Truck Parts & Service April 2015 by Richard Street

Bendix building new headquarters | Peterbilt expanding Texas production facility

6 1 A six pack for 5success 2 4 3 TIPS FOR DESIGNING A MORE EFFECTIVE SERVICE FACILITY

APRIL 2015 |

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The benefits of labor standardization

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Volume 51 | Number 4 | April 2015

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Editorial | Lucas Deal

The CSA conundrum By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

here’s a battle brewing in the fleet world around the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program. Last September a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that called for the abolition of publicly visible fleet CSA scores. Proposed by Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) — and publicly supported by the American Trucking Associations, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and National Association of Small Trucking Companies — the bill was introduced not long after Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx’s office was flooded with petitions from trucking companies seeking to remove their scores from public view. In their petitions the fleets argued public CSA scores were providing inaccurate performance risk measurements, creating misconceptions about their capable service and hurting their ability to acquire new business. Six months later a similar bill made its way to the House, again targeted at the FMCSA and visible CSA scores. The FMCSA did not alter its publication parameters as a result of either bill, instead choosing to only further expand the availability of CSA scores with introduction of a mobile application on March 17. As you can expect, the fleet industry did not take well to this app. In an interview with the ATA the

day after the app was released, Susan Fleming, director of the physical infrastructure department at Government Accountability Office (GAO), addressed the trucking industry’s concerns with the app and CSA score visibility as a whole. Citing a prior GAO study, Fleming said the current CSA scoring process has significant flaws, unintentionally discriminates against smaller carriers and lacks correlation between CSA BASIC scores and crash occurrence/avoidance.

If I was having performance or maintenance issues with my fleet, I’d want help. “[The app] is another way of publicly displaying information we don’t consider to be reliable,” Fleming said. The FMCSA has yet to respond to Fleming’s comments or the second bill, and as of our press date fleet scores are still available on the CSA website. Where this battle goes from here, I can’t say, but I do think a resolution or compromise could unintentionally impact the aftermarket. That’s because while fleets are concerned with third-party businesses using their CSA scores against them, aftermarket businesses are actually using those scores to help them. CSA’s website publishes more than

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just crash data; it also includes in-depth information on fleet maintenance. This information allows aftermarket businesses to research customers’ problem areas, and offer products, services and maintenance solutions based on their needs. It allows the aftermarket to better serve its customers. If either of the two proposed bills eventually pass, or the fleet community and FMCSA broker a separate agreement, the aftermarket’s access to this valuable CSA information could go away. This makes me wonder if the aftermarket wouldn’t benefit from entering this debate, if for no other reason than to communicate its secondary impact to possible solutions. I completely understand the fleet community’s concern about public scores. If I was a small fleet owner, I’d be justifiably troubled about a government program that could present my fleet unfavorably and incorrectly to my customers. Yet at the same time, if I was having performance or maintenance issues with my fleet, I’d want help. I’d want to partner with an aftermarket business that understood my problems and had the ability to help me fix them. Accessible CSA scores provide that. Fleets aren’t going to rest in their quest to take down CSA scores. They don’t want that information out there. But if you and your fleet customers are true partners, maybe they might be willing to make an exception for you.

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Editorial | Jason Cannon

Don’t be in the silent majority By Jason Cannon, Online Editor jasoncannon@randallreilly.com

f I asked you to name the mayor of your hometown, could you do it? Sure. What about the town council? Most of them, right? Governor of your state? Easy. Legislators? Maybe. The further we get away from where we pick up our mail – and the further down the chain of command we go – the less we pay attention to the details, especially in politics. We know full-well when President Obama signs or kills a bill, but very few of us follow the details to that point. And at that point it’s too late to do anything about it. I found myself Googling the name of the state representative that serves my hometown recently. I was ashamed. To be clear, I live in a seriously gerrymandered district where you could hit a golf ball from my district into about three others. But that’s no excuse. Trucking is one industry that can be affected from a thousand different directions, and it’s nearly impossible to keep track of all the angles that affect change. Staying up-to-date on the Highway Bill, import and export regulations and countless other things is challenging even for Google Alerts. That’s where industry organizations like the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA) are vital. HDMA and its parent, the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), look at key legislative priorities

that affect parts suppliers in every segment of the motor vehicle industry on both state and federal levels. Tim Myers, president of Alcoa Wheels, was named 2015 chairman of the HDMA at the 25th Annual Breakfast Briefing at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., last month.

