Ken Eggen knows that a few small changes for the better can yield big dividends down the road. A “best practice” he’s adopted at the shops of Tango Transport seems simple enough: proper tire alignment. The problem was steer tires wearing
prematurely. When you are maintaining about 650 company tractors, having to replace tires due to excessive wear can add significant cost. Eggen’s solution was to introduce Hunter Engineering Co.’s heavy-duty alignment machines at each of Tango Transport’s three shop locations: in Shreveport and Sibley, La. and West Memphis, Ark. The alignment machines have reduced tire costs by one half-cent per mile, Eggen says. Once the technicians are trained on the machines, it takes 30 minutes of labor for a full three-axle vehicle alignment.
Although Eggen modestly denies making any great innovations, he says preventive maintenance (PM) has been the biggest focus because of the labor and costs involved. “The PM bay and routine inspection lanes are the two most critical areas,” Eggen says. “They offer us the opportunity to save money through thorough PMs and inspections, thus reducing on-the-road failures.”
Eggen said they had recently revamped their PM program to allow for increased vehicle productivity. “We have come to the conclusion that that PMs must be performed more efficiently in order to meet the just-in-time freight demands as well as driver uptime.” And, he adds, “It was a simple fact that our drivers were already inconvenienced by time in the shop.” Given drivers’ dislike for any downtime, satisfying their need to be on the road becomes a critical factor in reducing driver turnover. Eggen believes his technicians help in the area of driver retention by having company vehicles readily available. “We are the folks best trained and able to do the right things for our drivers, and give them the best opportunity to make their income,” he adds.
The drivers’ dissatisfaction with long wait times was also affecting the quality of the work done, when technicians felt pressured to hurry up. To increase the efficiency of the technicians and increase vehicle uptime and driver availability to the fleet, Eggen has taken steps to simplify PM tasks. One way they do this is vehicle-specific training. Another way they are increasing efficiency, says Eggen, is by eliminating paperwork, a move he credits to Tango Transport’s Vice President of Maintenance, Jim Cannon. “We’re removing paper from technicians’ hands, allowing them more hands-on time for the vehicle. We are moving toward a paperless shop environment with touch screens.”
Tango Transport uses Innovative Computing Corp.’s FleetRx for fleet maintenance, and they are working toward a hand-held solution where a technician can scan in the Vehicle Identification Number and enter the repair order using the built-in Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards (VMRS) codes. Tango already uses scanning and barcodes for parts, and their goal is to be totally paperless within 12 months.
These seemingly minor improvements in the process have produced greater driver and vehicle availability. With more pre-planned PM workload versus drive-up maintenance, there’s less back-up at the shop door and they have been able to increase the number of vehicles managed through the facilities daily. There’s also less stress on the technicians because they know what to expect each day and don’t have to deal with as many unanticipated repairs. And fewer people are needed for administration. The cost savings is in excess of $300,000 annually, Eggen says.
Tango Transport is looking to “green” technologies for cost savings as well. Eggen has been testing a variety of anti-idling devices and running wide-base tires on 100 trucks. Tango’s Executive Vice President, Chris Gorman, introduced the “super-single” tires one-and-a-half years ago. Eggen says, “The fuel economy and cost savings are there for the long-haul fleet. It works for trucks covering 600 miles or more.”
Eggen’s maintenance staff is comprised of 62 technicians, three managers, plus staff responsible for handling parts, warranty administration and road breakdowns, making a total of 70. He is able to accomplish so much with his crew because, he says, “We believe we remove obstacles that keep our people from doing their jobs.” By empowering people, they are able to consistently attain the level of success, productivity and dollar levels the company is seeking.
“There are no silver bullets,” Eggen replies when asked to explain how such success is achieved. “This is still a nuts and bolts business. The old saying is true, ‘the rubber meets the road on the shop floor.’ Never lose sight of the fact that you must spend an ample amount of time on the floor where the action is.” He adds, “Basic vehicle maintenance has not changed a lot. Oil still needs to be drained on time, you have to have the right products, and you have to have the right people doing the job.”
Eggen also credits the support of management, from Jim Cannon on up to chairman Robert E. Gorman, and says company-wide there is lower turnover and higher morale because the management believes in its people. “The same message from our managers to our technician staff every day consistently breeds success for us. At Tango, we live by this quote from company president, B.J. Gorman: ‘How to Win the Game –– develop the plan; execute the plan; score it; win the game!’”