Extending Vehicle Life
Keeping trucks longer? Plan and budget for increased maintenance.
JIM WINSOR
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Current economic conditions and concern about the unknown cost and durability of new low-emission EGR diesel engines are driving some fleets to keep their vehicles for several more years. The big question is what does such a decision do to costs and the likely need for increased maintenance? I think you'll find the following case history both interesting and perhaps guide your thinking if your fleet is planning to keep vehicles longer.
Speaking at the recent annual conference of the Technology and Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Assns., Joe Fleming, president of Falcon Transport, Youngstown, Ohio, laid out the extended-life action plan that he started in 2000. Falcon is primarily a truckload and logistics company specializing in JIT parts and components deliveries to the Big Three car companies in the Midwest. Falcon also has a flatbed division serving the steel industry. The company has over 1,000 tractors and 3,000 trailers.
Falcon used to trade its tractors at five years regardless of mileage. Flatbeds were on a five-year schedule; van trailers, seven years. The new plan is to trade out groups of tractors at 550,000 miles with a goal of no trades at all in 2002. Fleming is projecting that part of the fleet will pass 600,000 miles this year; a lot more miles in 2003 if he keeps them. So what needed to change in maintenance?
Backbone of Fleming's maintenance program and philosophy is top-notch preventive maintenance. The objective is for PM mechanics to spend as much time as necessary to service and inspect/repair equipment so it will make it to the next servicing with little or no revisits to the shop.
Tractors receive a mini-service ("A") at 14,000 miles. This includes a lube and inspection. "B" services are at 28,000 miles and include oil and filter changes and thorough inspection. This work must be done in a Falcon shop to ensure the quality PM that Fleming insists on. A "C" inspection is every other "B" and includes a thorough inspection/repair of brakes (wheels/drums off) with work done only in certain Falcon shops. A "D" inspection at 300,000-350,000 miles thoroughly checks out major components/accessories. Anything unlikely to make it another 200,000 miles is swapped. Goal again: with JIT freight, sometimes with deliveries in 15-minute windows, Fleming refuses to risk breakdowns.
For the projected longer ownership and several hundred thousand more miles, Fleming has added a new "E" service. Joe calls it a "double D" or "deeper dive" to try to spot things which might cause troubles beyond the service point at 550,000 miles. This includes: Sampling synthetic lube in transmissions and rears; checking clutch and replacing if beyond Falcon specs; pulling steer hubcap to check oil and bearing end play; checking accessory drive end play and turbo end play, replacing as required; changing water pump if "suspicious"; changing power steering filter; inspecting/cleaning radiators, repair or replace as needed; taking engine oil samples at every service following "D's" to get a good history of engine condition.
In addition, during the "E" service all minor body damage is repaired and brakes get a very thorough going-over. If new brakes are needed, they get a full "like-new" service (rollers, springs, bushings etc.), if the projected trade date is far enough out for the fleet to recoup the cost.
Tire program for high-mileage tractors and trailers calls for using caps where possible with non-virgin casings, run them for their life cycle and project to have 50% tread life at trade time.
Is the program working? Fleming says time will tell as large groups of tractors roll towards 700,000 miles. So far, so good on reliability, he says. Biggest "investment" to make it all happen: hiring more mechanics, as the extended-life program is labor intensive.
