Truck service tips for when the snow starts to fly
Like it or not, it’s time to start preparing for winter truck service-related issues. No-starts, frozen air lines–you name it. In this episode of FE Data Center, the two Jasons take a look at what you need to have on your PM check list to make sure you’re ready for when the temperatures drop. Here’s
Electrical system maintenance to improve aftertreatment performance
Running a regen is an easy out to deal with aftertreatment issues, but even if it fixes the problem in the short term, you’re sure to see that same truck back in the shop with the same set of aftertreatment-related faults. You need to get to the root of the aftertreatment system’s problem, and the
How electric trucks could change service shop operations
Electric trucks are coming and reduced maintenance is potentially coming along with them, but that doesn’t mean that truck service is going to change overnight. There will be differences, but electric trucks offer an opportunity, not a threat, to truck service operations. While there are plenty of conversations to be had about service needs and
This will happen to your trucks if they aren’t upgraded before the 3G sunset
The 3G sunset is near, and that means that fleets need to talk with their telematics providers to ensure their devices are 4G LTE capable. If you aren’t, you’ll have to replace the devices in your trucks. Oftentimes, it’s a simple plug and play device swap, but the process can vary by telematics service provider.
From regen to fault codes: remote truck service realities
One of the biggest advantage over-the-air updates bring to the service process is the ability to clear faults. Fault codes crop up, they worry the driver and all we really have to do is clear the codes in the shop. With over-the-air updates pushed from the OEMs, the software on the engine is updated and
Bi-directional testing: How it can speed up truck shop operations
What is the problem? It’s the most basic and, oftentimes, most perplexing question in truck repair. Trucks are complex machines driven by computer controls. Fault codes do their best to point technicians in the right direction, but being able to quickly to diagnose the root cause of the service problem is paramount. Enter bi-directional testing.
You need to update your truck shop software
Seriously, if you’re not sure if your shop software is updated, you should probably stop what you’re doing and check right now. If your truck shop scan tools and service software solutions don’t have the latest software build, update them now. It’s important that your shop’s diagnostic and scan tools operate the latest version in
Do you really have to run that many regens?
It’s an easy go-to shop solution. Truck hits the shop with an aftertreatment fault, you run a regen. But there comes a point where that seemingly simple shop standard is holding back your service efforts. Sure you run the regen and clear the fault, but then the truck is right back in the shop not
The ADAS impact on truck service
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) offer a host of potentially life-saving, collision-mitigating features such as emergency brake assist and lane-keeping assist. Advanced radar and camera systems integrate into the truck’s braking and steering controls, providing an increasingly impressive amount of automated control. While there’s not a lot of preventative maintenance that fleets need to keep
Combating cyber attacks with the right security practices
Cyber attacks have increased dramatically over the past year. In fact, 2020 set a record for the number of cyber attacks, and the headlines keep coming. Whether it’s last year’s SolarWinds attack or more recently the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack–the threat is real. For many businesses, including fleets and truck service locations, it’s not so
Beginning truck service benchmarking
Heavy-duty truck shop benchmarking aims to analyze shop through-put to improve your service processes. Moving trucks in and out of bays faster is one thing, but making sure that you aren’t doing at the expense of high-quality repairs is the real challenge. What you don’t want are comebacks. It’s bad for the fleet and bad
The devil is in the truck service data details
When it comes to making truck service calls–it’s easy to shoot from the hip. You can lean on your years of experience and equipment knowledge to make a call about a repair or determine why your repair costs might be climbing. And you might be right, but what if you’re wrong. Leveraging truck data can
