Blog Archives




 

  • American ingenuity at work
    By David A. Kolman - Monday November 12, 2012
      It is in times of stress that American ingenuity comes into play more than normal. A while back, the DPW (Department of Public Works) garage in Oradell, NJ - a borough in Bergen County, made the decision to buy a large Mohawk Lift runway vehicle lift instead of mobile lifts. Among the reasons for the purchase: the town is in a flood zone and the garage frequently floods during severe rains. With the likelihood of Hurricane Sandy heading toward Oradell, the DPW garage personnel built a platform between the lift’s runway to be able to store tool boxes, shop equipment and other materials on the lift. Should the hurricane hit, they could raise the lift and hopefully keep the items dry. The accompanying photo shows a dry run in...

  • Attention to detail
    By David A. Kolman - Monday October 29, 2012
    You’ve no doubt heard about the importance of paying attention to the details. My question is: Do you? With all that we have going on these days, we tend to only concentrate on the bigger picture and miss a lot of the details. On my VSP News segments that appear on the VehicleServicePros.com website every two weeks (visit the “Blogs” tab), I have something that I change for each and every show. Can you guess what it is? Remember, I’m talking about the “details” here.

  • Hang up and drive
    By David A. Kolman - Monday October 22, 2012
      I don’t like to date myself, but I can remember a time when there were no mobile phones. If you needed to make a phone call while driving, you had to get off the road, find a phone and make a call. Back then, “texting” was nonexistent. Nowadays, it seems the vast majority of people behind the wheel are using a mobile communications device - and that scares me. The National Safety Council estimates at least 28 percent of all traffic crashes - or at least 1.6 million accidents each year - involve drivers using cell phones and texting. That equates to 6,000 deaths and 500,000 injuries a year. A recent Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study of commercial drivers found the following: - A safety-critical event is 163...

  • Fleet Maintenance Magazine subscribers know their stuff
    By David A. Kolman - Monday October 15, 2012
    In the article, General air spring maintenance tips for heavy duty trucks and trailers , that appeared in the August issue, it stated: “Air suspension systems require a minimal amount of maintenance that can be performed during other routine vehicle maintenance service. . . . As an added benefit, if an air spring fails, a trailer can still be pulled at slow speeds, whereas a trailer with leaf springs becomes immediately inoperable.” An astute reader contacted Fleet Maintenance and suggested we clarify the second sentence. He noted that while a trailer with a failed air spring can still be pulled, the rig should only be operated until it can be pulled safely off the road and repaired. Operating with a “blown air bag,” he...

  • One-of-a-kind Goodyear truck
    By David A. Kolman - Monday October 8, 2012
      There was an awful lot to see and do at the 2012 IAA Commercial Vehicle show, held this past September 20 to 27 in Hanover, Germany. Not that I’d know firsthand as I didn’t get to go. However, it is the world’s most important trade fair for mobility, transport and logistics, with the latest innovations from the commercial vehicle industry on display from manufacturers and suppliers from around the world. One of the “innovations” I heard about was a one-of-a-kind truck that Goodyear had on display at the IAA. Manufactured especially for the show, it was a 1:1 scale LEGO truck. The Goodyear LEGO truck is about 8 feet wide, 11-1/2 feet high and slightly more than 8 feet long. Its gross weight is nearly 1,632 pounds, making...

  • The Historic Highway Convoy 2012
    By David A. Kolman - Monday October 1, 2012
      Many of you are probably familiar with the American Truck Historical Society (ATHS). Incorporated in 1971, the ATHS is a not-for-profit charitable organization formed to preserve the history of trucks, the trucking industry and its pioneers. The American Trucking Associations, the largest national trade association for the trucking industry, has recognized the ATHS as the official repository of trucking history. But have you heard about the Historic Highway Convoy 2012? It was an ATHS-sponsored convoy of 30 vintage trucks that spent eight days trucking 2,000 miles, tracing the remnants of Old Route 66. The convoy, which took place in mid-September, began in Morris, IL, and ended in San Bernardino, CA. Ronald Ahrens of The...

  • What is your definition of an underinflated tire?
    By David A. Kolman - Monday September 24, 2012
      The Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program for commercial trucks and buses from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has created a lot of confusion for the trucking industry when it comes to tires. This bewilderment is resulting in truck fleets being “dinged” with CSA points for trucks found with undertinflated tires. Drivers of trucks with underinflated tires are receiving CSA points as well. The problem is that while there are set definitions for a flat tire within the trucking industry, there is no universal definition of what exactly is an underinflated tire. In its North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria manual, the CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety...

  • Are you joining in the celebration?
    By David A. Kolman - Sunday September 16, 2012
      This is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (September 16 to 22). Created in 1995, it is an annual designated time which brings public attention to the difficult job truckers do - professionally and safely, while managing to balance the variety of demands and duties of family life. Motor carriers, shippers, trucking industry manufacturers and suppliers, industry associations and local communities host special events and promotions in honor of professional truck drivers. There are free lunches and giveaways, like pens, rulers and hats. At some companies, dispatchers and fleet managers cook burgers and hot dogs for drivers. At some travel plazas provide free windshield cleaning services and coffee. Governors and local...

  • The main event for commercial vehicle technicians
    By David A. Kolman - Monday September 10, 2012
      I’ll be in Pittsburgh, PA, this week, attending the Technology & Maintenance Council’s TMCSuperTech - the National Technician Skills Competition. The annual event is specifically designed as a venue for commercial vehicle technicians to exhibit their knowledge, skills and aptitude with medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles. The competition involves a series of written and hands-on diagnostic and problem-solving tests and challenges to test both theory and practical application. Any actively employed commercial vehicle technician may participate in the competition. The technicians that perform the best win tops honors and numerous prizes. The TMCSuperTech has been likened to an Olympic competition because while...

  • Stop the mobile madness
    By David A. Kolman - Wednesday September 5, 2012
      I read somewhere recently that some 91 percent of Americans use mobile phones. That’s astounding but understandable, as mobile phones help us connected and safe. What concerns me is that with all the functionality of these easy-to-use phones, many users are losing awareness of themselves, others and where they are. How many times has a meeting been interrupted by the sounding of a mobile phone? Do you enjoying listening to someone talking loudly on a mobile phone while you’re waiting in the doctor’s office waiting room? Does anyone really need to carry on a conversation on a mobile phone while in the bathroom? I’m starting a movement to address mobile phone manners. I ask that you adopt my Kolman’s Mobile Phone...

Events

More
Register
Click here to Register for VehicleServicePros.com
No Thanks