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No Afterthought Itâ€™s time to rethink aftertreatment maintenance

Keeping Pace

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Stories from a father-son maintenance team

DARK ART What story will your oil tell?

FALL 2020

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FEATURES is written and published for owners, managers and maintenance supervisors of those companies that operate, sell and service trucks, truck trailers, and transit buses.

Dark Art

FALL 2020 • VOL. 5 NO. 3

Every oil analysis has a story to tell. What are your samples telling you? By John G. Smith

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No Afterthought Emissions aftertreatment issues are not always problems unto themselves By James Menzies

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Keeping Pace

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Randy and Brad Pace share a passion for the shop, and the same workplace

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DEPARTMENTS Editorial ......................... 5 Cover: Incorporating an oil analysis into an oil change can offer telling insights. (Photo: Premier Truck Group)

Techs Talk..................... 14

A Lean approach can reduce inventory, costs and losses alike, while still ensuring required skillsets are available. FALL 2020 TRUCKTECH 3

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EDITORIAL

Mind the Gaps Advanced Driver Assistance Systems prove their worth in the expenses that don’t occur BY JOHN G. SMITH

The business case for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can be explained using the invoices associated with collision repairs. Collapsed bumpers, cracked rads, and crumpled hoods are largely the result of trucks that failed to stop before it was too late. Then there’s the related price of towing, downtime, potential injuries, and more. In other words, the high-tech spec’ proves its worth through collisions that never actually happen. Every second counts as a vehicle closes the gap between a bumper and the threat that lies ahead of it. A loaded tractor-trailer traveling at highway speeds can cover the length of two football fields before coming to a complete stop. This means the line between a close call and the crunching sound of metal and fiberglass can often be defined by the seconds it takes to close the gaps between friction material and drums or rotors. While technology hasn’t addressed every delay in driver reaction times, it can make a difference. Radar-based systems and cameras alike can be used to monitor the space in front and sometimes beside modern trucks, triggering warning lights and sounding alarms in the cab. (“Look out, driver!”) Integrated systems will restrict the throttle and trigger automatic emergency braking systems if someone behind the wheel is too slow in their move toward the brake pedal. What began as a family of tools to track moving vehicles has also evolved to watch for stopped and stationary objects alike. Pedestrians, too. An emerging generation of controls combines sensors and servos to help keep drivers

(Illustration: iStock) tracking down the middle of their lanes. And the driving experience itself is eased through adaptive cruise controls that will adjust truck speeds right down to a stop and back on a roll. There is still no replacement for a skilled and safety-conscious driver. Even those who sell the systems are careful to use terms like “mitigating” and “minimizing” when describing the response to threats. But ADAS can provide the support that helps to offset momentary lapses in judgement or delayed reactions. Some of North America’s biggest fleets are counting themselves among the biggest believers in ADAS – and shared their experiences during a recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration webinar. JB Hunt safety, security and driver personnel senior vice-president Greer Woodruff said his fleet has seen a direct return on ADAS-related investments since such equipment was first deployed

in 2011. The operation has widely adopted automatic emergency braking (AEB) and forward-facing cameras, and will be spec’ing blind spot detection systems by the end of this year. Schneider National implemented collision mitigation systems eight years ago to address rear-end collisions, and in the first three years reduced the frequency of such incidents by 68%. The severity of the collisions that did occur dropped 95%, said Thomas DiSalvi, vice-president – driver training and compliance. The benefits of the technologies are not limited to those who buy trucks right off an assembly line, either. Those who opt for used equipment are increasingly inheriting the tools purchased by first-generation owners. The fleets and shops that end up with this equipment can be thankful for the issues that they won’t face – even if they need to embrace some new technologies along the way. FALL 2020 TRUCKTECH 5

QUICK FIX Shops identify labor-heavy tasks If your shop is tucking into repairs on a clutch assembly or auto transmission, technicians should prepare themselves for some of the most labor-intensive tasks on a truck. Both tasks continue to top the list of the 98 most labor-intensive shop activities, identified through the Technology and Maintenance Council’s second annual survey on standard repair times, at a respective 9.49 and 9.07 hours. Of the 10 most labor-intensive tasks, two related to emission and exhaust systems, while two of the jobs involved drivelines, observed VMRS (Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards) services manager Jack Poster, when presenting the survey results. Work on brake air compressors also proved to be more difficult than radiator replacements, he added. The Top 5 labor-intensive jobs

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Kraus joined MEMA as executive director in 2004, emerging from the group’s membership ranks. He served on the HDMA board from 1992-2002 and completed two terms as chairman. He was also involved in developing Heavy-Duty Aftermarket Week, first hosted in 2006.

