MAINTENANCE RESOURCES GUIDE
This fleet guide to associations, manuals, manufacturers & dealers, the Internet, technician training, breakdown services and magazines provides maintenance tools to keep trucks rolling.
As a fleet maintenance manager, it's your responsibility to keep those trucks rolling. That means getting them fixed promptly, and fixed right the first time. It's a big responsibility when you think about it. Customers, drivers and your company are all depending on you and your technicians. But you don't have to do it alone. There are many resources to help you do the job right.
Deborah Lockridge
Senior Editor
ASSOCIATIONS
Associations offer meetings, seminars, training sessions, newsletters and more. And perhaps most important, they give you the chance to network with other people to exchange ideas and solve problems.
The Technology and Maintenance Council: Affiliated with the American Trucking Assns., TMC can help you keep up with the latest industry-recommended maintenance practices, regulations and new technology.
TMC holds twice-yearly meetings that offer technical sessions on topical subjects as well as meetings of study groups and task forces. Study groups consider issues relating to specific parts of the truck, such as tires/wheels, engines and the electrical system. When there's a maintenance issue that needs addressing, these groups assign task forces to come up with a solution, which becomes a Recommended Practice. These RPs are collected in a Recommended Practices manual that is updated yearly. The RP manuals are free to members but are also available for purchase by non-members and should be a must for any maintenance manager.
TMC's annual meeting in March features a product exhibition that many maintenance people find to be the best truck show in the business. TMC also offers monthly newsletters, a quarterly magazine, hands-on training sessions, publications such as "The User's Guide to Wheels & Rims" and videos on topics such tire repair failure analysis. (http://tmc.truckline.com, 703-838-1763)
State trucking associations: Some have their own maintenance councils. The Tennessee Trucking Assn., for instance, has a maintenance council that meets monthly for lunch or supper to hear a speaker on a current industry topic, in addition to larger statewide conferences. In Alabama, meetings of its safety and maintenance council have covered topics such as technician training and engine technology. (For links to ATA-affiliated associations, go to www.truckline.com/stateside.)
Service Technicians Society: This professional society for service technicians, affiliated with the Society of Automotive Engineers, has until recently been almost exclusively the purview of automotive mechanics.
The new STS Heavy Truck Group is working on changing that. According to Brian Strach, a member of the STS Board of Governors, STS Heavy Truck was formed in response to a perceived shortage of technical training information for heavy truck technicians.
"The TMC does a great job of establishing recommended maintenance practices and training standards," Strach says. "What STS Heavy Truck will do is work with TMC to help technicians on the front line learn and apply those standards and practices in their everyday work."
STS Heavy Truck members will receive the same benefits as STS automotive members, including the Service Tech publication, discounted technical publications from OEMs, the opportunity to network with other service professionals, and special tool and health insurance discounts. An additional package of membership benefits is being designed exclusively for STS Heavy Truck members. (www.sts.sae.org, 800-787-9596)
Tire Retread Information Bureau: TRIB is an excellent resource for information not only on retreads, but on tire maintenance in general. It offers a wealth of free resources available online or in hard copy.
For instance, a retread buyer's guide lists hundreds of retreaders and the type of retreading done at each location. Tires A to Z includes dozens of articles about retreading and other tire-related information, from alignment to zipper rupture. Rubber on the Road offers articles to debunk the myth that roadside alligators are the result of retread tires. Articles on the importance of proper tire inflation can be used in driver safety meetings. A section on tire repair covers topics such as basic nail hole repair and when it's better to replace than repair. (www.retread.org, 888-473-8732)
The Tire Industry Assn. is another good source of information on truck tires and wheels. It provides training programs on the proper handling and servicing of truck tires as well as an inexpensive program designed for fleets to train their tire technicians to comply with OSHA safety requirements. (www.tireindustry.org, 800-426-8835)
Associations dedicated to your particular type of trucking can help with maintenance issues unique to your application.
For instance, the National Tank Truck Carriers hosts a cargo tank maintenance seminar and tank truck equipment show each year, in addition to an annual conference, safety and tank cleaning conferences, and useful newsletters and other publications. (www.tanktruck.net, 703-838-1960)
The National Private Truck Council offers strategic maintenance seminars at various locations around the country, and equipment and maintenance are a part of its Fleet Management Institute. A comprehensive equipment and maintenance training module is available for purchase at its Fleet Learning Center. (www.nptc.org, 703-683-1300)
OEM MANUALS
You should have on hand manuals for the makes of trucks, engines, transmissions, axles, brakes, etc., that you have in your fleet. It's always wise to see what "the factory" recommends. Operators, maintenance and engine manuals that ship with new trucks should be accessible for operators and service technicians, not just stuck in a filing cabinet where they're never seen again.
