Safety, customer service, and sound economics are the drivers behind an effective vehicle maintenance program. Manufacturers, dealers, and trade organizations are here to help.

By Penelope Grenoble O'Malley

It takes effort to run a good maintenance shop. It takes time, money, and attention to detail to put together an efficient team of technicians and keep them trained and equipped to do their job. It takes patience to balance preventative maintenance with the day-to-day emergencies that raise havoc with schedules and the parts department, and sometimes it takes both patience and diplomacy with drivers and dispatch to get the equipment in when it's due. Is it worth it? You bet.

"We've had instances where an engine failed and we've looked into it and found out there was no air-filter element," says Geoff Stigler, marketing manager for International Truck and Engine Corporation in Warrenville, IL. "The truth is mechanics take shortcuts and some shops don't track their trucks well."

"What we're trying to do is make the vehicles safer," declares Ron Kleintop, fleet service manager for GSA Fleet Services Division in Metropolitan Dade County, Miami, FL. "We've discovered again and again that drivers will do anything to avoid driving something other than their regular piece of equipment, including endangering their lives and the lives of their crews."

"Our driving force," says Cathy Radek, superintendent of administrative services for the City of Evanston, IL, "is to provide the service our citizens expect of us."

Locating and Utilizing Personnel

Radek depends on a second shift and an effective computer program to keep the city's 20 collection trucks up to speed. "The second shift is primarily responsible for preventative maintenance," notes Radek. "They begin their workday at the end of the operating division's shift. On many jobs, we're able to do the repair entirely on the second eight-hour shift." Radek says the city established the second shift six years ago and it has proved to be "a great advantage," in part because it gets the equipment in and out without impacting collection schedules. In San Bernardino, CA, Fleet Manager Don Johnson also runs two shifts to keep the city's fleet of 85 collection vehicles in shape. The regular shift runs from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and a swing shift reports in at 2:30 p.m. and quits at 11 p.m. "My swing-shift supervisor pulls the vehicles off the ready line after they're back off their route and brings them over to the garage for service," says Johnson. "The swing shift is pretty much designated the preventative maintenance shift."

In Dade County, Kleintop depends on overtime to keep trucks moving. "We run a hotline with virtually all of our customers when they open in the morning. That means if their starting times are between 6:00 and 7:00, we'll open up, say, at 5:30. From 5:30 until 7:30, if there's something minor wrong with the truck - if it needs a brake adjustment, if it's got a light out - we'll instantly fix it right then. Sometimes the hotline generates more work because the driver may think all he needs is a brake adjustment but when the mechanic walks around the truck, he notices something that needs more attention. In cases like these, sometimes we end up working overtime, but we have no problem with that. If it's air conditioning and he wants to sweat all day, we'll let him roll down the windows and go. It it's a lighting problem, the truck won't leave. Sure, it screws up the scheduling for a day, but we won't allow an unsafe vehicle to leave the yard. It's just not an issue."

Kleintop says his technicians are responsible for "anything heavier than a pickup," which amounts to some 4,000 pieces of equipment serviced at seven different facilities, four of which handle refuse trucks exclusively. "One of the things we're striving for is that, by July, we will be able to take a truck from each one of our shops, drive it to a central location, and nobody will be able to tell which shop it came from. Our goal is standard, nondeviate maintenance."

Bringing Everyone Up to Speed

"Everybody's running on thin margins," observes Steve Yaeger of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). "If you can nurse a truck an extra couple hundred thousand miles, that's a big savings, so the quality of your technician is paramount." To put together a team that delivers the type of maintenance consistency he's after, Kleintop normally screens between 30 and 40 hopefuls in order to get five technicians. He puts all applicants through a hiring panel of at least three members of his supervisory staff and gives each a 15-question test. Next comes a routine round of on-the-job training in what Kleintop calls basic skills. "We do this in actual training sessions; one session might be how to put on a set of brakes, another how to adjust a wheel. We'll take a third of the shop at a time, one session in the morning, one in the afternoon, about 20 people in each session. I've discovered because of turnover, we're going to have to do this kind of training in almost constant rotation. Currently the plan is to schedule it every second or third year. The technicians who do well in basic go on to specialized training."

All of Kleintop's specialized training is farmed out unless it's a subject he feels his entire crew could benefit from. Mostly he depends on manufacturers. Mechanics go a dozen at a time, for example, to train for a week or two on Caterpillar engines at the company's Miami facility. "I don't have any choice," says Kleintop. "It's either take them off the job and let them learn so they can come back and do the job or send the work out. When we interface with people like Caterpillar, we pay. They provide training when we buy a new piece of equipment, but when we get into real detail, we pay.

