Mitchell 1 awards SuperTech Grand Champion with TruckSeries subscription
Mitchell 1 has awarded Phillip Pinter from FedEx Freight in Ida, Mich., the Grand Champion of the National Technician Skills Competition — TMC SuperTech 2018 — with a subscription to TruckSeries that will allow him to access all of Mitchell 1’s online service information products for Class 4-8 trucks for a full year. The event
Kenworth introduces Body Builder Academy instructional video series
Kenworth has launched its Body Builder Academy Training video series for its vocational truck, the Kenworth T880. The six instructional Body Builder Academy videos focus on connectivity with Kenworth chassis systems, PTO functions, integration of electronics between body and truck, and optimization of the driver interface for body functions through switches and dash messaging. “The
Electrical system checks: Find failures before they happen
Ensuring that your electrical system preventative maintenance practices are up to date with today’s technology could mean the difference between your trucks rolling productively to their destination or being sidelined on the road due to a CSA inspection. Lighting, in particular, is often cited as one of the most common reasons that CSA inspections take
Trailer inspections: Tech accountability is key
Quality trailer inspections are often the difference between your trucks getting to their destination without hassle or ending up on the side of the road with a violation. However, getting that quality inspection takes more than training. Service technicians must be accountable for their work and avoid human error at all costs. “The most common
Improving the service experience to keep trucks productive
Twenty-four hours. That’s the amount of time that Stefan Kurschner is fixated on as he steps in front of the collected North American trucking business press. Stefan, as Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) senior vice president for aftermarket, faces a rapidly evolving, customization-demanding environment: truck service. “This is the last shiny truck you’re going to
Peterbilt graduates 50th factory trained technician class
Peterbilt Motors Co. certified the graduation of the Peterbilt Technician Institute’s (PTI) 50th graduating class. Since PTI opened its doors in November 2013 at the Universal Technical Institute campus in Dallas more than 500 students have graduated from the program. PTI has placed more than 95% of graduates with a Peterbilt service location or directly
Penske brings voice-assisted solutions to the service bay
It’s not uncommon these days to speak to electronic devices to complete daily tasks. We can ask Google Assistant to make our grocery list, Amazon’s Alexa to play our favorite song and Apple’s Siri to tell us the weather forecast. What if the same kind of system could walk technicians through a preventative maintenance program
Onsite, en-route outsourced trailer maintenance: Is it the answer?
Trailers, trailers, trailers! Trailer builds are going up like drive-in movies of the ’50s, and with the world of online buying and overnight deliveries increasing demand for freight and storage, the demands for trailer maintenance, annual inspections and roadside DOT compliance is more important than ever. Most fleets are not investing in brick-and-mortar maintenance facilities,
Reducing downtime through location, logistics and data
There are two things any fleet can agree on when it comes to getting a downed truck back on the road—they want the service job done quickly, and they want it done correctly. Fairly or not, technology continues to raise our service expectations. In our personal lives, we push a button to instantly stream a
Watch: Tracking truck warranty information with fleet maintenance software
Improved maintenance processes, inventory management, and repair order generation and reporting are all staples of fleet maintenance software, but there’s one major component that might not immediately spring to mind but can pay dividends: warranty tracking and recovery. Many aftermarket parts come with a warranty ranging anywhere from 90 days to two years. When it
Penske Truck Leasing completes millionth voice-directed preventive maintenance inspection
Penske Truck Leasing has successfully completed its 1 millionth voice-directed preventive maintenance inspection using its recently deployed paperless technology. Over the last year, Penske implemented its voice-directed preventive maintenance processes for its fleet of more than 270,000 vehicles. This approach improves inspection and repair accuracy and consistency while also eliminating paperwork and ensuring full documentation
Can sharing your fleet’s data impact the bottom line?
There’s an old parable that tells the story of six blind men who came upon an elephant. Having never experienced such an animal, each reached out to feel it and determine for himself what it looked like. The first touched the trunk. “This creature is like a snake,” he declared. The second, whose hand hit