(Photo: Jim Park) rounded out with EGR coolers at 6.37 hours, air brake compressors (5.26 hours), and radiators (5.17 hours). At the bottom of the list were aero wheel covers, which require 15 minutes of time, wiper blades (.27 hours), individual gladhands (.32 hours), lubing fifth wheels (.35 hours), and the combination of service and emergency gladhands (.43 hours). Headlights, shock absorbers, seven-pin connectors and AC belts also continued to prove themselves as relatively quick tasks.

Raybestos, Luberfiner brands change hands First Brands Group has acquired the Raybestos and Luberfiner brands to its portfolio, through its acquisitions of Brake Parts Inc. and Champion Laboratories. The company, formerly known as Trico Group, said the acquisitions are effective immediately. “Both Raybestos and Luberfiner are important and natural complements to our current vehicle maintenance and vehicle repair product solutions,” said Guy Andrysick, chief marketing officer at First Brands Group.

Aftermarket group seeks new leader Applications: > Motor Mounts > Fuel Tank Straps > Torque Nuts > Seatbelt Bolts

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6 TRUCKTECH

FALL 2020

The Heavy-Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA) – the commercial vehicle division of the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) – is looking for a new leader. Tim Kraus has announced he will step down as president and CEO on Feb. 21, and the association says an active search is currently underway for his successor.

Motion moves to acquire TRC Hydraulics Motion Industries, a subsidiary of Genuine Parts Companies, has acquired TRC Hydraulics – a supplier of hydraulic products and services in Atlantic Canada. TRC Hydraulics has been in business since 1986, and last year had expanded into the U.S. by opening a facility near Spartanburg, S.C.

Penske doubles capacity in Hamilton Penske Truck Leasing has opened a new full-service facility in Hamilton, Ont., almost doubling its capacity, the company announced. It is located at 510 South Service Road off Queen Elizabeth Way.

(Photo: Penske Truck Leasing) The 13,200 sq.-ft. site is equipped with a fuel island as well as high-tech rapid lifting and lowering mobile column truck lifts. It also features fully digital and voice-directed truck fleet preventive maintenance processes and connected fleet solutions, Penske said. “We have essentially doubled our capacity with this new facility. We’re now equipped with six truck bays on nearly five acres,” said Richard McLaughlin, vice-president for Eastern Canada.

QUICK FIX Freightliner logs electric mileage

Stemco reducing product portfolio

Freightliner’s battery-electric Innovation Fleet has covered 480,000 km in real-world applications. The 30-truck fleet of medium- and heavy-duty trucks is designed to test how such equipment can integrate into large scale commercial transportation operations. The OEM’s eCascadia is scheduled to enter series production in mid-2022, while a battery-electric eM2 will follow later in the year.

Stemco is moving to reduce its product portfolio as it looks to refocus resources on core wheel-end and king pin products. The company is ending production of the Motor Wheel brake drum and Crewson brake adjuster

Ontario to crack down on towing Ontario has created a task force to improve provincial oversight of the towing industry, mired in turf wars and allegations of price gouging. The task force will help develop a regulatory model that will increase safety and enforcement, clarify protections for consumers, improve industry standards, and consider tougher penalties for violators, the province says. “The party is over for the bad actors who are engaged in violence and criminal activity in the towing industry,” Premier Doug Ford said during a daily Covid-19 briefing.

Hino hardware goes to Tri Truck Centre Tri Truck Centre has once again been named Hino’s Canadian Dealer of the Year for 2019. It won the award every year from 2014 to 2017. “I am not surprised to see this dealership awarded Dealer of the Year honors for the fifth time in six years,” said Tony Caldarone, senior vice-president of Hino Canada. “Their entire team is focused on providing the best customer experience from their sales, service, and parts operations. This is an expectation we have across our entire dealer network and Tri Truck Centre sets the bar.” Laval Hino took second place honors, while Hino Drummondville finished third.

product lines. Orders are no longer accepted, but warranty needs will be honored going forward, Stemco says. The company is also selling the Lunar air disc brake product line and manufacturing facility back to Commercial Vehicle Components, subject to regulatory approval in China.