Many companies offer their manuals on CD-ROM or in downloadable format on their web sites. Depending on the company and your clout as a customer, these may require a paid subscription to keep them updated.
For instance, Volvo recently made available service bulletins, procedures, operator and service manuals and detailed maintenance information for the new Volvo VN and Volvo VHD — on a single CD. It also includes lists of recommended/required tools and approved lubricants and coolants.
Peterbilt's Fleet ServiceNet is updated quarterly and offers maintenance manuals, technical service bulletins, warranty/customer service bulletins, wiring and air system diagrams and labor guidelines, as well as vendor manuals and bulletins from Peterbilt component suppliers.
Detroit Diesel customers can subscribe to Power Service Literature and the eParts Catalog, which are distributed on CD-ROM. Updated regularly, they include service manuals, troubleshooting guides and technical service letters.
MANUFACTURERS & DEALERS
Your truck, engine and component manufacturers and other suppliers can be a valuable resource beyond the basic manuals.
There are toll-free help lines, such as the Roadranger Call Center (800-826-HELP), which provides technical assistance, parts information, repair strategies, specification assistance and warranty information for Roadranger products.
Manufacturers are providing more programs for outsourcing some maintenance. Kenworth's PremierCare Preventive Maintenance program, for instance, offers several maintenance schedule choices and service levels, ranging from intermittent "dry inspections" to comprehensive, bumper-to-taillight service packages. It lets you schedule service stops all over the country.
Peterbilt's TruckCare Preventive Maintenance can provide full-service outsourcing of all PM and repairs or very select services. The TruckCare Maintenance Manager, a part of this service, is a secure online service that lets you record, track and analyze your operating and maintenance costs.
Manufacturers also offer services to help you manage your parts inventory.
For instance, Freightliner's FleetConnection program gives fleet customers convenient connectivity to a dealer for parts inventory and ordering. Western Star offers CustomerLink software designed for fast and easy replenishment of parts inventories.
International's Diamond Connection Software offers a parts inventory and fleet service tracking package that helps manage parts inventory and restocking needs. The company's Golden Parts Recovery Program lets you return excess and obsolete inventory. International also offers parts catalogs customized to include the exact parts a customer is seeking for his specific chassis.
Peterbilt's TruckCare Connect connects fleet customers' parts inventories to their Peterbilt dealership, automating and expediting parts ordering and replenishment, using a bar code system. TruckCare's ECAT is a CD-ROM electronic catalog available with chassis-specific illustrations, diagrams and components and parts information.
Don't overlook your dealer as a valuable resource. "We rely on our local dealer a lot to help keep us up to speed on service information and bulletins," says Todd England, vice president of maintenance at C.R. England in Salt Lake City.
England's dealership, Freightliner of Utah, offers customers a once-a-month vendor night. Suppliers are invited to come in and speak to both the dealer technicians and invited customers about new products, maintenance issues and what's being done to address such issues. If you haven't been invited to such a session, ask your dealer if they're available. If not, suggest it.
THE INTERNET
Because there is so much information available on the Internet, Dave Dettman a few years ago decided to teach a class on electronic information systems in the diesel technology program at St. Louis Community College. He shows his students useful web sites for automotive and heavy duty diesel technicians as well as how to use OEM software and CD-ROMs.
"The component manufacturers are becoming an almost unlimited resource," he says. "You can go directly to the component manufacturer and get their service literature. All you need is web access, a fast connection, and lots of printer paper."
For instance, at ArvinMeritor's web site, there's a complete technical library with electronic versions of all product maintenance manuals. It's all downloadable for free. You'll also find warranty information, technical bulletins, parts catalogs, white papers and more. (www.arvinmeritor.com/tech_library)
At Roadranger, a joint effort of Eaton and Dana, more than 13,000 registered users download an average of 200,000 free electronic service and parts manuals every month. Go to the "Literature Center" for free service updates, service manuals, troubleshooting guides, training materials and more. Service updates can be sent to your e-mail address. (www.roadranger.com)
The truck and engine OEMs offer various maintenance information on their web sites, as well, although for updated service manuals you may have to buy a CD-ROM or pay for an online subscription.
Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star recently launched new web sites that allow free access for registered users to their specific vehicle information, including manuals and important technical information. Online tools accessible through AccessFreightliner.com currently include PartsPro, which allows easy identification of a vehicle's originally installed parts, and EZWiring, offering electronic access to wiring diagrams. More online tools are in the works, such as Fleet Assistant fleet maintenance management and ServicePro diagnostics. (www.accessfreightliner.com)
The Detroit Diesel site, for instance, offers free access to service information bulletins, technician guides and special publications covering a wide-ranging list of topics. The website also lets you submit specific questions to factory-based personnel. (www.detroitdiesel.com)
On Peterbilt and Kenworth's web sites, free online tools include SmartSearch, which lets you search more than 1.8 million parts by product, supplier, key word and interactive illustrations. (www.peterbilt.com, www.kenworth.com)
Some companies are offering online services that allow you to search for information affecting your specific vehicle — at a price. However, these services are generally less expensive and more current than CD-ROM or paper-based subscription options.
One such service is International Fleet ISIS (International Service Information Solutions). By typing in the VIN number, you can access service manuals, updated bulletins, campaigns, newsletters, operators manuals, warranty coverage and coding manuals, new vehicle processing manuals and standard repair time information. (www.internationaldelivers.com)
Likewise, Cummins' new Quickserve site offers parts catalogs, operation and maintenance manuals, troubleshooting and repair manuals, service bulletins, shop manuals, standard repair times, service campaigns, warranty alerts and more, searchable using your engine serial number or by engine family. (http://quickserve.cummins.com)
In addition to manufacturer sites like these, Dettman has found Internet "forums" to be quite useful. These are electronic bulletin boards where participants can post questions or comments that are answered by others in the forum. One of his favorites is the International Automotive Technician's Network. While it is primarily aimed at automotive technicians, there is a heavy duty/fleet forum. Membership is free for full-time professional automotive technicians. (www.iatn.net)
Because there is such a wealth of information online, it's a good idea to have one person find and organize the web pages most applicable to your operation. Popular web browser programs allow you to do this by organizing favorites or bookmarks. Or you might want to create a well-organized links page on your own web site or an internal browser page.
FedEx Express is in the last stages of changing over from paper manuals to Internet access of service information via the internal company web site. Links will take a technician directly to the manual on a supplier's web site. For suppliers without online service manuals, FedEx has converted manuals to pdf format. These, as well as manuals that were provided on CD-ROM, are all accessible through links on the same web site.
"We've got 750 locations, so now we don't have to worry about sending out updates that tell people to take out page 34 and put in page 35 through 37," says Sid Gooch, managing director of fleet maintenance at FedEx Express. "That's very time-consuming and expensive, and it doesn't always get done."
TRAINING
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence: While not a training resource per se, ASE provides voluntary testing and certification for automotive and heavy duty technicians and can be a good standard on which to base your training efforts.
Technicians can be certified for medium/heavy truck areas such as diesel engines, drive train, brakes, electrical/electronic systems, and HVAC. Those certified in each of seven areas can earn Master Technician status.
In a survey of fleet managers, ASE found that more than 85% believe ASE-certified technicians worked more accurately, and 81% said they were more likely to fix a problem the first time. (www.asecert.org, 877-ASE-TECH)
OEMs and suppliers are the most likely source for training. Depending on the size of your fleet, you may be able to get on-site vendor training. If not, see if your OEM or component supplier offers scheduled factory training. For instance, Detroit Diesel operates a training facility with classes on subjects such as engine overhaul and information management and parts. ArvinMeritor's field sales and service team conducts training programs throughout the year tailored to specific customer needs. Roadranger, a joint marketing agreement between Dana and Eaton, offers Roadranger technician training courses in a variety of venues.
In addition to hands-on training, many OEMs and suppliers offer training materials on video or DVD, in self-paced workbooks or online tutorials. For instance, ArvinMeritor offers free training for ZF Meritor FreedomLine transmissions on a CD or web-based program called Product Electronic Reference/Knowledge System, or PERKS. It even includes a technician certification test.
Don't forget to look beyond the major component makers. If you have a refrigerated fleet, Carrier and Thermo King offer training courses for fleet technicians. Grote offers truck lighting and electrical training. Bendix offers air brake training. Horton offers a fan drive training kit. Wix Filters offers an intensive three-day training program at its North Carolina headquarters or a several-hour preventive maintenance seminar on the road.
