10 minute read
On the (side of the) Road Again
ON THE (side of the) ROAD AGAIN Mobile repair units play a valuable role in keeping fleets running
BY JAMES MENZIES
As 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 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
– Serdar Okur
THE LEADING CAUSES OF ROADSIDE BREAKDOWNS
Five systems accounted for 64% of all roadside repairs reported by fleets taking part in a Technology and Maintenance Council and FleetNet America study during the third quarter of 2019. Tires, brakes, lighting, powerplant and cooling systems were the leading culprits. Meanwhile, the costs of those repairs continues to rise. For the first time since the benchmarking study was launched in 2017, costs for a mechanical roadside repair exceeded US$400. That marked a 26% increase over Q3 2018.
“Costs per repair looks like a permanent headwind our industry is facing,” said Robert Braswell, TMC executive director.
Jim Buell, executive vice-president - sales and marketing with FleetNet, attributed the rising costs to the technician shortage and basic economics of supply and demand. The average roadside repair time is increasing, driving up costs. Repairs are also becoming more complex. Technologies such as tire inflation systems extend the time it takes to replace a tire, for instance.
Buell also emphasized the opportunity to reduce roadside repair costs by implementing better preventive maintenance programs. In the LTL segment there was a 14% gap between the best-in-class operators and the vertical average, but that jumped to a whopping 188% between best-in-class truckload operators and the truckload average.
“People in our industry think of roadside repairs like death and taxes – it happens, just deal with it,” Buell said. “If you have one truckload fleet that can run 41,000 miles between breakdowns, why can’t everyone in the truckload vertical do that?”
The TMC/FleetNet America Vertical Benchmarking Program is designed to help TMC member fleets drill into their data. T T
on-site oil changes, but pickup trucks and Sprinter vans are also viable.
“Our latest mobile truck is 20 feet, however 18 feet. is also available through our Idealease network. A couple of our old mobile units require a D/Z licence to drive. However, going forward we will only order G Class since it is even harder to get a technician with a D/Z licence,” Okur said.
Safety spec’s are also important, to lessen the risk mobile techs face on the job. Tubby’s has gone to fully reflective, high-visibility yellow paint schemes. At Rush, safety training – in-class, online and hands-on – is ongoing.
“There are certain things a mobile tech
should be aware of and follow at every service call, such as turning on hazard lights while working, putting wheel chocks, removing the key from the ignition, blocking the unit with his or her mobile unit while working on it, and pulling the unit to the safest lane or position and keeping constant communication with dispatch,” he noted.
Equipping the truck Outfitting a mobile repair unit is a delicate balance between ensuring the technician has all the tools needed to do the job, while not exceeding GVWR.
A Tubby’s Sprinter van loaded with all the tools needed, but still able to operate without CVOR or a D/Z driver.
“On our service trucks, we have a full set of torches, welder, generator, large air compressor, and a large stock of parts,” Allewell said.
Okur said hand tools are the most important consideration, and rhymed off a list of such tools. “At roadside you don’t want to have to pull out an air line or cables unless absolutely needed. Basic tools such as wrenches, sockets, ratchets, screwdrivers, filter wrenches, battery booster, ladder, drill gun, flashlight, battery-operated bit driver, 3/8-inch drive battery gun, etc.”
When choosing a mobile service provider, Allewell suggested making sure they have a shop to bring the truck back to if necessary, for further repairs.
“You can’t always fix it on the side of the road. If a person doesn’t have a shop, you’re stuck looking for somewhere to go,” he added. T T “On set of air co parts,” m
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Mack bulldog seeks bite of MD market
Mack Trucks is returning to the medium-duty truck market with a new Class 6/7 lineup that will be assembled at a dedicated facility in Roanoke County, Va. Known as the MD Series, the trucks begin serial production late this summer.
The new Roanoke Valley Operations location represents a US$13-million investment for the OEM, 250 new jobs, and an annual economic impact of $364 million for the region.
“We have a lot of customers already in our portfolio who already run medium-duty trucks, and they’ve been asking us for a single-source solution for quite a while,” said Jonathan Randall, senior vice-president of North American sales and marketing.
