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Introducing... the Fiat Ram?

By Mark O'Connell - Wednesday January 21, 2009

Maybe it's not that crazy... Fiat, Chrysler (and Cerberus, Chrysler's owner) issued a joint press release today stating that the Italian automaker will be taking a 35% stake in the troubled American firm. In exchange for that stake, Fiat will provide Chrysler/Cerberus with "product and platform sharing, including city and compact segment vehicles, to expand Chrysler's current product portfolio; technology sharing, including fuel efficient and environmentally friendly powertrain technologies; and access to additional markets, including distribution for Chrysler vehicles in markets outside of North America..." While this is, undoubtedly, good news for Chrysler and its owners, I can't help but wonder where it might lead... Will we someday see...
The High Cost of High Mileage

By Mark O'Connell - Wednesday January 14, 2009

The other day I attended a presentation by Jim Hebe, the Senior Vice President of North American Sales for Navistar, Inc., about International Truck's decision to buck the industry trend and avoid using a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system in its 2010 heavy-duty diesel engines. New diesel emissions standards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for 2010 have pushed most diesel engine manufacturers to adopt SCR systems for their new engines, so International's stand is bold and somewhat risky. Hebe knew that, and to his credit, he didn't shy away from it. What surprised me the most about his presentation was that he directly confronted the now-famous SCR benefit of improved fuel economy. Hebe said that the...
Why a Technician Competition?

By Amanda Schuier - Wednesday January 14, 2009

From an outsider’s perspective, it may be easy to think SuperTech is just a frivolous, expensive idea. But as I’ve learned from many Technology and Maintenance Council members, this is absolutely incorrect. In a conversation I recently had with Nebraska Trucking Association president Larry Johnson, he mentioned how excited he was to have the competition in the state. He said it’s a great way to highlight the professional skills of our hardworking technicians in Nebraska, and definitely long overdue. But what else can it add to your company? From a recruiting and retention standpoint, a lot. Instead of focusing on mistakes our technicians make, we are now rewarding them for the hard work they do. Technicians are increasing their...
Rest Stop

By Amanda Schuier - Wednesday January 7, 2009

July is months away, and I’m certainly aware that the date is only getting closer. But, since we’re enjoying a little break in the planning, I thought this would be a good opportunity to go “behind the scenes” to introduce you to the rest of our steering committee, and what they’ve been working on. Jeff Hoefer from Nebraska Truck Center and Dave Jacobs from Wick’s Sterling Trucks are heading up the judging rules and recruitment of volunteers. They are working hard to get knowledgeable people to work the stations. Kevin Ingalls from Werner Enterprises is heading up publicity, promotions and sponsorships. He serves as president of Metropolitan Community College’s Diesel Advisory Council, so he is good at getting people...
Do You Network?

By Mark O'Connell - Wednesday January 7, 2009

We like to start out every new year with a fresh view of the fleet maintenance industry, and one way we do that is to survey our readers, to get their thoughts on industry issues and trends. We recently surveyed readers on their involvement in maintenance councils, both the national Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) and their own state maintenance councils. One hundred and sixteen readers completed the survey, and the results were both expected and surprising. About 1/4 of the respondents were TMC members, and 3/4 were not. Of the TMC members, 100 percent intend to renew their membership, and 65 percent attend TMC meetings. Among those who indicated that they were not TMC members, only 15 percent belonged to a state maintenance...
Merry Christmas!

By Mark O'Connell - Thursday December 18, 2008

It's a little hard to concentrate on work this week, with Christmas now exactly one week away. The biggest excitement of all is that in two days my oldest daughter will be coming home from college, and bringing her roommate with her. The fact that her roommate, who is Jewish, has never celebrated Christmas, has had an unexpectedly fantastic effect on the whole family: it has made us all really think about our Christmas traditions, why we do them, what they mean to us, and what they might mean to someone who has never experienced them before. It's actually created a buzz of excitement over and above the usual holiday anticipation, and I am thoroughly enjoying it! Every aspect of our holiday celebration is going to have heightened meaning...
Date, Location... Now What?

By Amanda Schuier - Thursday December 18, 2008

After the first couple of meetings of the SuperTech Steering Committee, we found ourselves a little overwhelmed. We have the date and we have the location, but now what? As we sat down around our long oval table, the one problem we got stuck on was “how do we actually figure out the scenarios to create for the competition?” We glanced around, waiting for the answer to magically make itself known to us, but it didn’t come. As we all shook our heads, I said, “it’s time to call in the reinforcements.” Actually, I didn’t really say that, but you get the idea. It was the perfect moment for me to pull out the stack of business cards I gathered at TMC's SuperTech in Nashville. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to twist...
Booked Solid

By Mark O'Connell - Thursday December 11, 2008

I had an interesting experience this week. I drove south to Woodstock, Illinois, with a winter storm warning hanging over my head, to pay a visit to Gordon Botts, owner of Botts Welding, an independent heavy-duty truck shop. The primary reason for my visit was to interview Gordon for an upcoming story, but I was also interested in hearing his take on the future of the fleet industry. Over the phone he had come across as strangely optimistic about the current business climate, and I wanted to find out why. Botts Welding was founded by Gordon's father, and the company has been in business for 80 years. So to say that Gordon has seen his share of ups and downs in the industry is an understatement. This man has weathered every storm to hit the...
Location, Location, Location

By Amanda Schuier - Thursday December 11, 2008

My mind is spinning, thanks to all the wonderful comments and suggestions I’ve received since the launch of the blog. Please don’t be shy, feel free to comment anytime. The SuperTech Steering Committee (STSC for ease of use) had a teleconference this week. Early on in the discussion of SuperTech, one of the members pointed out that we should try to have the competition in a central location. For those of you not familiar with our fine state’s geography, Omaha and Lincoln are considered to be in the eastern part of the state. There are a lot more technicians in the western part of the state, and we want them involved. Fortunately, Kelly Christensen at Central Community College in Hastings stepped up to the plate and hit a...
December, 2009

By Mark O'Connell - Thursday December 4, 2008

At this time of year it's customary to look over the previous twelve months and talk about the events that shaped the industry over that time. Right now I'm more interested in what the next twelve months will bring. A year from now there will be no Sterling Trucks. A year from now, Caterpillar will not be taking orders for new truck engines. A year from now, fleets will be teaching their drivers how to use urea (or "Diesel Emissions Fluid," if you prefer) in their trucks, and where to find it. Those are the things we know of for certain. Other things we can only speculate on... A year from now, the local dealer you depend on for warranty work may not be in business. A year from now there may be no Dodge trucks. A year from now there may be...