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  • The matter of floor mat movement
    By - Monday November 30, 2009
    I'm hoping someone can help me understand this issue with Toyota and floor mats. It seems that driver-side floor mats on certain Toyota models could get stuck on the accelerator, which could cause unintended acceleration, which could cause an accident. This “situation” has led to the sixth-largest recall ever in the U.S., and the largest recall in the U.S. for Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota plans to replace the gas pedals on four million vehicles in the U.S. because of the potential problem. The car manufacturer’s dealers will offer to shorten the length of the gas pedals by three-fourths of an inch beginning next month as a stopgap measure while the company develops replacement pedals. Is all that really necessary? What in...

  • Expressions of gratitude
    By - Monday November 23, 2009
    The idea of Thanksgiving is to remember the things we have to be grateful for. For me, it is also the time to thank those that have helped me throughout the year. This isn’t as simple it sounds. Human nature is such that we tend to remember the bad things more easily than the good things. What’s more, we frequently become too busy or preoccupied and forget to say thanks. I also believe it is important to express our thanks one more time when the occasions warrant. All that said, I want to pass along a few thank yous. I want to thank my dear, loving parents for instilling in me honesty, integrity and a strong work ethic, among other traits. I want to thank my brothers, family and friends for their love and support. I want to...

  • The domino bird effect
    By - Monday November 16, 2009
    I've been doing a lot of interstate driving of late, visiting shops, and I figure I must have somehow missed hearing about the federal mandate that if you drive on an interstate highway, you must do something in addition to driving while behind the wheel, preferable talk on a cell phone, check your e-mail on a handheld device, do text messaging or use an in-cab satellite communication devices.   It was very rare for me to spot someone just driving.   A lot has been made of distracted driving, especially the contribution of mobile communication devices.   Driver distractions are nothing new. You may be interested to know that they've been a topic of discussion since windshield wipers were introduced in cars during the early...

  • Is that a sound I see?
    By - Monday November 9, 2009
    The advance of technology never ceases to amaze me, although it constantly overwhelms me. Engineers can now see sound? You heard me right. Ford Motor Company is using a new technology that allows engineers to actually see unwanted sounds and eliminate them during vehicle development. The objective: to ensure that its new vehicles have the quietest interior cabins. Ford is the first automaker in North America to use the new Noise Vision tool - a small sphere equipped with more than 30 highly sensitive microphones and 12 special cameras that is placed inside the vehicle cabin. Powerful software reads data from Noise Vision and creates a computerized image showing interior noise “hot spots,” including wind noise, a squeak or rattle...

  • 'Plays' for moving business forward
    By - Monday November 2, 2009
    Frequently, sports analogies are used in business. Football seems to be the most used sport. The most recent use of the football-business comparison that I came across was keynote address by Daimler Trucks North America’s senior vice president of parts Jack Conlan to the recent Technical & Maintenance Council Fall Meeting and National Skills Competition - TMC SuperTech 2009. His talk entitled, “Driving from the Red Zone to the End Zone,” outlined five key “plays”  to developing and maintaining a winning game plan for 2010. “2010 will be the time to execute proven plays at the line of scrimmage. It won’t be a time of improvising, last minute audibles or Hail Mary’s,” said Conlan. “By developing and maintaining renewed...

  • Your brain and overtime
    By - Monday October 19, 2009
    As the vehicle maintenance world twirls, more and more of us are working longer and longer hours. There's more work to be done because there's fewer people to do it as companies "right size." As my brother Steve - a veteran sales and marketing professional - is fond of preaching: "It is what it is, and you do what you have to do." True enough, but consistently putting in too many long hours could be affecting our brains - and there's research that makes that case. (Not that I'm building a case to present to my boss about my working less or anything like that.) I just happened to come across a British study that discovered, when compared with working the typical 40-hour week, middle-aged workers who put in more than 55 hours per week had...

  • Truck maintenance and transportation-related deaths
    By - Monday October 12, 2009
    The number of deaths related to transportation was reduced by almost 10 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, with fatalities from crashes involving medium and heavy trucks falling nearly 16 percent.   This is the third year in a row that transportation deaths have decreased.   That was among the preliminary figures released recently by the National Transportation Safety Board.   The Board reported that overall, transportation fatalities in the U.S. were 39,397 in 2008, down from 43,384 in 2007.   Highway deaths, which account for more than 94 percent of all transportation deaths, decreased from 41,259 in 2007 to 37,261 in 2008. The number of medium and heavy truck fatalities fell from 805 to 677 in 2008.   Some of these improved...

  • Using fear to further your operation's growth
    By - Monday October 5, 2009
    While some say the economy is improving, the reality for service providers and others is that they still face reduced work and profits, furloughs, layoffs and other hardships. Going to work isn't as enjoyable as it once was. Nevertheless, there are measures you can take to weather economic storms. It begins with not fearing down business conditions. Challenge yourself to find the positive aspects and opportunities that lie within change. Change your attitude and view change as a challenge and an opportunity. This, in turn, will help change results. Invest in training. With the battle for customer dollars getting even fiercer, you need every tool in your business toolbox to stay ahead of the competition. One way to achieve this is by...

  • How's your organization's housekeeping?
    By - Monday September 28, 2009
    It's my firm conviction that everything boils down to a matter of perception. Case in point: a half a glass of water. An optimist thinks the glass is half full. A pessimist thinks the glass is half empty. A pragmatist thinks he's halfway to the next drink. A defeatist thinks if he sticks around, he'll have to wash the glass. In their efforts to recruit and retain the best qualified technicians, more and more maintenance and service shops are treating them as true professionals, like part of the family, as valued members of the team and so on and so forth. And this is a good thing. One area that I have found neglected is the "facilities" the technicians have to use? What message does the appearance, cleanliness and amenities of...

  • An Introduction
    By - Monday September 21, 2009
    Let me briefly introduce myself. I'm David A. Kolman, the new editor of Fleet Maintenance Magazine. I have assumed the reins of this outstanding publication from Mark O'Connell. I'm very excited about this new opportunity and am thrilled to be working with its outstanding, dedicated staff. I'm also energized for putting my efforts into the editorial mission of Fleet Maintenance: to provide the best practices for maintenance management to help you keep your fleets on the road with minimal loss of operating time. A little about me. I have a strong background in transportation and communications with considerable diverse experience. That includes truck trade journalism, broadcasting, fleet and maintenance operations and truck owning...