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FALL 2020 TRUCKTECH 7

OIL ANALYSIS

DARK ART Every oil analysis tells a story, but what trouble will it identify? BY JOHN G. SMITH

Every oil analysis tells a story – and the plot is one of destruction under the hood. The related fluid samples identify the by-products of an explosive combustion process, the wear metals that shear away from component surfaces. Iron might come from worn cylinders and camshafts, the chromium from piston rings. Silicon can be linked to abrasive sand sucked through the intake. Potassium might be associated with a coolant leak. Left unchecked, they’re the type of issues that can lead to catastrophic engine failures. As troublesome as individual readings appear, the full story only begins to emerge by considering related factors including the engine model, truck application, and even specific fluids in the sump. After all, seemingly high potassium levels might actually be traced to a preferred oil formula unless there’s a corresponding spike in sodium. “Spike” is the operative word, too. Given the many factors involved, an effective oil analysis program focuses on trends and changes more than any individual readings. It’s a matter of comparing reports to earlier fluid samples, or against benchmarks that reflect the same engine models in similar applications.

Complete every line on the form It explains why something as simple as the blank cell on a form can lead a program astray. Stede Granger, OEM technical services manager for Shell Lubricants, stresses the need to ensure that every field of information is populated – including the date, equipment mileage, or type of oil being used. “The biggest issue with oil sampling today is the technician does not get a total amount of data on the label,” agrees Ron LeBlanc, senior technical advisor at Petro-Canada Lubricants. The engine model and fleet name might be right, but the mileage forgotten. “That happens a lot.” And such data is crucial when projecting a drain interval. It’s why some of today’s oil analysis programs look to address these challenges by collecting data through smartphone apps, and pre-populating data fields. 8 TRUCKTECH

FALL 2020

An oil analysis can identify drain intervals and hidden mechanical issues. (Photo: iStock)

“What companies don’t realize is that the feedback comments and flagging limits are based on comparisons and trending data,” says Jason D. Gerig, lubricants services sector manager for Chevron Lubricants – Americas. Failing to match the make and model to the chosen type and grade of lubricant can lead to unnecessary repairs.

Get a clean, oily sample A consistent approach to actually collecting the oil sample will play its own role in ensuring trustworthy results. Any sample should be collected mid stream, a few seconds after the drain plug is removed, LeBlanc says. Another option is to siphon the oil through the dipstick tube, although there’s the threat of condensation if the engine is running cold. The cleanest sample of all will involve using a dedicated sample port – a feature widely adopted by test fleets. Granger also stresses the importance of collecting oil from a warm engine with full oil galleries to ensure a homogenous mixture. Soot will gradually drop to the bottom of a sump, so the related readings might appear to be overly concentrated if the oil is drawn from the first drops to emerge from an engine that has been parked for awhile.

No cause for alarm While some of the earliest readings from brand new engines may seem alarming, they aren’t always a cause for concern. Copper readings of 200-400 parts per million are often associated with leaching from a new oil cooler, LeBlanc says as an example. And elevated levels of sodium and potassium might exist because some exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers don’t immediately seal, he says. Such readings tend

OIL ANALYSIS

to normalize after three or four oil change intervals, so the EGR valves only need to be resealed if the levels remain stubbornly high. Early samples can also include elevated aluminum and potassium. While such readings could indicate wear metals and coolant leaks when examining later oil samples, the early spikes are likely coming from the intake manifold and charge air cooler, Granger says, referring to brazing flux used in the manufacturing process. New liners and piston rings, meanwhile, can still generate elevated iron levels from the liner and a slight increase in chromium from the rings, LeBlanc adds. But this is another example of data that will vary by engine model. Some equipment will break in within 65,000-95,000 km. Other models take longer.

Setting such readings aside, most of today’s engines arrive and run much cleaner than their predecessors ever did. “The majority of the OEM engines out there, when they come from the factory and they’re put into service, they’re really impressive,” LeBlanc says. “They do not have elevated or high wear metals – even from Day 1 they are very efficient.”

Look at combined readings Gerig admits it can be a challenge to identify the specific source of elevated readings that emerge in an oil analysis report. But it is possible. “Particle contamination is the Number 1 cause of lubricant-related failure, and external contaminates like dirt can be a contributing factor to wear,” he says. Granger remembers reviewing the teardown of a work

A consistent approach to actually collecting the oil sample will play its own role in ensuring trustworthy results.

