Fleet Maintenance editor David A. Kolman shares his insights on the fleet maintenance and trucking industry.
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Are your vehicles prime targets for theft?
By David A. Kolman - Monday May 13, 2013
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) recently released the latest annual Hot Wheels - its list of the 10 most-stolen vehicles in the U.S. The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center and determines the vehicle make, model and year most reported stolen. For 2011, the most-stolen vehicles in the nation were: 1. 1994 Honda Accord. 2. 1998 Honda Civic. 3. 2006 Ford Pickup (full size). 4. 1991 Toyota Camry. 5. 2000 Dodge Caravan. 6. 1994 Acura Integra. 7. 1999 Chevrolet Pickup (full size). 8. 2004 Dodge Pickup (full size). 9. 2002 Ford Explorer. 10. 1994 Nissan Sentra. Hot Wheels is the only report that examines all theft data without regard... -
Put your thumbs down and drive
By David A. Kolman - Monday May 6, 2013
I have a number of friends and business associates that believe they’re being more careful when they use the voice-to-text method rather than manual texting while driving. That may seem safer, but new research findings suggest that voice-to-text applications offer no real safety advantage. The study was sponsored by the Southwest Region University Transportation Center (SWUTC) and conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). SWUTC is a part of the University Transportation Centers Program, which is a federally-funded program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration . Actual driving The first of its kind study was based on the... -
Business change initiatives
By David A. Kolman - Monday April 29, 2013
As part of my job, I do a lot of flying. While waiting at airports and on aircraft, I read books - the hard or soft cover kind. On a recent flight, I read the book, Selfish Altruism: Managing & Executing Successful Change Initiatives . Written by change management consultant Moe Glenner, it examines the often-ignored human element in business change initiatives and offers advice on using personal motivation to produce lasting results. “If we define altruism as ‘for the greater good’ and selfish as ‘me first,’ then even a selfish act can be altruistic,” Glenner says. “Even though an employee could be facilitating a change for a higher salary (selfish), it will benefit the organization (altruistic). “Intent is... -
Wrench bragging rights
By David A. Kolman - Monday April 22, 2013
Technicians enjoy talking about their toolboxes and the amount and diversity of tools they have. Inevitably, such discussions turn into contests to see who has the largest toolbox or the largest collection of tools. Now, there could be a new contest, thanks to Channellock, which has introduced its largest, most powerful wrench: the Channellock 30" 830 Adjustable Wrench. Established 127 years ago, Channellock is a worldwide leader in manufacturing high-quality pliers and hand tools. The new "big boy" Channellock 830 wrench, which complements the company's existing adjustable wrench line, is a full 6" longer than the previous offering and has as a jaw capacity up to 3". The 830 is 1.5" thick, 6.3" wide and has a 12-lb steel... -
Is your shop ready for the future?
By David A. Kolman - Monday April 15, 2013
One of the many worthwhile presentations that took place during the recent SOLD (Service Opportunities and Learning Day) was Next Generation Vehicle Opportunities . Covered in this session was what the vehicle service shop of the future might look like, and what shop owners and managers should be planning and implementing now to be ready for future business. SOLD was held the day prior to the opening of this year's Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) - North America's largest gathering of the independent heavy duty aftermarket. Darry W. Stuart, president and CEO of DWS Fleet Management Services Group, an independent service company providing leadership, organization, negotiation, purchasing and vehicle specifications and...