When’s the last time anything in Washington was properly managed by an elected official? “HDMA is a strong, effective organization because of our members,” Myers adds, noting membership grew by 18 percent in the past year. That membership is already going to work. HDMA’s Legislative Summit will be held this month. As part of the Summit, senior officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will participate in a panel discussion, giving HDMA members an opportunity to hear from senior NHTSA officials about their key issues. Gas tax and infrastructure may not

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sound all that interesting when you just want to sell parts and service, but those things can inflict serious carnage on a business if not properly managed. And when’s the last time anything in Washington was properly managed by an elected official? Organizations like HDMA are there to manage the flow of conversation for the good of the industry. But for them to adequately do that, you have to make your voice heard. You don’t have to roll up your sleeves and get elbow-deep in these issues, but you should. Rolling up your sleeves doesn’t necessarily even mean going to Washington, but it does mean supporting those willing to fight on the front lines. If you’re not a member of an organization that has influence over this industry, I suggest you start your search now. Innovation leads to regulation, and trucking is innovating at a break-neck pace. If a piece of legislation hasn’t touched your business yet, it’s only a matter of time before that changes. I encourage you to do what you can to be in front of change before it sneaks up on and steamrolls over the silent majority. At that point, you don’t have the opportunity to make your voice heard. Truckers aren’t the only ones driving trucking. Lawmakers do it to, and you’re going to want your interests loudly represented in the passenger’s seat when a legislator grabs the wheel.

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Industry Focus

Dealer News Kari Rihm, president and CEO of Rihm Kenworth in St. Paul, Minn., has received the fifth annual Influential Woman in Trucking award from Women In Trucking. The Pete Store has announced it will expand its Richmond, Va., and Greenville, S.C., facilities in 2015. Rush Enterprises has completed the acquisition of certain assets of Effingham Truck Sales, Inc., which operated International dealerships in Effingham and Mount Vernon, Ill., and Idealease commercial lease and rental operations in Effingham. Southern Connecticut Freightliner has been awarded a Sterling parts and service franchise. Nuss Truck & Equipment has opened a new branch in the Twin Ports region of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Southwest Products has opened a new sales, parts and service center in southwest Washington. The service departments at Stahl Peterbilt dealerships in Edmonton, Grande Prairie, and Fort McMurray have been certified Peterbilt Rapid Check facilities.

Mack Trucks has named Vanguard Truck Center of Phoenix (above) its 2014 North American Dealer of the Year. Mack also named 2014 winners for each of its U.S. regional sales divisions: Bergey’s Truck Center, Souderton, Penn. Tri-State Truck Center, Memphis, Tenn., M & K Quality Truck Sales, Summit, Ill., East Texas Mack Sales, LLC, Longview, Texas, Vanguard Truck Center of Phoenix, Phoenix, Ariz., Mid-Ontario Mack, Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Mack says its Used Truck Dealer of the Year award was given to Mack of Nashville, based in La Vergne, Tenn. Mack of Nashville is part of the McMahon Truck Centers group of dealers.

Four Star Freightliner’s Dothan, Ala., facility is the first of the company’s six locations to have its staff with 100-percent system certified technicians.

Vanguard Truck Group has announced plans to expand its Atlanta-area operation. Texas-based Bruckner Truck Sales has acquired Monroe, La.-based Louisiana Truck Supply and Shreveport, La.based Mack Sales. Peterbilt Atlantic has opened its ninth location in Saint-Pascal, Quebec.

Peterbilt Truck Parts is opening a location in Alabaster, Ala. Truck Centers of Arkansas announces its fourth consecutive Elite Support certification. Tri State Truck Center, Inc., is sponsoring a classroom in the Norwood, Mass. campus of Universal Technical Institute.

Truck Parts & Service Calendar Event information can be submitted at: www.truckpartsandservice.com/story-ideas/

April 15-19 HDA Truck Pride Annual Membership Meeting, San Antonio May 1-3 CVSN ‘Training for Success and Growth’ Seminar, Dallas May 4-7 Alternative Clean Transportation Expo, Dallas May 30-June 2 Heavy Duty Aftermarket Canada Conference, Markham, Ontario Aug. 26-27 Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference, Dallas Aug. 27-29 Great American Trucking Show, Dallas

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Industry Focus

Heavy-Duty Durability

PROVEN

through & through

Phillips Industries Building New Facility In Mexico Phillips Industries has begun construction on its new Electrical Harness Division facility in Coahuila, Mexico. The new facility, which is located in close proximity to OEM’s that Phillips supplies in Mexico, was built and designed to support the significant growth in EHD business since the move to Mexico six years ago, as well as position the company for the planned further expansion of their electrical harness

business, the company says. Phillips Industries says modernized lean manufacturing techniques along with in-line testing equipment give EHD the ability and flexibility to meet increased customer demands for quality commercial vehicle harnesses. EHD products include entire electrical harness systems, both standard and customized, as well as separate harness modules and pigtails, the company says.

Bendix Building New Headquarters

Haldex Relocates Friction Center Haldex announces the relocation of its Little Rock, Ark. friction center. According to Haldex, the new facility has state-of-the-art equipment and an improved layout to optimize process flow. At 49,000 sq. ft., the facility now has the capacity to produce 9,000 relined shoes per day. The facility also features an upgraded training room with a complete air brake system display board and a wheel-end stand for foundation brake training, the company says.