The story is told over time, with a focus on spikes in readings. (Photo: iStock)

FALL 2020 TRUCKTECH 9

Lean Shop, Lean and Efficient Management Proper garage planning encourages intelligent inventory management just as much as it does for staff management. The Lean approach helps reduce inventory, costs and losses all while ensuring the availability of required skillsets. REDUCING INVENTORY To get there, identify what you absolutely need, these parts are at the heart of your inventory. Next, reduce inventory by specifying minimum and maximum quantities to keep for each commonly used part and use the suppliersâ€™ quick delivery services for parts that you no longer stock. This will increase cash flow and reduce storage costs.

REDUCING WASTE Combat the waste of time or parts associated with having to redo work, moving vehicles unnecessarily, or stopping repairs that are underway due to a lack of resources. Eliminate unnecessary steps in the maintenance process; control deadlines; and respect timelines. This will improve your operating costs. A little more time on task planning can provide a positive effect on work as well as your wallet.

IN SUMMARY... DEVELOP FLEXIBLE RESOURCES To minimize work interruptions, be sure to use interchangeable and versatile resources. Create teams with your mechanics so that everyone understands each otherâ€™s tasks. If everyone can do their colleagueâ€™s work, absenteeism will not affect you as much as it could, allowing you to keep the pace of your projects. In addition, the value of your employees increases while their involvement will influence their motivation and sense of belonging.

Applying lean management in your garage involves offloading inventory, reviewing and eliminating unnecessary operations, avoiding waste of time and materials, and developing a versatile workforce. From this perspective, a good maintenance management software becomes an indispensable tool that will help you gain with optimized processes at a lower cost and with less interruption; all while striving towards the desired results within the required time.

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OIL ANALYSIS

truck that reported such levels, and ultimately sacrificed the rings. “If that had been caught early with oil analysis, they could have saved the life of the engine.” Each reading from an engine oil analysis tells part of a story, but it’s often a combination of readings that can point to a specific source of the contamination. “Before I make a conclusion on oil analysis, I like to see two or more items agree with the conclusion,” Granger explains. “Every once in awhile they’ll have a flyer – a data point that just doesn’t make sense.” Elevated iron readings, without any chrome wear, would suggest an issue with an accessory drive gear, LeBlanc says as an example. If wear metals associated with an engine’s pistons and cylinders are accompanied by higher levels of silicate, the problem may be an air intake hose on the suction side of the turbo ingesting high volumes of dirt.

Monitor the fluid condition While the fluid’s viscosity doesn’t tell the entire story, it does point to issues like fuel dilution, and whether the oil is beginning to oxidize, Granger adds. A 15W-40 oil should have a viscosity of around 13-15 centistokes, but 10 centistokes could be a sign of trouble. If the lab tech turns to fuel dilution and sees a reading of about 5%, the combined information might point to a bad injector. Meanwhile, high potassium levels, when combined with a spike in sodium, can reflect a possible coolant leak. But Chevron oils also incorporate high levels of potassium. That makes it important to consider other issues like changes in viscosity, oxidation, and wear metals before chasing down a coolant leak, Gerig says. “Typically, by the time coolant shows up in the used oil analysis report, it is too late. Many times, cooling system problems like overheating can be identified first through coolant analysis,” he says. Other readings can be associated with the preferred oil itself. Phosphorous and zinc, for example, can be traced to an anti-wear formula known as ZDDP. Detergent-dispersing additives can manifest themselves as calcium and zinc. Many formulas also contain boron. “Not all oil manufacturers use the same combinations,” LeBlanc says. It reinforces the need to ensure the sample is submitted with exact information about the oil in the container.

Broader benchmarks As important as it is to measure an engine against its previous experience, it’s also a good idea to compare results to broader benchmarks, including identical engine models in similar applications. You don’t always have to collect two or three years of data to determine what readings are “normal.” Labs will often provide numbers for comparisons. LeBlanc, however, stresses the need to be careful when comparing any data. The wear associated with a typical

The combination of elevated readings can be most telling.

80,000-lb. gross vehicle weight can differ from a GVW of 129,000 lb., he notes. “We always have to look at application, we have to look at oil that the customer is using, the service duty, the filters, all of the data that helps us interpret that oil analysis.”

