or that to the tank or the fuel system or somewhere else on the vehicle. The question is: Do these products work? That uncertainty, along with addressing some common vehicle service myths, was the subject of the "Mythbusters: The Snake Oil Saga" session conducted during the NAFA Fleet Management Association 2010 Institute & Expo (I&E) that took place in Detroit, MI, last month. NAFA is a not-for-profit, individual membership professional society serving the needs of members who manage fleets of automobiles, SUVs, trucks, vans and a wide range of specialized mobile equipment for organizations across the globe... -
Finding money in those trades
I had an opportunity to visit with veteran truck industry sales professional Lee T. Wittmann and talk about used trucks. Wittmann is owner of T Q M Company, a Beech Mountain, NC-based company that promotes transportation and construction equipment for dealers and owner/users. One the matters I asked him about was: Why are some fleets able to get considerably more value out of their trades than others? “Reputation,” he told me. “There are fleets that actually have groups of buyers waiting patiently for their trucks to be taken out of service,” said Wittmann. “The main reasons for this keen interest is the desirability of specifications, an outstanding maintenance program and, most importantly, the willingness to stand behind... -
Walking the long, long floor
It’s been a good many years since I’ve attended the NTEA’s Work Truck Show, and I don’t recall it being as large and busy as it was this year. The show had numerous worthwhile sessions and workshops, and row after row after row of exhibits and displays. The event started off rather poorly and painfully for me. My spiffy new dress shoes rubbed large sores on the back of my feet. So raw did these spots become that I became a regular visitor to the convention center’s first aid station. Buts thanks to lots of ointment, gauze and tape, I was able to maneuver - albeit every so slowly and awkwardly, the entire show. In his convention address, NTEA president Andy Outcalt, president of Meyer Products and Swenson Spreader, noted...
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Events
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- 06/20/13 - 06/22/13
- 31st Shell Rotella SuperRigs
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- 06/24/13 - 06/27/13
- 2013 Alternative Clean Transportation Expo
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Conference/Expo, Washington,
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- 06/28/13 - 06/29/13
- ISN Tool Dealer Expo 2013
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Conference/Expo, Orlando, FL
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- 07/08/13 - 07/11/13
- Lubrication University Qualifying School (QSchool)
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Training, Dallas, TX