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Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, will construct a new headquarters in Northeast Ohio, within a 20-mile radius of its current Elyria location, in the coming years. Bendix says the date for groundbreaking for the new headquarters has not yet been finalized and is contingent on final approvals from state and local entities. The company will continue to operate out of its current Elyria headquarters until construction of the new headquarters is complete. “The rapid and continuous growth we have experienced – especially over the past twelve years – now means we have exceeded the capabilities and capacity of our current headquarters location. This move will enable us to further expand our business and sustain our ability to develop solutions to meet the needs of the commercial vehicle industry,” says Bendix Chairman Joe McAleese.

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Industry Focus

THIS YEAR’S ACTIVITIES: FREE TRUCK PARKING

• Shuttle bus transportation to convention center • Showers, food vendors and exhibitor demos • RV parking (no hook-ups)

FIT FOR THE ROAD HEALTH & WELLNESS PAVILION

This pavilion will provide products, information, free services and education to assist you on the road to better health. • Free health screenings • Cooking demos • In-cab fitness demos • Healthy food options • Health-related vendors

RECRUITING PAVILION

• Expanded pavilion with more recruiters • Find your next job • Learn about fleet driver packages

People In The News Hadley has named Jim Clark as national fleet and dealer manager, and Jim Zwald as regional fleet and dealer manager. Dayton Parts LLC has hired Joe Urban as new Clark district sales manager. Tracer Products has promoted Gary Testa to national sales manager. D&M Global Marketing announces U.S. Lube’s founder and former leader Dave Latimer is returning Testa to the company as its president and CEO. Spectronics Corporation has promoted Daniel Chusid to technical sales and regulatory compliance specialist. Tim Arkilander has been Chusid named executive vice

president of sales and business development for Palfinger North America. Tim Bigwood has joined Noregon Systems as vice president of operations. Natural Gas Vehicle Bigwood Institute (NGVi) has hired Gordon Larsen as a new technical instructor. Redline Detection LLC has appointed Blake Nadolny to director of operations. Chris Hammond has been named executive vice Nadolny president of sales at Great Dane. Kent Brown has been named president at Nebraska Truck Center. Eaton has appointed Ed Doerr plant manager of its Kearney, Neb., facility Doerr

OVERDRIVE’S PRIDE & POLISH • National Championship at GATS • Best of show winners from the past Pride & Polish events compete for the grand prize • Show trucks from across the country on display

PRIDE & POLISH STAGE

Stage hosting numerous sessions that will excite and educate: • Truckers Got Talent contest • Pride & Polish award presentation • Partners in Business educational sessions • And more!

RED EYE RADIO

• Daily meet and greets and celebrity appearances • Live performances at the booth • Prize give-aways and drawings For a complete schedule of events, educational seminars and an exhibitor list, visit gatsonline.com.

VIPAR Heavy Duty Adds Two Members VIPAR Heavy Duty has added Autosuministros Peninsulares, S.A. de C.V. and Abel Truck Parts to its network of distributors. Founded in 1990, Autosuministros Peninsulares, S.A. de C.V. has locations in Merida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatan, and Queretaro in central Mexico.

Located in Independence, Ohio, Abel Truck Parts is a distributor of parts to the heavy-duty truck and off-road equipment industry in Northeast Ohio. In addition to parts sales the company also manufactures custom hydraulic hose assemblies.

Peterbilt Expanding In Denton Peterbilt will soon roll out a $23 million expansion of its plant in Denton, Texas, now that the city’s council has approved a 70 percent, eight-year tax abatement for the facility. The Denton Record-Chronicle reported the incentives are worth about $822,000 to the county’s largest employer. The expansion will add more than 17,000 sq. ft. to support increased production of the facility that already

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cranks out 250 trucks each day. “This may be the most growth of any organization in this community — certainly a commercial organization — not only for what they do but for what they’ve brought in as well,” says Jim Engelbrecht, Denton city council member.

It’s where trucking comes home. Registration is now open! Register now to see what’s new in the trucking industry’s big family of manufacturers, suppliers, and much more including: • More than 500,000 square feet of equipment, products, and services • Over 50,000 trucking professionals at the show • Over 500 industry-leading exhibitors on the show ﬂoor

FREE ADMISSION WHEN YOU PRE-REGISTER! Register online at GATSonline.com or call 888-670-7549.

Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas August 27-29, 2015

Thursday, August 27, Noon – 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 28, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday, August 29, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. REGISTRATION SPONSORED BY

Tech Updates

SAFETY RECALLS Blue Bird Body is recalling certain 2016 All American transit buses manufactured from Sept.15, 2014, through Jan. 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, a clamp on the steering shaft may come in contact with the rubber boot at the floor. If the steering shaft clamp comes into contact with the rubber boot, additional effort would be needed to steer the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

The following are safety recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

Winnebago Industries is recalling certain model year 2015 Winnebago ERA, View, and Itasca Navion vehicles manufactured Sept. 11, 2014, to Feb. 27, 2015 and built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Chassis. In the affected vehicles, the abutting wedge, a component attached to the door jam to

make opening the door easier after a severe frontal impact, may have been installed incorrectly. If a vehicle that has an incorrectly installed abutting wedge is involved in a severe frontal accident, a greater force may be necessary to open the doors, increasing the risk of injury.