Mack hasn’t had a medium-duty offering since discontinuing the Freedom model in 2002. Earlier offerings in these weight classes included the MC Series and Midliner.
The Class 6 Mack MD6 has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 25,995 lb., while its Class 7 MD7 counterpart has a GVWR of 33,000 lb. They’ll focus on applications including dry van, refrigerated, stake/ flatbed, dump and tank trucks, and be available in 4x2 configurations. The truck will be available in eight wheelbase lengths, supporting typical bodies that run from 10 to 26 feet. A 103-inch bumper-to-back-of-cab measurement will help to load up the front axle and deliver a tight turning radius as well.
The Mack MD will come equipped with a Cummins B6.7 engine that can deliver 220-300 hp and 560-660 lb-ft of torque, and Meritor front and rear axles. An Allison 2500HS six-speed automatic transmission will be standard, although an Allison 2500RDS is available for those who need a PTO.
Base models will ride on a spring suspension, although a Mack Maxlite air suspension is optional. Wheels will come in a standard 22.5-inch size, but 19.5-inch wheels are also available.
Snap-on laser pinpoints temps
Snap-on is getting a read on temperatures with the new diagnostic thermal laser, offering laser-guided temperature readings, thermal imaging, and storage for hundreds of images – all in a single tool. Featuring laser and thermal components, it will measure temperature readings of up to 1,800 Fahrenheit (1,000 F in a thermal mode), and deliver thermal imaging. Thermal image blending is combined with a visible-light camera to offer extra detail, delta readings within the laser mode, and a trigger to capture images and temperature readings alike. There’s also a built-in LED light, and 32x32 thermal sensor resolution.
Accuride sheds wheel weight Accuride is shedding weight off its Accu-Lite family of aluminum wheels, and has also unveiled a 38-lb. 10-handhole wheel among the offerings. The 22.5x8.25-inch wheel has undergone two years of field tests on Canadian highways, too.
Three other wheels are shedding between three and four pounds each, thanks to a new aluminum alloy. A second-generation 24.5x8.25-inch wheel weighs in at 50 lb. Two versions of a 22.5x14-inch third-generation Duplex wheel weigh 51 lb.
Heat and release with innovations
Induction Innovations has unveiled two new induction heating tools to help release seized aluminum and steel parts and panel bond adhesives.
The ALFe 3.5 and ALFe 5.0 deliver precise, safe and reliable heat, salvaging parts that might normally be discarded in the repair process, the company says.
The 230V/16A/P1 Alfe 3.5 (IC-3500) offers a nine-minute duty cycle, and includes an LED indicator light and safety shutoff. It comes with a one-year warranty. Its counterpart, the ALFe 5.0 (IC-5000), is a 208V/20A/P3 tool that comes with a 30-minute duty cycle as well as the LED indicator light and safety shutoff.
Meritor rolls out disc rotors
Meritor has unveiled all-makes aftermarket air disc brake rotors for linehaul, refuse, vocational, coach and trailer applications.
The components are made with a high-quality cast iron to control peak operating temperatures, the company said, adding that the rotors promise durability, long friction life, and resist fade. They incorporate the same cooling vanes found on Meritor Genuine firstfit rotors used by original equipment manufacturers.
Eaton adds Bezares PTOs
Eaton is adding two new Bezares PTO units to its portfolio. The Bezares 95X series fourbolt, rear-mounted model for the Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies Endurant 12-speed automated transmission joins the new Bezares PTO for the Detroit DT12 automated transmission.
The Bezares 95X features pneumatic shifting and comes with three different internal ratios and popular output types. The offset design also improves the position of the attached pump, Eaton says.
The heavy-duty, two-gear 120X Series is built with an aluminum housing and fits the DT12-DA/14.92-1.0 and DT12- OA/14.96-1.0. It features internal ratios of 1:1 to 1:1.8, and offers four different output positions. A lube pump flange is also included with the PTO.
Zonar connecting Cummins updates
Zonar is now offering Cummins Connected Software Updates, supporting over-the-air engine updates with the Zonar OTAir app. Details about the required updates for specific engines are offered through a Cummins portal. But the Zonar device is more than a simple conduit for the data. OTAir also helps to ensure data security during the transfers by validating the VIN to ensure the correct vehicle receives the update.
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