"I want everybody to be up to speed on everything. I don't want anybody to think they're so good they don't lube, for example. And this is because I want the trained, experienced eye of a mechanic walking around and looking at the components on the truck, not a guy who's looking for a grease fitting. If he's doing the inspection right, I expect it to generate 75% to 85% of my shop work. I want the problem identified and taken care of before the truck's towed in off the street or there's a driver complaint."

Across the country in San Bernardino, Johnson and his equipment maintenance manager administer an annual mechanic knowledge test to determine where their 27 technicians need training. "We have a pretty substantial training budget," notes Johnson, "and we send everyone through different classes. Typically some of these have been aftermarket classes, although lately there hasn't been as much available and we've had to look more at private training. Curiously the private companies haven't geared up to fill the void." Johnson does almost all of his maintenance in-house, with the exception of specialized projects like injection pumps - "We'll pull it out, have it rebuilt, and then reinstall it" - and now farms out all his state-mandated diesel exhaust testing because he figures it's cheaper than buying new equipment to keep up with legal mandates. Although his tires go out to be recapped, he's devised a specialized use-and-replacement system. "We've gone to one size of tire for both front and rear applications," says Johnson. "We buy new tires for the front, run them a couple of times, then have them capped once. The second time the casing is sent out, they recap it with a lug pattern, and we put those tires on the rear, where I can use them probably four or five times."

Both Kleintop and Johnson pay annual bonuses to mechanics who secure and maintain certification. Kleintop's program will go into effect in fall 2003, but Johnson is already giving bonuses to mechanics who take it on themselves to achieve Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence offers eight tests in the medium- to heavy-duty truck area, including engines, brakes, drive trains, suspension, steering, electrical, heating, air conditioning, and preventative maintenance. They also offer truck equipment tests covering electronic systems, truck equipment installation, and auxiliary power systems, as well as a test for parts counter people at truck dealerships and aftermarket parts stores. The tests are offered twice a year in May and November at more than 700 sites across the country and consist of a multiple-choice written examination. There is no hands-on component, but the association requires that a technician has two years' experience in order to be certified. The jury still appears to be out on the value of certification. Fleet Manager Larry Dunn with the City of Lake Forest, IL, doesn't care whether his mechanics are certified. "Just because a guy can read and retain what he reads," says Dunn, "doesn't mean he can do the job when you put the tools in his hand." But Radek doesn't think it's that simple. "We encourage ASE certification and we provide release time for our mechanics to take the examination. If they pass, the city pays their fees. A person has to have both knowledge and experience to do the job." An ASE spokesperson defended the "paper and pen" modality of its certification program, saying the tests had been validated as an effective "measurement of a technician's knowledge."

Brian Strach, technical service manager for truck suspension systems for Hendrickson International, headquartered in Woodridge, IL, and vice president of the Heavy Truck Initiative for the Service Technicians Society (STS, an affiliate of SAE) makes a distinction between what he calls certification and qualification. "Certification means you know how to take a test," Strach points out. "Qualification means you know how to work on a project. We totally support ASE certification, but that doesn't mean the man's qualified to do the job. We've also found that many people who can do the job tend to ‘freeze' when taking a test. Hands-on is probably the most time-consuming type of training, but it's the most effective."

Technical Support

In addition to training, many fleet managers spend time cultivating good relations with manufacturers in the area of technical support. "We deal with the distributors for the most part," says Kleintop. "I meet with five or [more] suppliers once a month and we talk about what worked and what didn't during that month. We're lucky to have Caterpillar nearby." But having a local distributor doesn't always solve the problem. Johnson says he gets his best technical assistance from collection equipment manufacturer Labrie of Quebec, Canada, while local distributors of other manufacturers have dropped the ball. "Everybody was leery at first because Labrie is 3,000 miles away, but we've got better service and technical support from them than from dealers right here in our neighborhood." For its part, Labrie thinks San Bernardino does such a good job of maintaining its frontloaders that the company treats the city as a collection vehicle research and development facility.

"We work very hard to create a good working relationship with our suppliers and our vendors," says Radek. "The City of Evanston is not going anywhere, and we're pretty good customers in that we have a solid replacement program. We monitor our equipment closely, and we take very good care of it. If he's smart, our supplier realizes he's got a very good customer and is there when we need him."