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2015 Freightliner Business Class M2 vehicles manufactured June 4, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2014, that are equipped with hydraulic brakes and a Bosch Hydro-Max Brake Boost Pump. Due to an incompatibility between the boost pump switch and the instrument cluster, certain instrument display brake warnings may not illuminate correctly when there is a problem with the brake system. If the instrument panel doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t display warnings, the driver may be unaware that braking force is reduced, increasing the risk of a crash. Farber Specialty Vehicles is recalling various specialty vehicles modified by Farber and equipped with model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack. If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator. NABI Bus, LLC, is recalling certain model year 2014 40LFW city transit buses manufactured Sept. 12, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2014. The affected buses have front axles whose tie rod nuts may be improperly torqued. If the tie rod nuts are not properly torqued, the tie rod may not be adequately secured, resulting in a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash. Navistar is recalling certain model year 2015 IC CE school buses manufactured Oct. 3, 2013, to Sept. 4, 2014. In the affected school buses, the powertrain wiring harness may contact the high pressure fuel line for one of the fuel injectors, possibly resulting in a fuel leak. If the high pressure fuel line leaks, fuel may spray into the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire. Paccar is recalling certain model year 2009-2015 Peterbilt 320, 365, 367, 388, and 389 trucks manufactured July 21, 2008, to Feb. 28, 2014. The front axle tie rod end clamp bolts may be improperly torqued. The tie rod end clamp bolts may loosen and separate resulting in a loss of vehicle control and an increased risk of a crash.

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By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

Cover Story

A Six Pack for Success Six tips for designing a more effective service facility

ne of the biggest obstacles in improving service shop productivity is building design. Bad processes can be written and improved but expanding a tiny shop is a much more challenging (and expensive) task. Which means for service providers looking to improve the functionality of an existing location, you have to look inward. Here are six tips for improving the space and organization of an existing service facility to improve shop productivity and profitability. 12

Dedicate (at least) one bay to diagnostics

Due to the advanced technology found on most Class 8 trucks today, it’s impossible for a tech to truly know the extent of a repair he’s been tasked with fixing until he’s checked it out with a diagnostic tool. But if said tool has to be passed from bay-to-bay throughout your shop when it’s used, or sits unused when a customer arrives on site because you don’t have a tech free to use it, that’s a significant problem. Customers don’t want to sit and twiddle their thumbs when their truck is down. They want to know

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what’s wrong immediately, and if you can fix it. Dedicating a bay to diagnostics is the best way to address that need. At Frame Service, President Barry Ernst says his company transitioned one of its bays to a diagnostic-only area a few years ago and noticed an immediate throughput boost. Frame Service’s diagnostic bay opens before the rest of its facility, and customers regularly bring trucks to the shop at the crack of dawn for testing. “The big advantage is just getting that head start to see what we’re dealing with each day,” Ernst says. “Then we can schedule our jobs for the rest of the day.”

Cover Story

if we know one of our guys will need to do a specific repair, we can let him know so he can prepare.”

Providing technicians with necessary tools and equipment is one great way to improve service efficiency, as shown in this photo courtesy of the WheelTime Network.

Mike Delaney, president and CEO at WheelTime, says his network has supported the use of rapid diagnostic bays since its inception. By immediately getting a truck scanned for fault codes and problems, he says WheelTime’s members are able to identify the scope of the repair they have ahead and begin acquiring the parts and tools they need. An immediate diagnosis also helps when it’s time to push repair orders out into the shop. When you know exactly what’s wrong, it’s easier to know which tech is best trained and equipped to fix it, Ernst says. “Most techs don’t like getting pulled off a job without warning,” he says. “But

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Maximize common areas

Spacing throughout your facility matters, too. New facilities should always be built to allow easy entrance and exit from bays, include wide passageways and be equipped with ample storage space, says Mark Martincic at KEA Advisors. Management of space is doubly important in existing facilities. Just because you can’t expand your facility doesn’t mean you can’t better use the space you have. A thorough cleaning and reorganization of a messy facility is a great way to improve productivity, Martincic says. “The objective is to arrange the elements [of a service shop] in a way that ensures a smooth work flow or a particular traffic or process pattern,” he says. One obvious benefit comes in how employees move about your facility, he says. Pathways from service bays to tools, machinery, parts and recycling or trash bins should always be easily accessible and clean. This allows technicians, service writers and parts procurement staffers to freely move about the facility without bottlenecks or accessibility issues. Removing clutter from a service facility also dramatically cuts down on time wasted searching for a specific part or product. APEX Supply Chain Technologies has two particular vending and storage products geared specifically toward assisting service providers with shop organization, says Kent Savage, president and CEO. Savage says APEX’s vending products in particular allow repair facilities to condense large quantities of high-volume

