In continuation of last month's blog entry, I want to continue to expound on the summer and heat implications that are in store for commercial equipment.

This second segment deals with ambient and under-hood temperatures - a very important factor that disables units on the road.... Read More

We are on the threshold of the annual summer heat season and the associated road failures that it will bring. I want to take this opportunity to elevate what must surely be in the minds of all fleet managers so that you begin now to pay special attention to the several critical maintenance systems and components that could lead to costly road failures and unwanted affects on your delivery times. ... Read More

I've been removed from the direct management of a fleet for several years, but the issue I want to discuss hasn't changed for at least 40 years from an overall conceptual engineering viewpoint and application.

Back in my fleet management days, the highest and most prolific trailer cost-per-mile item that weighted our overall trailer maintenance cost was not brakes, but the maintenance of roll-up doors. This component, although probably not considered by many a major component, ranked clearly as the number one trailer cost in the LTL transportation fleet that I managed. By the way, we had over 17,000 trailers so my data was accurately assessed and clear. Over the years, prior to and subsequent to my exit from this direct management position, I've heard the same comments from fleet manager's year in and year out.... Read More

I want to talk again about the towing season that is squarely upon us. These winter events will be a prominent and costly occurrence over the next several months for all fleets. To be quite clear, there are other items that I can elaborate on, but this one has risen to the top of my list again in recent weeks and deserves the additional attention. ... Read More

I don't think that it is premature to talk about "Winter Preparation Techniques for Fleets"; in fact as I write this, Denver, Co. is having its first snowstorm.

There are many check-points that more "maintenance-sophisticated" fleets have built into their winter preparedness programs; but on the other hand, there are an abundance of smaller and independent fleets that have to revisit theirs from a new perspective each and every year.... Read More

I am very glad to see VMRS (Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards) gaining more and more acceptance and positioned squarely on the radar of today's maintenance professionals. Without any reservations, the solid foundation of system, assembly, and parts identification coupled with the critique of "reason for repair data clarity" and "work accomplished data codes" presents the most vital underlayment for concise and cost affective fleet management available today. Those of you who use 3rd Party service providers must mandate the exclusive use of accurate VMRS coding of all maintenance repairs and labor. You will definitely reap the benefits.... Read More

Let's talk about one of my favorite subjects; towing and recovery. From 2001 to 2007, towing events nationwide have increased from 8.91% of road failures to 31.65% of road failures. This calculation is compiled using a weighted average of the top 16 causes of road failures from FleetNet's database.

The exponential increase in this category, while accident percentages appear to have stabilized, is due mainly to other causes. ... Read More

I think the single biggest maintenance-related impact we're facing today in the trucking maintenance arena is the dilemma of deferred maintenance. I know that many companies don't have the available capital that allows them to upgrade their equipment, let alone perform a fully comprehensive P.M. schedule. But at the end of the day, this simply adds to the dilemma. ... Read More