Equipment and Facilities

Johnson expects his mechanics to supply "basically everything it takes to do the job." The city supplies specialty tools, 1-in. impacts or large torque wrenches, and diagnostic tools, and mechanics are allowed a nominal tool allowance of approximately $400 a year. In Dade County, mechanics bring their own tools and their own toolboxes and the county gives them a small allowance to cover new and broken tools and also provides diagnostics. The same is true in Lake Forest, where the city provides $400 a year toward tools but also supplies all half impacts and above, all drill bits, and all fractional tools from 1.25 in. up. Training also is a high priority. "I give my guys any amount of training they want," says Dunn, who's responsible for maintaining 450 pieces of equipment from collection vehicles to an ambulance. "I'll send them to Detroit or to Caterpillar, and I encourage them if they find free off-the-clock training somewhere, they should go. Training is a joint project."

Facilities-wise, Dunn has two 68,000-lb. in-ground lifts, in-ground hoists, and a 1-ton gantry system to move from stall to stall. Not far away in Evanston, Radek, who's responsible for a police fleet, motor boats, and construction equipment in addition to refuse trucks, has 18 bays and a 75,000-ton lift. Lifts are becoming state of the art in the solid waste industry, according to Steve Perlstein, sales manager for Mohawk Lifts in Amsterdam, NY. "Getting the truck in, getting it repaired, and getting it out again is the name of the game," states Perlstein. "A lift improves the efficiency of the whole operation. A mechanic can look at the entire truck and notice things that are beyond what the vehicle came in for, and good mechanics are demanding employers provide this kind of equipment." The trick, says Perlstein, is not to skimp. "An empty garbage packer weighs at least 40,000 pounds, but Murphy's Law says a truck only breaks down when it's full of trash, which is about 75,000 pounds. A guy who doesn't prepare for Murphy's Law has to empty the truck before [putting] it on the lift."

In Miami, Kleintop is enjoying the luxury of designing and building two new maintenance facilities - one 14,000 ft.², the other 28,000 ft.² - to allow eight pull-in vehicles simultaneously. "I like a setup where the vehicles can drive through, and I prefer at least one pit." The office and the parts room are in the center of the floor to minimize steps. The bathrooms and showers and break rooms are on the second floor. Each facility will have either a lunchroom that can function as a training room or a separate room designated just for training. "To me," says Kleintop, "the most important issue is cleanliness. In our existing facilities, we sealed the floors. We repaint the lines almost annually and we've changed to a yellow color in areas that are caution areas. We do safety training every week, and each facility has a safety committee that does a weekly inspection where they look for everything from a frayed hose to a door that doesn't seal properly and could allow rodents in."

Keeping It Together With Software

In Illinois, both Dunn and Radek use software from Computerized Fleet Analysis (CFA, based in Addison, IL) to keep their operations running smoothly. Both facilities report that they use the software in conjunction with their fuel monitoring system. Dunn says the product has made it possible for his operation to go 90% paperless. His mechanics do all their own data input while a storekeeper-parts specialist runs the parts reorder reports that keep the operation up to date on inventory, which Dunn says he has been able to cut by $60,000 using the software (except for an emergency, the Lake Forest operation uses no outside parts vendors). "The best thing," remarks Dunn, "is you don't have obsolete or idle parts taking up space on the shelf. The other beauty of the software is that I've been able to create multiple PM [preventative maintenance] levels, which gives us the most bang for our buck as far as fluids - we're not changing them too soon or too late - and it gives us a frequency to bring the vehicles in and inspect them so we don't have to put out so many fires. I use the software to do my annual budget and to compare my in-house costs with outside vendors. I'm able to justify not only the amount of money I'm spending but also extending the life of a vehicle based on CFA reports that give my cost per mile and cost per hour. Before CFA, my fleet software was a spreadsheet. I had to manually enter all my fuel, and my parts man was tied up a minimum of six hours a day manually entering all the mechanics' data."

Radek agrees. "We're able to set up parameters so on a weekly basis each shift supervisor can bring up a list of pending PM. All our vehicles are tracked individually so we can pull up how each performed when it comes time for replacement. The software also allows me to annually charge back the cost of a vehicle to each user department. Without the software it would be probably impossible to keep accurate records with as many different vehicle types as we have here. We also use the computer to monitor our parts inventory. We don't stock a lot of daily consumables because we have a number of very good vendors in the area, which saves us a lot of expense and space."

Johnson uses software from Ron Turley Associates of Phoenix, AZ, to monitor inventory, much of which is for his second shift because off-hours delivery isn't reliable. "We still print paperwork orders, basically so that the mechanic has something to write his diagnosis on and prepare whatever he's doing. The completed form is transcribed by a data-entry person, and we keep a paper file for a couple of years, then it's discarded, and we rely on what we've stored electronically."