parts such as widgets, kits, bolts and belts, as well as small tools and disposable shop supplies in small areas. And in the case of both its vending machines and larger locker products, Savage says all of APEX’s products have the ability to log and track all vending history. “Searching a shop looking for a tool because nobody knows who has it wastes an awful lot of time,” he says. “Our technology can show who checked out a tool, and when.” Martincic says training department heads and shift managers on the value of cleanliness also can go a long way toward overall performance improvements. In larger facilities, appointing an employee to be a cleanliness czar or small team to a cleanliness committee helps ensure that all employees are regularly aware of their responsibility to shop appearance. Creating a regular cleaning schedule for all employees to follow helps, too, says Mark Rubini, president at Toledo Spring. “The work we’re doing is very dirty and greasy but that doesn’t mean the shop has to be,” he says. “I’ve always been told our place looks pretty clean for the kind of work that we do and that’s good to hear. “It’s not spotless by any means, but people aren’t falling over anything because of clutter, either.”

Keep your techs in the bay

This is a big one. Equip your bays with as many tools and parts as can reasonably fit — and assign other employees to provide what doesn’t — so your technician has no reason to leave his workspace during a typical day. Overlooking that central clause can

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Cover Story torpedo a lot of other productivity improvements, says Delaney. “I think for us the challenge always has been and will remain speed. How fast can we get the truck through the bay?” he says. “One of the biggest ways to impact that is keeping the technician working.” “It’s a huge cost for us and our customer to have a truck sitting there [in a bay] and no one be working on it,” says Sean Ryan, vice president at Point Spring & Driveshaft. Access to technology is another area that can’t be overlooked, says Eric Liddell, director of product management and integration at Procede Software. Dedicating one bay to diagnostics does not mean others should be devoid of it. Technicians should have computers and/or tablets with Internet access in their bay or immediately accessible, complete with login information for OE and supplier training sites. “It’s really all about integration,” says Liddell. “Business systems used to just be a way to get your business information on the books, but now it is so much more than that. “Now you can integrate systems and include data from all different areas in one place.” Access to your shop management system should be available as well. Michael Riemer, vice president of products and channel marketing at Decisiv, says there are multiple reasons for this. He says techs must be able to identify, at any moment, what a customer has pre-authorized them to do. But he says techs also should be allowed to update a repair order while working. “We’ve found service providers lose time in little chunks and big chunks,” he says. “The big chunks are when a tech can’t work. When the service provider doesn’t have approval from a fleet to continue so an entire repair shuts down.”

Storage units, such as the APEX Supply Chain Technologies units above, allow service providers to carefully display, organize and track tools and products in an efficient and space-saving manner.

But Riemer says when a tech updates the status of a repair in Decisiv’s online cloud-based software, a vehicle owner immediately becomes aware of what’s next and can proactively approve future steps so the tech doesn’t need to stop. “We give visibility to the vehicle owner so they know what’s going on,” he says. Riemer and Delaney also note aftermarket research indicates less than 20 percent of all vehicle downtime is attributable to actual service and repair. The remaining 80 percent comes from waiting for customer authorizations, parts, tools and process breakdowns. Minimize or remove those issues and downtime plummets. “We’ve been able to drive approval

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times for repairs from two days down to 10 minutes for some customers,” Delaney says.

Assign a parts procurement person

Keeping a tech at his workspace means he should never be tasked with fetching his own parts. Any kit that cannot be stored in his bay should be provided to him by a dedicated parts runner. “Our techs are most valuable when they’re in their bay,” says Ernst. “The instant they get up and start moving about the building looking for something — our productivity slows down.” Parts runners are typically parts department employees and should work in conjunction with your parts counter.

Cover Story Once trucks are diagnosed in an assessment bay their parts needed are identified and sent to the parts department. There, an employee picks the components for the repair and provides them to the parts runner who places them in the bay where the repair will be completed. Rubini says this method is in place at his shop. “Our service writer knows what’s going to be involved in a job and he calls the parts counter and they deliver them to the bay where the truck is coming in.” In-bay technology also should allow technicians to contact the parts department for additional components previously not acquired but necessary for a repair. These parts will also be delivered to the tech by the parts runner. “Our tech to support ratio is 3-to-1,

Procede Software says its business management systems can be enhanced with shop-specific add ons to help service providers better manage repair orders, and increase productivity.

where in most shops I’d bet it is 6-to-1 or more,” says Ernst. “I want them supported; I don’t want a tech to be forced to get up and have to wait at the parts counter for a 10-cent item because our other parts guys are tied up.”

Have the right tools

This seems obvious, but all too often when a repair overshoots its estimated completion time the reason can be traced back to a tooling or mechanical issue.