Changes over time Assumptions about the readings also need to evolve along with the engines and oil formulas themselves. “We are seeing much lower levels of iron, generally, in the engine oil as these engines are better designed and manufactured,” Granger says. Twenty years ago it wasn’t uncommon to find 600 ppm of iron in the oil. Today, readings of 60 ppm can raise alarm bells. “The environment inside the crankcase is so much milder,” he says, referring to the benefits that emerged with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and the urea supplies that offset work that was once left to exhaust gas recirculation. The oils are more effective, too. Gerig, meanwhile, refers to a general shift away from using total base number (TBN) in favor of acid numbers (AN) as a way to measure oil condition. “In the past, we saw stronger and higher levels of sulfuric acids in the engine oil, which required the measurement of TBN, where now with the lower sulfur in fuel and new additive technology in CK-4 engine oils, TBN is not as relevant. Acid number measurement is now replacing TBN along with oxidation, viscosity, and wear metals to monitor diesel engine oil condition.” Diesel that once contained up to 500 ppm of sulfur led to the sulfuric acid that damaged bearings, Granger explains. Today’s limits are closer to 15 ppm. Things change. But the value of monitoring the oil remains. FALL 2020 TRUCKTECH 11

EMISSIONS

Common Myths

DPF restorations remove ash and return the filter to near new condition. (Photo: The DPF Company)

About Emissions Aftertreatment John Renno, manager of Isuzu’s Center of Excellence and a technician trainer for the brand, revealed five myths he encounters when talking to technicians about aftertreatment system troubleshooting and repair. The DPF and SCR systems are working at the same time: While many are now packaged together in a single box, Renno reminds people the DPF and SCR are two separate systems with different functions, operating at different times. Heat generated for DPF regenerations is generated solely by the DOC: The engine itself must contribute heat for regens, another reason that technicians should also troubleshoot the engine when aftertreatment issues arise. Meanwhile, if an issue within the engine creates excess heat, the aftertreatment systems can overheat and be damaged. Particulate matter is completely eliminated during a DPF regen: Many particulates are just reduced in size and will convert to ash, which needs periodic cleaning. “Aftertreatment systems need preventive maintenance,” Reno stresses. SCR is part of the regeneration process: Not true. The only relationship between SCR and the DPF is that the heat passing through one system helps to get the other up to temperature so it can do its own job. Replacing parts in the aftertreatment system will give immediate feedback: This too is false, according to Renno. The electronic control modules that monitor the emissions systems need to do an analysis over time and distance, ideally across various driving modes or duty cycles, to provide accurate insight. “It’s a dynamic approach to solving a problem in an aftertreatment system,” he adds.

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Don’t make

Aftertreatment an Afterthought BY JAMES MENZIES When an emissions aftertreatment problem rears its ugly head, one of the biggest mistakes a technician can make is to assume it’s an emissions aftertreatment problem. Often, issues that present in the emissions system are in fact the symptoms of problems in the engine itself. When an aftertreatment fault code appears, “the reality is a large percentage of time the real source of the problem is coming from the engine,” explains John Renno, manager of Isuzu’s Center of Excellence. He was presenting to technicians during a recent webinar as part of Isuzu Truck University. If the engine isn’t performing properly, the diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems can become overwhelmed with particulate matter and NOx, and are unable to function properly. Renno gives the example of a customer who visited the shop complaining of frequent DPF regenerations. But the DPF itself wasn’t the problem. Scored cylinder walls in the engine created higher crankcase pressures that were choking the DPF. “A lot of times people are focusing on the aftertreatment system when in fact there was nothing wrong with this aftertreatment system. This truck needed a new engine – not a new aftertreatment system,” said Renno. Another common misconception in the industry is that the DPF and SCR systems are one. Most OEMs have begun packaging them into a tidy single box, but they remain two separate systems with unique purposes. The DPF, said Renno, “is nothing more than an air filter” with a