What's Coming Up

Despite Strach's concern that manufacturers are cutting back, Stigler says International Truck and Engine Company will continue to offer specialized fleetwide training on such topics as engines or electrical systems, programs that are arranged through local dealerships. The two- or three-day sessions typically are staged at the owner-maintainer's facility, and a fee is charged to cover costs. The company has introduced the International Diamond Logic Electrical System, which Stigler describes as a computer controller that receives feed from all of the vehicle's systems. "Through the main controller, we are able to monitor all the vehicle's functions, and if any problems occur, fault codes will be displayed on the dashboard. A technician in an operation that maintains its own vehicles can identify those codes and, if they've been trained, go in and address the issue. If not, they can call the dealer." International also offers Allison fleet diagnosis software so that a self-maintainer can monitor a vehicle's transmission and an antilock brake system analysis software package.

"Computers are going to become more and more important over the next 10 years in maintaining fleets," says Stigler. "As we move further into computer diagnostic systems and as emission regulations get stricter, fleet managers are going to want to monitor their vehicles more closely with computer software, and the customer base is going to have to embrace this."

Peterbilt Motors Company has initiated a PM program, which includes eight options for heavy- and medium-duty trucks. The PM ranges anywhere from a basic lube-oil-filter change up to several customized plans that include safety inspections. The program is designed for shops that don't have the facilities to do their own maintenance and amounts to a service contract that can be purchased with the equipment or added later. There's a Web-based program that allows maintenance managers to go on-line and track service by the individual truck unit. Peterbilt also offers TruckCare customer service (available for both its own and other manufacturers' equipment), wherein a driver who's broken down can call for 24-hour assistance. TruckCare Connect is an inventory control system that allows a technician to scan the barcode for parts he uses, and the information is uploaded to the local dealer where it signals a replacement is needed. A chassis-specific CD-ROM catalog is also available quarterly by mail.

Joe Gawlik, regional sales manager for Telma Inc. in Elk Grove, IL, says the company recently produced driver and maintenance manuals that he describes as better suited for actual end users. The company also offers a Quick Reference Guide that is more specific to the refuse industry, as well as a 20-minute training video. Gawlik urges those with technical problems to contact their local Telma dealer or Telma direct before spending too much of their own time. "Telma technicians can usually troubleshoot a problem in less than 30 minutes," he states. He points out that Telma's electromagnetic driveline brake can significantly extend brake life, on average five to 10 times, which can help keep down maintenance costs while decreasing the stopping distance of a collection truck by as much as 30%.

Strach wants to collect these various sources of manufacturer information into an STS clearinghouse. "One of the tasks we're looking at is for STS to become a one-stop shop for heavy-truck information. We're trying to identify all the resources available to the heavy-truck technician-training programs offered through manufacturers, online training, technical publications, and Web links. We won't necessarily offer training ourselves but the idea would be to contract those who do and attempt to secure a discount for STS members. We would also review schools and seminars."

Strach hopes the organization will become involved in establishing local chapters similar to those already in place for maintenance managers and offer seminars at the SAE annual truck and bus conference in November 2003 in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX.

Rick Fitzpatrick, manager of technical maintenance for tires in the Field Technical Support Group for Waste Management and chair of the S15 Task Force for the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) of the American Truck Association, is leading an effort in still another direction he hopes will benefit maintenance technicians. "We want to raise the bar of excellence for the equipment we in this industry purchase, as well as maintenance practices," states Fitzpatrick. Aside from equipment specifications, much of the organization's effort has been in developing maintenance practices for the trucking industry, and it has recently initiated an effort to reach out to what it calls the "vocational segment" of the industry, which includes solid waste. "Because they're developed by the best maintenance people in the various aspects of the trucking industry," says Fitzpatrick, "the TMC-recommended practices make the most sense and can provide managers with the best efficiencies. And in today's world, we all have to build efficiencies."

According to Rob Braswell, technical director for TMC, more than 300 recommended practices have been developed and are available in the organization's Recommended Practices Manual. But, adds Strach, the price for TMC material is beyond the reach of the average technician, which has led to the formation of another task force to determine ways to get the needed information to the shop floor. "What technician is going to buy $350 worth of books or what fleet is going to invest in that for their technicians? We're hoping that our work within the S15 group will be able to provide material in a manner that is affordable. The TMC has been supportive of our efforts thus far."

Another development that will affect the shop floor is alternative fuels. It's already a law in California, and Johnson says he expects a stiff learning curve, both in terms of the kinds of fuels that will be used, the deign of fueling depots, the maintenance required, and changes in shop configuration and procedures.

Penelope Grenoble O'Malley is a frequent contributor to environmental publications.

MSW - May/June 2003