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Cover Story You can’t expect technicians to improve turnaround time if you don’t equip them with everything they need. And this doesn’t just mean wrenches and screwdrivers. Improving service productivity can require a significant financial investment in larger equipment, such as hydraulic lifts and jacks, DPF cleaning units, frame straightening tools and dynamometers. The most important thing is making sure you have the tools specifically required for the service you’re offering, says Brent Patterson, sales manager at Direct Equipment Supply. “Back in the day a lot of different components could be serviced using the same handful of tools. The parts were built in a simpler fashion; they were much more mechanical,” he says. “Now we’re dealing with more advanced technology and different tools are needed to perform that service.” And some tools aren’t only valuable for the speed they provide in repair. They also can add significant safety benefits, says Doug Spiller, heavy-duty product manager at Rotary Lift. “Having a vehicle at an ergonomic height allows a tech to move freely between the service area and necessary tools and equipment. Technicians can even bring their tools under the vehicle, reducing trips, bending, stooping and crawling from under vehicles,” he says. “This reduces chances for injury and wear on the technician.” Having a communal tool section also can help speed up repairs, as technicians who lack a specific tool in their bay can quickly walk to a centralized location and check out the tool they need. And if these centralized tool chests are controlled using smart inventory technology, managers can track what tools are checked out and for what repairs at any given time, says Savage. That tracking also comes in handy

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when assigning repairs to technicians after trucks complete diagnostic testing. Trucks shouldn’t enter a bay until a tech has all of the parts, tools and equipment on hand to get them fixed.

“Even if a service provider can access the part locally the truck will probably be pulled out of the shop,” Martincic says. “Service providers cannot afford to have a bay down or a technician waiting.”

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A p r i l 2 0 1 5 | T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E

Cover Story

Keep the line moving

This refers to the time spent physically moving trucks at your facility. Endless ingress and egress that doesn’t coincide with completed repairs is the result of an inefficient shop, Martincic says. In a typical heavy-duty service shop, diagnostic and preventive maintenance lanes should have the most turnover. All other bays dedicated to service and repair should move at the rates indicated by your initial estimates. Ideally, Martincic says once a truck enters a repair bay it should only exit when its required service is complete. Rotating trucks from one bay to another to access a specific tech or machine should be kept to an absolute minimum. One exception to this rule is specialized service. A bay designed for a specific category of repairs, such as frame straightening or collision repair, should remain open when not being used. Spiller says these bays should be stocked using the same methods highlighted above for mechanical bays, though the components and tools should be specific to the service performed. “When a customer decides to use a lift in an operation or service bay we ask one

Parts organization impacts service shop performance. Parts employees must be able to quickly find components and deliver them to technicians as needed to keep repairs on schedule.

simple question: What do you plan to do in this bay?” he says. “Too many managers believe that just adding a lift will make them more efficient. Having the right lift and productivity tools can make a tough job almost effortless.” Assigning an employee to aid in moving trucks throughout your operation is another way to keep things moving. Similar to the parts issues mentioned above, technicians can lose valuable time searching your lot for their next repair. And while a full-time vehicle mover may not be feasible at your location, assigning service writers to track all units on your lot and have them provide that information to technicians when handing out new repairs will still save some time. Service processes are another area where wasted time can be recovered,

Maximizing shop productivity also requires having the right tools and equipment, such as heavy-duty lifts.

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says Liddell. “I think in our industry there’s just a lot of ‘This is how we do it,’” he says. “Business owners create a system and everyone in the shop uses it and they never change it because they don’t see anything wrong with it. They don’t see it as a problem that needs to be solved.” But there’s a difference between being thorough and being redundant. Liddell says removing process duplication can at times have a dramatic impact on repair times. He notes diagnostic and service note taking as one area in the heavy-duty aftermarket where duplication remains an issue. Having a technician input vehicle and repair information directly into your service management platform via a handheld tool, tablet or laptop is much more efficient than him writing it down and expecting your service writer to copy it, adds Riemer. “There’s no need to do that twice, especially by hand.” Ultimately, improving shop productivity means doing everything right the first time. “Everything we’re doing today is focused on driving efficiency and getting units back into customers’ hands,” Delaney says. “Our goal is no comebacks. We want the repair done right the first time.”

By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com

Service Bay

Consistency breeds success Strengthening your customer service through labor rate standardization

our customers loathe downtime. Every minute their trucks sit costs them in lost revenue and maintenance expenses. Which is why when you quote them three hours on a repair, they aren’t thrilled to find out it’s going to take six. While no repairs are exactly the same every time, your prices can be. Through labor rate standardization, you can offer customers consistent labor prices and ensure them that no matter what obstacles occur while a truck is in your bay, their costs will be the same. While that doesn’t eliminate their anguish over a six-hour repair, it definitely can help alleviate it.

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For us, [standardization] is really about doing something for our customers and in their best interests. – Mike Delaney, president and CEO at WheelTime

And by putting a positive spin on a negative situation, it can increase a customer’s likelihood of coming back again. “For us, [standardization] is really about doing something for our customers and in their best interests,” says Mike Delaney, president and CEO at WheelTime. “It allows us to offer them reassurance that they know what to expect from our members when they come to us.”

