Joseph Evangelist
Executive Vice President
Transervice Logistics (www.transervice.com) provides customized transportation solutions including logistics, dedicated contract carriage, full-service leasing, contract maintenance and material handling equipment leasing and maintenance.
We will see a continuation of the issue of dealing with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) – an expensive component – that have maintenance and cleaning cycles which may, or may not, coincide with the normal PM schedule for the vehicle. This is requiring fleets to pay a lot more attention to how they make these things work without becoming disruptive per se.
The other issue with DPFs is there is no standardization in the parts. Different manufacturers require a different DPF filter. This means stocking a wide variety of parts and educating technicians about the differences.
ELECTRONICS
Electronic content on vehicles has increased measurably. Equipment technology is advancing very rapidly. So much so that even year-over-year vehicles bought from the same manufacturer a year ago are in many respects more advanced today than they were the year before. This is a process we see continuing.
A good development is the advanced notification that a vehicle has an issue before it becomes a “problem.” Fleets know well before a truck gets to a shop that it has displayed a fault code. In fact, the driver, dispatcher and all involved in the process know, allowing fleets to become more proactive.
That said, it also puts a burden on technicians who now need to be very computer savvy. Electrical and electronics training is paramount because of the way the new equipment is being manufactured. It certainly changes the technician selection process and the training requirements.
In addition, all fleets pay attention to their Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores and how to reduce violations. If fleets can improve awareness of what is going on with the vehicle, they, then, are not so dependent on driver pre- and post-trip inspections to discover problems, thereby reducing unanticipated issues on the road.
TECHNICIAN TRAINING
All of these changes are putting more pressure on fleets and vehicle maintenance organizations to have properly trained technicians. Some operations have experienced technicians who have not worked on all the new technologies and electronics. Plus, there are technicians coming out of school who have been taught and trained on the new electronics and technologies but have no practical experience.
Mentor-mentee relationships are going to have to be developed, and these can’t be a one-way relationship. The seasoned technicians can share their knowledge, while the newer technicians can help the seasoned ones better understand all the electronics that is being added to engines these days. All of the OEMs have proven willing to assist.
As the industry continues to contend with the technician shortage, it needs to get more creative. We, for one, have started offering tuition reimbursement – something we used to do only for administrative staff for college and advanced degrees. We are also offering signing bonuses and tool allowances to help technicians get started.
The key to all of these changes is keeping your people up-to-speed with the equipment advancement and providing them with the training and tools to be successful. Many of the changes, which initially appear to be disruptive, can be beneficial if properly and timely adapted.
