Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85369
THE SUM OF THE PARTS W hen it comes to managing a parts department's inventory, there's always room for improvement. A well-run department can be a great asset, while a disorganized department can become a financial burden and have a negative effect on productivity. Truck service providers that consider their parts departments an asset say it takes constant improvement and attention to detail to keep things from becoming the latter. They know that providing timely service can make or break a relationship with a truck fleet – and having a ready supply of parts on hand is a key component to providing timely service. Many of the methods used by truck dealers across the country can be integrated success- parts departments more organized. planning, carriers can make their fully into a fleet's service department. Whether it is located at a dealership or on the edge of a fleet's maintenance bay, the parts department serves the same purpose – to get the right parts to technicians so they can put trucks back on the road as quickly as possible. Darry Stewart, president of DWS Fleet Management, says With careful parts inventory is the single-most vital contributor to an ef- ficient fleet operation – and the most overlooked. "A parts shop should be as clean and well-organized as a supermarket," says Stewart, who estimates he's reorganized more than 250 parts shops in his career. A parts foreman has control over keeping technicians productive and getting trucks back on the road. "If you figure it costs you a dollar a minute every time a technician is looking for a part instead of installing it, you see how quickly your repair costs can escalate." 1: KNOW WHAT TECHS NEED The first step to creating an effective parts department is understanding who needs the parts and how they do their jobs. John Wilson, op- erations manager for Empire Truck Sales, says that talking to technicians, drivers and shop foremen on a routine basis can help a fleet predict common repairs and parts requirements. "When it comes to your parts department, you have A PARTS DEPARTMENT'S MAIN GOAL IS TO HAVE A REALISTIC INVENTORY OF USABLE PARTS AT ALL TIMES. COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | APRIL 2012 59 6 TIPS fleets can learn from dealers to manage inventory more efficiently BY LUCAS DEAL AND JACK ROBERTS