Delaney says labor standardization was one of the main reasons WheelTime was established more than a decade ago. The 18 founding members saw value in service consistency and stability when acquiring and maintaining customers, and wanted to be able to offer those benefits on a larger scale. “Our members wanted to share best practices and work on common

A p r i l 2 0 1 5 | T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E

Service Bay

Point Spring & Driveshaft has built detailed customer-facing processes in its parts and service departments to improve efficiency and customer uptime.

objectives together,” Delaney says. “Standardization was one area where they saw an opportunity to do that.” The concept of labor standardization is simple. A service provider selects a number of commonly requested or commoditized service requests and, through market and operational research, sets organizational benchmarks for completing each repair.

These standards — one hour for a clutch recalibration, for example — are then used as universal billing benchmarks for all future service requests for that repair. Delaney says three important guidelines to remember when looking at the viability of standardization in your operation is available repairs, technician performance and implementation.

Top Customer Concerns When Outsourcing 26% Service Quality of Service Cost 26% Downtime Reliability/Accountability Other Quality of Parts Distance 1% Warranty Issues 2% Parts Availability 3%

24%

Statistics courtesy of MacKay & Company.

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Standardized repairs should be repairs you know your techs can perform and you know your customers need. Preventive maintenance and simple parts installations are repairs ripe for standardization, but specialized service is not immune to normalization. Any service your business is capable of completing at a consistent speed and level of performance can be standardized, says Sean Ryan, vice president at Point Spring & Driveshaft. Services where your operation lacks consistency or expertise should be avoided. When selecting a repair for standardization it’s also important to consider the team you’ll rely on to perform the service. If you only have two techs capable of performing a specific repair, it’s probably not a good idea to offer that service at a standard rate. Conversely, training technicians to perfect a certain repair may allow you to hit an average labor time, but unless you can ensure you’ll always have your facility staffed with those technicians, standardization might not be in your best interest. Implementation matters, too. Once

Service Bay you’ve created a standardized repair time everyone has to know, Delaney says. Employees must be educated on the services you are now providing at standardized rates and be properly trained to perform within those parameters. Technicians must be up to date on the tools and technology they need to do their work, while parts procurement staffers should focus on stocking a healthy inventory to guarantee each repair timeline can be met. “All of our techs know exactly how to do the jobs they are assigned,” says Mark Rubini, president at Toledo Spring. “We make sure they are trained so they know what to do.” “We give our parts and service people a lot of flexibility to order parts overnight if that is necessary,” adds Ryan. From there your customers have to be notified. Delaney says WheelTime actively promotes labor standardization rates across its network of nearly 200 North American facilities. “We work to educate and inform our members about all of the ways we can serve them,” he says. When devising a labor standardization plan it’s also important to note a service provider’s financial commitment. A well-built plan requires an upfront investment in research and training, and an ever present financial burden that appears when repairs fail to be completed on time. It’s not something to commit to if you’re not willing to do everything it takes to make it work. Because ultimately, while labor standardization can benefit service providers and customers, it is only after the latter commits that the former reaps its rewards. The customer’s acceptance drives the program.

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“When it comes to our customers, it’s not only speed [of repairs] they’re looking for,” Delany says. “It’s also consistency and reliability. If we can build customerfacing processes that improve those areas,

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that’s a major benefit for them.” “We want our customers to know that we’re going to have their truck done on time. We want to give them one less thing to worry about,” says Ryan.

SKF Trucknowledgy Sharing technical expertise to take your fleet farther SKF provides more than just premium solutions that improve wheel-end reliability and driver safety. We’re also a resource for the latest technical, product and industry information and training. Delivering valuable knowledge and a broad range of solutions, we take the world’s top fleets farther. Find out how we can do the same for you. Contact your SKF distributor or visit www.vsm.skf.com.

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Marketplace

Heavy-duty fabrication welder Lincoln Electric introduces the Aspect 375, a new flagship TIG welding power source for the advanced professional fabrication market. This constant-current stick and TIG machine provides for a TIG output range of 2 to 375 amps (singlephase range is de-rated to 2 to 250 amps) and is rated at 330 amps at 40 percent duty cycle, and 300 amps at 60 percent duty cycle, the company says.

T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Universal PLC adapter NEXIQ Technologies has released its new and improved Universal J560 PLC Adapter. Designed to work with virtually any OEM heavy-duty vehicle communication interface or scan tool, NEXIQ says the Universal J560 PLC Adapter extracts data from the power line and converts it to the J1708 protocol. This ability to convert data to J1708 extends the capabilities of J1708/J1587 diagnostic

tools, enabling those tools to support J2497 Power Line Carrier (PLC) communication. The Universal J560 PLC Adapter also can be connected to a vehicle between the tractor and the trailer, or to the trailer alone, without the tractor, the company says.

High-temperature paint PlastiKoteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Hi-Temp Paint is designed for painting areas on vehicles that are subject to extreme heat conditions. Once properly cured, PlastiKote Hi-Temp paint forms a hard, lasting finish that resists salt spray and will not chip or peel. Once applied, it dries to the touch in 60 minutes. PlastiKote says its Hi-Temp Paint is available in seven colors: black, white, red, aluminum, orange, blue and cast grey.

