Keep the summer sun from overheating your engines
Say your driver is out on the road and notices something wrong—liquid is leaking from the engine area. The driver suspects a coolant leak, but how can he or she know for sure? It’s an important question. Coolant leaks are serious business. “Coolant leaks can be very damaging, as they reduce the coolant level, lower
Mitchell 1 compiles series of truck repair tips
Mitchell 1 has compiled a series of general knowledge maintenance and service tips as a resource for commercial vehicle service professionals. The tips are part of Mitchell 1’s truck ShopConnection Blog where the truck repair experts at Mitchell 1 share their insights. The list below offers a sample of the useful tips being shared, along with links
Keeping an eye on brake wear
A vehicle cuts in front of your truck and stops abruptly. The truck driver slams on the brakes only to find that the truck’s stopping distance isn’t what it once was—these brakes haven’t been inspected recently. Without the proper stopping distance, an accident becomes inevitable. It’s an extreme example to be sure, but it’s just
Meritor makes improvements to MeritorPartsXpress.com
Meritor, Inc. has announced enhancements to MeritorPartsXpress.com that include Xact Search, a tool for users to identify and order brake shoe kits based on specific search criteria, and a redesigned homepage. Improvements also include the addition of Xpress Lane, a tool that offers quick ordering, as well as price availability for registered customers, the company
How service keeps rolling through the changes
While many of our country’s businesses either shut down or saw business slow significantly this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one area of the economy that has had to stay resilient is truck service. To borrow from the famous motto of the United States Postal Service, neither rain nor snow nor pandemic can keep
Podcast: Daimler Trucks North America on keeping up with service during a critical time
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, trucking has, of course, been designated an essential service, and naturally truck maintenance followed suit. Today’s guest is Kevin Bangston, general manager of distribution network development for Daimler Trucks North America, who talked about how DTNA’s service network is providing for its customers, as well as some of
Tips for testing electrical systems
Trucks’ electrical systems grow more complex with each passing year. In the past, before the advent of the onboard computer systems, circuits were more likely to keep functioning with corroded terminals, wire insulation hardened and splitting, improperly spliced wires and any number of other issues. With today’s sophisticated electrical systems, proper testing practices and repair
When it comes to maintenance, don’t forget about technology
When it comes to maintenance, technology such as tablets and cameras can sometimes be seen as less important compared to some of the more visible components of the truck. After all, it’s easier to see when there’s an engine problem than when there’s something wrong with a device, and usually more pressing to fix it.
Keep those bays open: Managing bay availability and avoiding a truck service backlog
Picture this: A fault code is triggered in a truck less than a mile away from your shop. It’s serious. It needs to be fixed right away. The driver locates your shop as the closest, makes a call, and is told to come right over. The driver arrives only to find that no bays are
Commercial Tire Services, Goodyear align to serve Greater Chicago fleets
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has added Commercial Tire Services to its aligned service network, giving the company eight additional locations for truck service in the Midwest. Commercial Tire Services has also converted a facility in Melrose Park, Ill., to a Goodyear authorized retread plant.
Eight common parts inventory headaches, and how to avoid them
It’s already enough of a headache to have to send a truck in for maintenance—pulling a truck from its route for an extended period of time is, of course, not a good recipe for making money with that asset. But if the shop doesn’t have the right part when the truck gets there? That headache
Parts inventory tips for your shop
Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your fleet shop’s parts inventory system.
