Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/821508
48 commercial carrier journal | may 2017 of the night," says Daniel St-Germain, Groupe Robert's vice president of material resources. Seeking a way to extend the system's battery life, Robert Frédéric, Groupe Robert's director of material resources, turned to the recreational vehicle indus- try, where he found systems using 2-by- 4-foot, aluminum-framed solar panels to charge battery packs. Groupe Robert began installing the rigid 100-watt solar panels on the roof fairings and added four additional deep-cycle AGM batteries to store reserve power to supplement the origi- nal battery system. "We had to cut through the roof fair- ings and make our own set of brackets to make the solar panels t," says Yves Maurais, Groupe Robert's technical di- rector for asset management, purchasing and conformity. " e results were so-so, probably extending the battery life by an hour or two." Maurais says the company's "Aha!" moment came when it discovered smaller exible solar panels that could conform to the shape of the roof fairing and tractor hood. "Because they were exible, we could put as many as we want on the truck," he says. e exible panels can generate an additional four hours of battery life and fully recharge in eight to 10 hours of normal daylight. Groupe Robert now installs six 100-watt exible solar panels on each of its new trucks, riveting them to the roof fairing and tractor hood, and has retro t its LNG eet with the system to power the methane detectors. St-Germain says the cost for its new solar panel charging system is compa- rable to its previous diesel genset equip- ment, but the elimination of fuel will result in a 3.5-year return on investment. Just as important as the cost savings, Groupe Robert's drivers now can remain comfortable for up to 10 hours in a climate-controlled sleeper berth. " is lets drivers rest comfortably in a temperature-controlled sleeper compartment without the noise, pol- lution or waste that comes with engine idling," says Fré dé ric. Driving costs down Groupe Robert's innovative spirit doesn't stop with its quest for fuel savings and equipment modi cations. With a keen understanding that waste can be driven out of any aspect of a business, the com- pany recently turned its sights on a small but costly problem – maintenance tools and supplies. Management realized everyday shop supplies were being consumed at a higher-than-normal rate, but didn't have a way of keeping track of who was using what. "If a technician comes to us and says they need two cases of gloves because they've run out, you order them without asking questions," says Maurais. " en you realize some technicians were throw- ing the used gloves away every night and getting a brand-new pair the next day." Four years ago, Groupe Robert collaborated with its local supplier to install a specialized vending machine at its Rougemont maintenance facility that sta s 30 technicians. Operating much like common snack vending ma- chines, the new machine was stocked with 43 di erent SKUs, including gloves, batteries, hand cleaner, cutting discs and drill bits. Technicians were issued unique ID cards used to dispense items from the machine and track technician usage of speci c items. e machine's manage- ment so ware also delivered reports to management. "At the beginning of the month, I receive a report that tracks spend by employee and spend by item," says St- Germain. "We now know exactly what people spend." Better still, the system allows the vendor to replenish SKU inventory automatically. "We only have to keep the machine in the shop," St-Germain says. " e supplier restocks the machine every other week or so. We don't even have to touch the machine at all anymore." Individual accountability for consum- able shop items led to a signi cant cost reduction. In the one-year trial period, Groupe Robert reduced costs on the 43 SKUs tracked through the machine at its Rougemont maintenance facility by 50 percent, resulting in an eight-month return on investment. Since the trial, Groupe Robert has rolled out the vending machines at all repair and maintenance locations and will expand the system to its ware- housing and distribution centers. St- Germain says the company also plans to install machines in driver lounges to dispense items such as cleaning prod- ucts, security equipment and apparel for its 1,300 drivers. CC J I N N O VATO R S pro les carriers and eets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking's challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact Je Crissey at jcrissey@ccjmagazine.com or 800-633-5953. To cut maintenance shop costs, Groupe Robert installed a vending machine that tracks technicians' use of supplies such as gloves, batteries, hand cleaner, cutting discs and drill bits. Groupe Robert installs six 100- watt fl exible solar panels on each of its new trucks, riveting them to the roof fairing and tractor hood.