This is Part Two of a two-part story. To read Part One, click here.
It's no secret shops need a wider array of diagnostic tools than they have even a few years ago. According to Noregon projections, a modern shop has one diagnostic tool for every three techs. By decade's end that ratio could be 1:1, projects Bruno Gattamorta, chief commercial officer for Cojali.
But what else is driving the growth? For one, commercial vehicles have grown more complex as well.
In a modern truck, a cranking/starting system has a minimum of three computers and their associated switches and sensors. “You can very quickly determine if a starter is receiving voltage or not, but if not, why? To answer that question without diagnostic software is likely impossible,” said Daniel Mustafa, director of technical service for TravelCenters of America.
Another example is lighting. “In [older] vehicles, the only way to know if the exterior lights were working was to get out and look. On the modern truck, it sets a fault code and communicates that to the driver through the instrument cluster info screen,” Mustafa explained, adding that lighting faults have made TA’s top 10 fault code list.
Even the radio communicates with the collision mitigation and lane departure warning systems to give drivers audible alerts. “Years ago, if the radio went bad, you’d pull it out and put a new one in there. If you do that now, you have to program the modules in the truck to say there is a new radio and provide the code. Otherwise, it will get a check engine light,” said Dan Carrano, VP of fleet maintenance for A. Duie Pyle, a less-than-truckload carrier based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, adding that any electrical fault or issue that causes a check engine light requires diagnostic software.
Aven Blozan, a technician for Iron Buffalo, which operates shops in Colorado and Montana, said 100,000 things can go wrong on a truck. “If you had to guess which one of those things was causing the check engine light, you would just be replacing the truck,” he said.
More and more tools are providing a one-stop-shop experience for technicians. “There was once a time that you retrieved the fault code from the tool, but if you needed service information, you had to go to another source. After you identified the needed parts, you had to go to another source to look up the parts,” Mustafa said. “In the leading software manufacturers, all these functions have been built in.”
Robert Braswell, executive director of the American Trucking Associations Technology & Maintenance Council, said shop managers need to know which handheld tool, tablet, or laptop is needed for a repair. “They need to be aware to schedule the repairs so techs can complete the repairs and verify that the repair was completed properly,” he said.
Increasing tool functionality
As tool functionality increases, shops may be able to streamline the overall number of tools needed. “The proprietary nature of tooling is starting to melt away, so you can have one brand that can cover multiple models,” Braswell said.
A versatile, comprehensive tool means technicians can address various problems across multiple vehicle systems without switching between different tools, enabling faster diagnostics and repairs, reducing downtime, and improving overall service efficiency.
“As a newer company, this strategy helps us maximize our operational efficiency and deliver superior service to our clients,” said Danny Colon, co-owner of Dedicated Diagnostics.
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It is also necessary for each shop to have a tablet or laptop to connect to as well as sufficient scan tools.
Jason Hedman, Noregon, is seeing increased functionality influence purchases. “You don’t have to have as many individual tools because our tool services multi-brands, but you do have more laptops per service center,” he said. “If you’ve only got one machine in the shop with 12 technicians, somebody’s always waiting on a machine.”
Carrano has experienced the increased need for laptops firsthand. “Where we needed one laptop, now we have two. Where we had three, now we have five. It is hard to do anything without a laptop,” he said.
Additionally, some services can tie up a laptop for extended periods. At A. Duie Pyle, technicians always check soot levels in exhaust aftertreatment systems and may conduct a forced regen, which can take a half hour or more, to prevent drivers from having to do it while on the road.
“You need a laptop the entire time to do a forced regen. When you think about how many PMs we do a week, the forced regens can tie up the tool,” Carrano said.
Iron Buffalo’s Blozan added that nearly any repair on an aftertreatment system requires a diagnostic tool. “Since it is a federally regulated part of the vehicle, you have to go through certain procedures to clear the derate and the check engine light,” he explained.
To aid technicians, tool providers are adding more features. TEXA has added a guided diagnosis feature to increase technician efficiency. “This new IDC5 functionality directs the technician through the vehicle problem, with step-by-step interactive instructions that begin at the diagnostic code and complete with recommended repair solutions,” Fabio Mazzon, technical manager for TEXA USA, said.
Cojali has added more dealer-level features, which can save time and drive ROI on the tool. “We can do remote calibrations of ECMs or ECUs. Before, you’d have to go to the dealer, wait for them to do the install, and update your software,” explained Bruno Gattamorta, chief commercial officer for Cojali.
Noregon has added coverage on Cummins-powered equipment, CAT-powered equipment, Paccar, and International. “It isn’t shiny or sexy, but our customers want new features, and they really want to fix their trucks,” he said.
Noregon has rolled out Truck Check Up software to perform and submit heavy-duty vehicle inspections required by the California Air Resources Board’s clean fleet regulations, which apply to any vehicle traveling in California. TA plans to support the CARB program and will likely begin offering the service at California locations and possibly other surrounding states next year.
When Mustafa researched CARB-certified inspection tools, he was excited to see that TA’s primary tool supplier, Noregon, had a solution. “The advantage of their tool is that not only can it be used for the CARB inspections but also for diagnostics. This alleviates the burdens of purchasing a new tool and having to manage two different tools.”
