Don’t overlook those vital truck service incidentals
It’s no surprise how many variations there are when it comes to truck maintenance schedules. The operating conditions for the individual vehicles, or the fleet vehicles in general, help to determine what systems need to be serviced and when. In addition, the truck service information source will point out specific components that need to be
Five steps to a more accurate truck service diagnosis
In today’s trucks, there seem to be fault codes available for virtually every monitored system. Because these systems interact with each other, it’s not uncommon to see multiple codes being set. In many cases, diagnostic procedures will indicate whether additional fault codes may be set that share circuitry or depend on the actions of another
As trucks grow more complex, the basic principles of diagnostics still apply
“Could not duplicate. No problem found.” Those words bring out all sorts of customer frustration when they appear on the work order. Most of us have been on the customer side reading those fateful words, despite the fact that we know a problem exists. After all, we brought the vehicle into the shop for a
Checking your scan tool’s connection
Ever try to find the light switch in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar room? Yep, it’s pretty tough, and we all have memories of stubbing toes or knocking into furniture while feeling our way around in the dark. Well, walking around in the dark half asleep is much like trying to diagnose
Smoking is expensive: How proper maintenance can help avoid tire burnouts
Smoking is expensive! Now, before anyone thinks I am going off on a tangent lamenting the cost of a pack of smokes, rest assured that is not on the agenda. The smoking under consideration here produces the unmistakable aroma often noticeable at intersections or from the underside of a trailer just before a shower of
Mitchell 1 expands text messaging availability in Truck Shop Management software
MessageCenter, the texting app integrated with Mitchell 1’s Manager SE Truck Edition truck shop management software, is now available for commercial vehicle repair facilities throughout Canada and the U.S. With the two-way texting app, service providers using the Manager SE Truck Edition system for truck shop management can communicate with customers for time and cost
Putting the brakes on poor service practices before the weather does it for you
How you service your trucks’ brakes now will determine how well they perform when the weather turns frigid. Consider this: Every year here at Fleet Equipment, the most-read story in January and February is about frozen air brake lines. Every year. That’s not a surprise to Jake Schell, associate product manager for Mitchell 1’s Commercial
Hidden pearls of mechanic wisdom
Virtually every technician in the vehicle service industry with more than a few years of experience knows the mechanic proverbs passed from one generation to the next. These proverbs are basic wisdom in a simple, yet memorable form that help the technician in performing maintenance and repairs. It really is okay to admit that the
Setting truck maintenance labor costs expectations
“Great! How much is that going to cost me?” You’ve thought it, you’ve probably even said it, and while dealing with truck maintenance costs isn’t fun, it’s just a fact of fleet life. Running on the open road means dealing with the unpredictable. If you’re running a heavy-duty repair shop, you need to make fleet
Truck diagnostics: Don’t jump to the wrong conclusion
It’s a lot like déjà vu. For technicians who are fortunate enough to maintain a fleet of similarly-equipped vehicles, it comes as no surprise when they see the same fault codes and failures occurring on those vehicles. Typically, there are a limited number of potential codes that ever set, even though some vehicle systems have
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
Avoid downtime from coolant leaks
Fleets may pay greater attention to truck cooling systems when preparing for seasonal changes where extreme low or high temperatures test the capabilities of the system. This extra attention to the cooling system does help keep the truck on the road. However, the best way to avoid downtime is to keep the cooling system in