FleetPride partners with manufacturers such as ArvinMeritor and Haldex to offer training on topics such as air brake systems, antilock brakes, wheel ends, suspensions, drivelines, electrical systems and air conditioning.
Each of FleetPride's 150 or so branches is expected to run at least one customer training clinic per quarter, based on what the local customers say they need. Recently, FleetPride introduced its TechTrailers — mobile classrooms that will let FleetPride take hands-on training to aftermarket customers. FleetPride also offers training that prepares technicians for ASE certification tests. (www.fleetpride.com, 866-4-FLEETPRIDE)
BREAKDOWN SERVICES
In the event of a breakdown on the road, there are many services that can help. Every truck and engine manufacturer offers some sort of breakdown assistance program, plus there are some independent services detailed below.
CDI Services' Road Support Division is part of a 30-year-old company that also is involved in driver training, driver leasing, truck dealerships, truckload operations, truck maintenance and wrecker services. The service operates on a purchase order system, which CDI says gives more leverage in the case of an unsatisfactory repair. (www.911roadrepair.com, 800-492-8125)
FleetNet America is a national road breakdown service with 60,000 vendors in its computer system. Most are independent vendors, although OE dealers are used when a customer requests it or when warranty work or electronics diagnostics are involved. The 800 number is manned 24/7 by professionals who, in some cases, are able to provide solutions by phone, avoiding a road call. (www.fleetnetamerica.com, 800-438-8961)
Truck Tire Service Corp.(TTS) was established in 1972 to help truckers with flat tires, but this emergency road service has been expanded to include mechanical repairs, towing, onsite facility repairs, fleet maintenance and inspection programs. Members dial a toll-free number, explain the situation, and help is dispatched, usually reaching the driver within an hour. (www.ttsroadservice.com, 800-DIAL-TTS)
If you're looking for a resource to help you find a vendor yourself, try the National Truck & Trailer Services Breakdown Directory, available for purchase as a book or CD-ROM, or via a free searchable online database. (www.nttsbreakdown.com, 800-288-0002).
Another online source is Truckdown!, which lets you search for towing companies, mobile repair services, truck repair shops, trailer repair shops, truck friendly motels, emergency services and other providers. The online service is free, or you can buy a CD-ROM or subscribe to a new call-in service. (www.truckdown.com, 888-683-3379)
(For more on breakdown services, see the January 2003 issue of HDT.)
MAGAZINES
You're holding one valuable maintenance resource in your hands. Heavy Duty Trucking and other trucking magazines bring the latest maintenance trends and issues right to your mailbox.
These magazines often publish special buyer's guides or other listings in addition to monthly articles. For instance, the Council of Fleet Specialists' Heavy Duty Buyers Guide is published in the February issue of Heavy Duty Trucking each year.
In addition to general trucking magazines, there are specialty publications such as Modern Bulk Transporter (www.bulktransporter.com), Light & Medium Truck (ttnews.com/lmt/), and Refrigerated Transporter (www.refrigeratedtrans.com).
ACCESS TO RESOURCES
It doesn't matter how good your resources are if no one knows they're there. At Southeastern Freightlines, all the parts and service information is funneled through one person in the main office in Columbia, S.C. That person picks and chooses the information that's applicable for the company's equipment and sends it out to the company's 20 maintenance facilities. Along with the information goes a list of all the new service information that is to be posted on the shop bulletin board for 30 days.
"If the shop manager just puts it in a book and sticks it on the shelf, half the people in the shop don't even know it's there," says maintenance director David Foster.
At McKenzie Tank Lines, training tapes and service bulletins are organized and labeled according to VMRS codes. Service bulletins — the portions that are applicable to the company's operations — are posted on to the company's web site as they are received.
Kennedy envisions a system that will make service manuals, bulletins and other information available through the company's new maintenance software. He wants to see a system where, when a repair order is opened up on a vehicle, any service bulletins or recalls will flash up on the screen. "We're going to get a lot of custom programming done to meet our needs," he says.
Don't forget that the information flow can go the other way, too. Your own people can be one of your best resources. "We highly encourage our people out on the floor to make suggestions and evaluate our processes," says Foster. "If someone's got an idea or a better way to do something, we'll distribute it to all the shops."
Maintenace Resources Guide continued...
