Fleet Maintenance magazine

Here's your chance to get to know Trump's nominee for Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, a Wisconsin congressman, district attorney, and former?world champion lumberjack speed climber. #truckingindustry #government John Hitch

When it comes to reducing emissions, electric vehicles are not fleets' only options. According to Jorge Herrera, CEO and co-founder of Nopetro Energy, renewable natural gas can help fleet operators cut costs and reduce their emissions on a faster timeline. "One of the greatest advantages for fleet operators is that RNG is more cost-effective than both diesel and electric, offering long-term savings in fuel and maintenance," Herrera explained. "Since it burns cleaner, little to no after treatment is needed, and this means there is less engine wear and tear." Additionally, Herrera argued that RNG-powered vehicles can keep up with diesel engines in terms of range, torque, horsepower, refueling times, and reliability. To learn more about the potential of RNG as a fuel source for trucking, see below. #truckingindustry #emissions #renewablenaturalgas

Mobile service technicians can offer both technicians and shops increased independence and revenue, but before taking the plunge and hitting the road, it helps to know what these technicians' workdays are really like, especially when they often extend well over 10 hours. “If they call me in the middle of the night, I’ll get up and go,” said Pedro Lara, the owner and a technician at San-Diego-based Diesel Integrated Solutions. From figuring out an organizational system that works for them to contending with mother nature and equipment needs, here's a snapshot of three mobile repair operations. #truckingindustry #maintenanceandrepair #mobiletechnician Alex Keenan

Gene England may be gone but he will not be forgotten. ? Read our editor John Hitch's tribute below.

Ryan Fox of Diesel Emissions Specialists has grown beyond his initial repair business and into emissions work, specifically helping provide eAPUs (auxiliary power units) to drivers, which can not only vehicle amenities without truck engine idling, but start the truck itself. “The typical lead acid battery provides 900 to 1,000 CCA (cold cranking amps), so a sleeper needs four batteries to start the truck,” explained Sophia Fox, Ryan's wife. “One of our dual-purpose lithium batteries provides 2,400 CCA, so you only need two for starting purposes. For more on how these electric APUs work, see below. #trucking #APUs #maintenance #electric Gregg Wartgow

For any vehicle, fuel injectors are a critical, but potentially overlooked component that keeps the fuel supply running smoothly. Without them, vehicle efficiency and emissions will suffer. “Diesel injectors are crucial for engine efficiency, and dirty injectors can cause poor combustion, reducing performance and increasing fuel consumption,” Scott Meek, diesel training director at Diesel Laptops, said. “Low-quality fuel can clog injectors, speeding up wear and lowering reliability, so clean, high-quality fuel is essential for maintaining injector efficiency.” If technicians start to notice a weakened or total loss of engine power, decreased fuel economy, or an increased need for regens due to high soot levels, they may need to check their fuel injectors, which may have failed internally in the injector seat, have a leak, or have failed O-rings. For more in how to diagnose and service fuel injectors, see below. #truckingindustry #engine #maintenance

U.S. Army veteran Seth Miller used to put his expertise to work servicing tank hulls and turret mechanics, but now, he's an associate director of dealer process development and validation for International Motors. But whether for tanks or for vehicles, both roles are about promoting uptime, particularly for International's 'uptime advocates.' “My team writes all of their standard operating procedures, [working] on something in the system that we want to improve, and then we'll go work with IT to make those improvements happen,” Miller explained. But as if he wasn't busy enough, Miller has also advocated for companies to consider veterans for any number of roles: "You don't have to be a tank mechanic or a wheel vehicle mechanic—the skills that a vet has coming into the industry are going to help in any role," he said. "Just the discipline, the leadership in particular, they're all very transferable skills." For more on Miller's journey, see below. #truckingindustry #veteransday John Hitch

It goes without saying that technicians need properly calibrated tools to make sure they start any repair on the right foot. But this may be easier said than done, as daily wear and simply being dropped can knock a tool out of calibration. “When tools lose accuracy due to wear, mishandling, or environmental factors, the results can be catastrophic—and costly,” warned Justin Franchuk, MBA, office and HR manager at Team Torque Inc, which tests, repairs, and calibrates various torque tools. “When your tools fail to deliver the correct torque, you’re playing a dangerous game with both product integrity and human safety.” For tips on how to make sure your shop's tools stay calibrated, see below. #truckingindustry #tools #equipment #fleetmaintenance Lucas Roberto

With winter on the approach, the time has come to prepare, specifically with strong preventative maintenance practices. This includes being sure to check the air system?for moisture, ensuring that fleets have the proper fuel additives, and checking that all block heaters are working properly. “What we really want to do is prevent our customers from having an emergency situation to start with, because anytime that you do have an emergency roadside event, it's going to be a more costly endeavor than it would be doing it scheduled,” said Mike Hagaman, sr. manager of Client Relationship Management at FleetNet America, Inc. by Cox Automotive Inc. “You can really prevent a lot of expense and unwanted downtime for the fleet, and safety issue situations from the driver.” For more steps to build your winterization preventative maintenance checklist, see below. #truckingindustry #winter #preventativemaintenance Alex Keenan

The American Trucking Associations is hopeful that as president, Donald Trump will help the trucking industry rebound from the freight recession and push back against federal emissions regulations favoring electrification. "President Trump made trucking a priority throughout his first term and partnered with us to enact policies that strengthened the supply chain, grew the economy, and delivered for all Americans,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear stated in a release on Nov. 6. “His second term offers a historic opportunity to build upon that record and show why the best approach to governing is one paved by common sense.” For more detail on the Associations' expectations, see below. #truckingindustry #election John Hitch