Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/476956
2 I 'm a big fan of American Trucking Associations' Technology & Mainte- nance Council (TMC). I attend TMC's two meetings each year, and in addition to the fantastic content — there's no other event in trucking that talks maintenance as thor- oughly as TMC — one of my favorite parts of each meeting is seeing fl eet representatives debate issues with the suppliers (OEMs and service providers) who serve them. TMC also gives me a chance, even if only for a week, to see how fl eets deal with aftermarket problems. It lets me see how they respond, and what they think when their aftermarket supplier fails them. It lets me see how the other half lives. And I'll tell you, some of their thoughts would surprise you. Your fl eet customers hold you to a high standard, yes, but they're also incredibly aware of how diffi cult your job is. They know as well as anyone how quickly this industry is changing, and how maddening it is to try and keep up. They also know your service bays are understaffed, your techs are aging, and the complexity of your job responsibili- ties is growing by the minute. That's why they want to help. During a joint panel discussion at TMC's Annual Meeting last month in Nashville, three fl eet maintenance man- agers mentioned cooperative strategies they've installed in their operations to enhance partnerships with their service providers and make it easier to get their trucks back on the road. One area where fl eets are trying to help is dealing with the previously men- tioned tech shortage. That's not an aftermarket-specifi c problem, and while it's true that both you and your customers are fi shing from the same technician talent pool, fl eets today want to team up to help restock the pool with as many skilled techs as possible. TMC has responded by writing Recommended Practices in its Fleet Maintenance Management and Service Provider study groups offering guidance for recruiting, training and nurturing technicians. The fl eet reps at last month's meeting also say they're pounding the pavement to spread the word of the prof- itable, stable and increasingly available technician jobs you're offering in your garages. "I go speak to fi fth- and sixth-graders at grade schools," says Mike Jeffress, director of maintenance at Maverick Transportation. "During the week when they talk about basic electricity in science class, I'll bring a truck in and show the kids how electricity works in our trucks." Jeffress says he's vocal in offering his service providers tips on how to give a similar presentation. Dwayne Haug, vice president at Werner Enterprises, says that level of dili- gence is what it's going to take to combat the shortage. "We have to be more creative in fi nding technicians," he says. "We have to get out ahead there and show young people that these are good jobs; you can build yourself a good future and a good career." "We want to help the whole system get better," adds John Sullivan, director of maintenance at Reliable Carriers. Sullivan says his fl eet has focused its service provider assistance on another trouble area: parts availability. He says Reliable Carriers is now stock- ing items his trucks need but most ser- vice locations typically don't stock, and is regularly shipping those parts to service bays to get his trucks back on the road. "We know what parts [our trucks] need, and we'd rather ship it to our ser- vice providers than wait for them to fi nd it," he says. The fl eets acknowledge service pro- viders' issues with repair information as well. "How can I blame a technician for a slow repair when he hasn't been given the information necessary to do the job?" says Jeffress. "OEs have to get that repair information out to their networks quicker, so these techs can do their jobs." T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | M a r c h 2 0 1 5 An unlikely ally By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com Editorial | Lucas Deal Your fl eet customers are incredibly aware of how diffi cult your job is.