EMISSIONS ceramic interior to withstand the high temperatures produced during a regen. It captures leftover particulates that were not eliminated by the diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), housed ahead of the DPF. The SCR system, on the other hand, breaks down harmful NOx into harmless water and nitrogen. “It takes a bad gas and converts it to two good ones,” Renno explains. But high temperatures are required to begin this process, and the engine has a role to play in generating those temperatures as well as limiting NOx and particulates in the first place so the aftertreatment systems can do their jobs. Paul Deayton, national accounts manager for Winnipeg-based The DPF Company, says regular maintenance of the DPF is essential. “As an industry, we have tended to leave DPFs until they are plugged or failed before they are serviced,” he tells Truck Tech. “We wouldn’t do this to our air filter or oil filter, so why our diesel particulate filter?” Some fleets have invested in their own DPF cleaning machines, which clean the filter of leftover ash. Other alternatives include DPF exchange programs, remanufacturing, or using third-party service providers. For its part, The DPF Company offers three cleaning and restoration options. The bronze method is a widely used “blast and bake” method. “We have seen this only clean the filter to around 65-70% of its original condition due to some of the impacted ash residue not being able to be cleaned.” The silver method employs a pneumatic flush system to clean the filter, restoring it to about 85% of its original condition. The gold level is a full restoration using ultrasonic technology along with the pneumatic flush. “This restoration process will bring the filter back to 98% of its original condition and we have seen filters restored to a better condition than many of the remanufactured options being offered on the market,” says Deayton. He cautions against reman options. “A reman is just somebody else’s filter that has been cleaned. You have no idea of its history,” he notes. The cleaning frequency of the DPF is highly dependant on duty cycle. Highway tractors should have their DPF serviced every 300,000 to 400,000 km, and city trucks every 75,000 to 100,00 km, The DPF Company suggests. Isuzu recommends servicing the DPF every 160,000 km or 3,000 hours. Check with OEM recommendations and err on the side of caution. Ensure any service providers clean the DOC as well as the DPF. But, maintaining the emissions system begins with proper PM of the engine itself. “There’s a common saying that anything wrong before the DPF ends up in the DPF,” warns Deayton. When servicing the DPF, Deayton urges technicians to handle with care. The ceramic-based filter substrate can crack if dropped. He also urges them to examine the DPF when mechanical failures such as blown turbos or coolant leaks are discovered. “It is highly likely the DPF has become compromised and should be serviced at the same time,” he adds. FALL 2020 TRUCKTECH 13

LUBRICANTS

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TECHS TALK

Keeping Pace Father-son duo share a passion for the shop BY DEREK CLOUTHIER

Randy Pace has wanted to be in the business of pulling engines apart since he was 12. “Sometimes I would win, sometimes I’d lose, but I was always working on vehicles and ripping them apart,” says the lifelong mechanic, who left school when he was 16 to enter the workforce. Little did he know that he’d one day have a son to follow in his footsteps. Randy met the man who would get him on the wrench and working on engines while working in a coal mine west of Edmonton at the age of 17. “He had gone through a couple of guys trying to find someone,” Randy said of his mentor Martin Hoffman, “and he called me on my 18th birthday – he doesn’t even know to this day that it was my birthday – and asked if I would come work for him.” Hoffman owned a heavy-duty shop not far from Edmonton, on a farm in Darwell, Alta. Starting at a modest $9 per hour, Randy began as an apprentice, working at Hoffman’s shop for 3.5 years, gaining invaluable experience as a technician and completing all the necessary hours to complete his apprenticeship. Fast forward a few years, Randy’s career came full circle, again working for Hoffman who was a shop foreman for Edmonton Freightliner. “I’ve never been out of work as a heavy-duty tech,” Randy said, “not once when I didn’t want to be.” In 1993, Randy started his own business as a heavy-duty technician, much like Hoffman, with a shop on his farm. It was then that his son Brad got his first taste of what his father did for a living and what it meant to be a heavy-duty technician. 14 TRUCKTECH

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Randy Pace (left) and his son Brad have yet to find a challenge they can’t overcome. “For sure he showed me the ropes, showed me the industry and taught me a lot,” said Pace’s son Brad, whose first real job was working with his father from a 27-foot outfitted trailer. Unsure what he wanted to pursue as a career, Brad gained an appreciation for what the world of heavy-duty mechanics could offer. “I took up wrenching, and once I got into it, I enjoyed learning all the different aspects of the vehicles and all the different systems,” he said. “In heavy-duty you do get more variety than automotive techs.” This demand is something Brad feels many young professionals in his age group fail to recognize. “It seems like my generation and other young generations don’t want to go into the trades,” he said. “About 90% of the people I graduated with went and got a business degree, and half of them didn’t put it to use.” Both Randy and Brad are Red Seal-certified, Brad having completed the program about 12 years ago. In 1996, the pair relocated to the

town they have called home ever since – Cochrane, Alta. Randy worked for a period of time for Calgary Freightliner before joining Big Hill Towing, where both men work to this day. After joining Big Hill, Randy and his partner Jackie Richards, whose family ran the towing company for several years, fully implemented a technician shop as a division of the business in 2013. “It started from there and it really mushroomed,” said Richards. “We haven’t had a quiet day since then. And then it started getting very stressful because of the demand on Randy. He’s a draw for our customers, and when people found out that he was doing mechanical work for us, people wanted to bring their things by.” Brad came on as a technician with Big Hill the following year. “He’s so sharp and he’s just brilliant, so that’s been very nice,” Richards said of Brad. “There’s nothing that comes our way that they haven’t been able to take care of.”

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