Fleet Maintenance magazine

Technician mentorship means more than assigning the new guy to follow your most experienced technician throughout his day. It means giving them guidance and support while still letting them tackles daily challenges. “‘I think you can do this; do you think you can?’” Joe Whistler, a service advisor at Fyda Freightliner Youngstown, would ask a newer tech. “And if you can’t, let’s hit the ground running. Let’s try it out.” For more tips on technician mentorship, see Part Two of our In the Bay feature below. #techniciantraining #mentorship #truckingindustry

Retaining technicians isn't just about making sure your pay is competitive and your benefits solid. Whether you're onboarding an experienced technician or a tech fresh out of school, a strong mentorship program ensures your employees aren't thrown into the deep end on day one. “We learned quickly that you couldn’t just toss them to the wolves. We had to really help them grow,” said Chuck Ralston, senior manager of Love's Travel Stops Truck Care Academy and mechanical services. “It cut turnover exponentially. People only leave when they get frustrated about something. Nobody wants to be frustrated at work." For more mentorship tips, check out part one of our feature from Fleet Maintenance's latest issue below.  #truckingindustry #mentorship #techniciantraining #fleetmaintenance

Wheel-off events might seem rare, but they're more common than drivers think, and can cost fleets tens of thousands of dollars in repairs if the wheel hits another truck. “Incidents like these are becoming more common it seems,” said Rob Carpenter, CDS., CDM/E, VP of managed services at Trucksafe Consulting. “The frequency reinforces the need for rigorous and regular wheel and tire inspections." See below for some tips on the proper pre-trip inspections to avoid runaway wheels. #preventativemaintenance #truckingindustry #safety

Fleet Maintenance's July issue is out, this time with a focus on a shop's most valuable asset: Its technicians. We spoke to technicians, shop managers, physical therapists, and more to find out what technicians need to be happy and healthy as they work and the tools they need to succeed. Check out our July edition for more on technician mentoring, partnering with schools, and a special preview on this year's Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) of American Trucking Associations, Inc. fall meeting. #truckingindustry #maintenance #technicianhealth

While electric vehicles are starting to make their way into the market, charging these trucks isn't always easy. But one thing fleets can do is implement a take-home charging program, especially for light trucks. "For many pickup trucks, especially those working close to the employee’s home and covering less than 10,000 miles annually, a Level 1 charger that plugs into a standard 120V wall outlet is enough to make it through the week," said Kate L. Harrison, co-founder and head of marketing at MoveEV. "This solution allows users to avoid the upgraded charger question entirely, saving organizations on charger hardware and installation costs, reducing potential liability, mitigating employee turnover concerns, and allowing organizations to add EVs to their fleet sooner." #truckingindustry #electricvehicle

Dealing with the technician shortage is an ongoing process that can vary from shop to shop. But regardless of where a shop is with their recruitment, having consistent hiring habits is sure to help. “Build healthy habits along the way; it's going to make your life so much easier for recruiting and retention,” said Mark Wilson CEO of WrenchWay. “And then instead of being desperate, when someone does leave, or someone gets sick, or someone gets injured, you're better prepared.” This means being intentional with your recruitment plans and following through on them, potentially through a monthly meeting that addresses hiring sources and reviews the shop's application process. #truckingindustry #recruitment #technician

While both autonomous and zero-emissions vehicles have faced some resistance in commercial trucking, together they can enhance a fleet's safety and efficiency, according to Philip Reinckens, SVP of Commercialization & Operations at middle-mile AV developer Gatik. "You can drive more efficiently in the sense that an AV can predict the traffic situation much better,” Reinckens said. “It drives like a very careful person; there's no speeding, there's no inefficiencies like accelerating and knowing that in 300 meters there is going to be a traffic jam.” And the improvement in AVs and ZEVs are likely to improve safety systems, like ADAS, as well. For more on how these three technologies may interact going forward, see the piece below. #truckingindustry #ADAS #zeroemissionsvehicles #autonomousvehicles #safety

Scheduling preventative maintenance is a common tactic for increasing uptime and vehicle lifecycles, but shops also need to make sure they're doing so in a way that actually benefits their fleets. Some options to make sure your maintenance schedules are properly primed include using automotive digital twin applications and vehicle data to forewarn of potential service disruptions. For more ideas, check out the story below. #commercialvehicleindustry #preventativemaintenance #maintenanceschedule

When managing multiple shop locations, some with higher technician turnover as older employees retire, it can be difficult to standardize operations. But it's critical to do so to increase shop efficiency and consistency. “I would encourage you to think about the problems that you have going on within your company and see if there’s patterns or constant issues surrounding, for example, unique parts and parts ordering,” advised Jessica Wendt, owner of HM Repairs & Services. Then you can create systems to solve the issues you identify. #truckingindustry #shopmanagement #efficiency

The American Transportation Research Institute's 2024 Analysis of the Operation Costs of Trucking reported that operating costs for a single truck have reached a record high of $2.270 per mile, which is 33% higher than 2019. Meanwhile, repair and maintenance costs also jumped 3.1% despite easing parts shortages and a cooling technician labor market. #truckingindustry #operations #repairandmaintenance