SERVICE VEHICLES
ON THE (side of the) ROAD AGAIN Mobile repair units play a valuable role in keeping fleets running BY JAMES MENZIES
A
s truck complexity has increased, a visit to a shop is more frequently needed to get a broken-down truck back up and running. But mobile repair units still play a valuable role in minimizing breakdown expenses and keeping units rolling. We recently caught up with James Allewell, chief operations officer of Tubby’s Truck & Trailer and Tubby’s Tire Service, and Serdar Okur, Idealease service and maintenance manager with Rush Truck Centres of Canada, to discuss trends and challenges facing mobile repair unit operators.
Finding technicians Finding skilled technicians is an industry-wide challenge. Finding techs willing to crawl under a truck when it’s -20 C and snowing on the side of a busy roadway is even more difficult. “Mobile technicians must be aware of the dangers that roadside repairs can have,” acknowledged Okur. “These techs have to be more experienced than any other technician because repair decisions have to be made quickly and executed quickly.” In fact, Okur said a mobile technician should have at least five years of shop experience. “And in my opinion, driving a truck in his past experience might help as well,” he added. “He needs to be more than an oil change technician. Mostly because today, we are going out on calls for drivers that often are not experienced themselves. A lot of the time, we go out on a call and our mobile techs 18 TRUCKTECH
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have to educate the driver on how the unit operates.” While being a roadside technician is challenging, it can also be rewarding, pointed out Allewell. Often, mobile technicians will drive 20 minutes to a service call, do 20 minutes of work, and drive 20 minutes back to the shop. “There’s time where it’s crap,” he admitted, “but other times where it’s pretty easy work.”
Spec’ing the trucks A key consideration when choosing a mobile repair vehicle is gross vehicle weight, and whether or not the truck will require a D/Z licence operator or a
CVOR. Tubby’s has transitioned to Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans. “We are right at the limit before needing a yellow sticker,” Allewell said. Fuel economy was also a consideration. “We are always heavy and we idle a lot. It’s by far the cheapest vehicle to operate. We easily get 20 mpg with them.” Tubby’s runs five mechanical service trucks, and four tire service trucks out of Dorchester, Ont. The most common calls for its mechanical service trucks are for air leaks and aftertreatment regen issues. Okur said Rush operates heavier medium-duty trucks when performing
“Mobile technicians must be aware of the dangers that roadside repairs can have.” – Serdar Okur
Tubby’s chooses a bright yellow, reflective paint scheme to protect roadside technicians. trucknews.com