Marketplace

Fan drive for severe, vocational applications BorgWarner says its new DuroSpeed 2-speed fan drive is specifically designed to deliver reliable cooling for severe operating and vocational truck applications, such as construction vehicles and municipal trucks. In severe-duty applications, on/off fan drives are continually engaging and disengaging. When disengaged, engine temperatures rise quickly, causing the clutch to engage repeatedly. BorgWarner’s pneumatically actuated DuroSpeed 2-speed fan drive is designed with a higher disengaged fan speed to prevent engine temperatures from rising too quickly, the company says.

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Off The Line Spotlighting a new OEM innovation Peterbilt debuts all-wheel drive Model 567 Peterbilt says its Model 567 will soon include an all-wheel drive option to aid vehicle owners at tougher jobsites and more extreme terrains. “The Model 567 was engineered to be a rugged, durable workhorse and we continue to expand its capabilities through new features and configurations to meet customer needs and exceed their expectations,” says Robert Woodall, Peterbilt assistant general manager of sales and marketing. “The new all-wheel drive Model 567 will help customers go off-road in tough conditions with ample traction, power and maneuverability they can rely on.” Peterbilt says all-wheel drive is available for the Model 567 in a set-back front axle configuration. It includes the Marmon-Herrington MT-22H front drive axle rated at 22,000 lbs. and the Dana Spicer DS4636 drive axle rated at 46,000 lbs.

A p r i l 2 0 1 5 | T R U C K PA R T S & S E R V I C E

Marketplace

The Buzz

Aftermarket programming tool

The five hottest products as determined by readers of truckpartsandservice.com

Meritor WABCO has created a programming tool that it claims helps significantly shorten delivery times of replacement electronic control units (ECU) for anti-lock braking systems (ABS). Beginning this spring Meritor WABCO service centers can use the tool to configure a new line of partially programmed control units to specific vehicle settings, the company says. The programming tool is being added to Meritor WABCO’s TOOLBOX diagnostic software package. Meritor WABCO says the Aftermarket Programming Tool must be used with TOOLBOX 11.3 or higher and a purchased configuration file. TOOLBOX 11.3 will be available as a free upgrade to current TOOLBOX 11 users this spring.

New aftermarket-specific axle program Dana has enhanced its genuine heavy-axle carrier program for the aftermarket with the launch of a new user-friendly, smart part-numbering system and the addition of a new core exchange purchase option. Intended to significantly simplify the ordering and delivery of Spicer service carriers, Dana says the new part numbering system better reflects industry standards and allows customers to easily identify

axle locations, model numbers, ratios, Gross Axle Weight Ratings, and other carrier options. Dana adds that the enhancements include both medium- and heavyduty carriers.

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Marketplace

Enhanced service labor estimation product Mitchell 1 has released TruckSeries, its latest upgrade of its labor estimating, diagnostic trouble code procedures and repair information for all-makes medium- and heavyduty trucks. The new TruckSeries software suite is a single online application, and includes the data available in Mitchell 1’s Tractor-Trailer.net, Medium-Truck.net, Repair-Connect.net and TruckLabor. With the streamlined platform, Mitchell 1 says a technician can estimate the labor time and access the information to correctly diagnose and complete the work, all within a few mouse clicks.

New landing gear product line SAF-Holland announces the introduction of its Holland Atlas FastGear landing gear. SAF-Holland says the first two models being offered are the Atlas FastGear, weighing 156 lbs., with a 140,000-lb. load capacity and a 27,000-lb. side-load capacity and the Atlas FastGear HD, weighing 182 lbs., with a 170,000-lb. load capacity and a 34,000-lb. side-load capacity. The Atlas FastGear comes with SAFHolland’s 10-Year NoLube Lifetime

Warranty, covering defects in material and workmanship for as long as a customer owns the trailer.

Replacement truck grilles Dorman HD Solutions has made significant enhancements to its commercial vehicle grille product lines. The company says all of its grille products come ready to install,

and include a kit with all necessary hardware for a complete repair (where applicable). Dorman says it has grills for various

Freightliner, Volvo and Mack vehicles.

SOLUTIONS THAT LAST FOR ROADS THAT DON’T.

WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH, ONE SHOCK KEEPS GOING. Don’t try this if your shock isn’t tough enough. Meritor® AllFit heavyduty shocks are designed, engineered and manufactured to deliver the durability that today’s fleets need. They are backed by unsurpassed service and warranty support from Meritor’s expert sales team. For more information, visit MeritorAllFitShocks.com or call 888-725-9355. Make the right choice. Ask for the box with the bull. ©2015 Meritor, Inc.

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April 2015

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MERITOR® WHEEL BEARING ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM FOR THE AFTERMARKET BROCHURE Meritor Aftermarket has teamed up with Temper® to offer Doctor Preload® and TemperLoc® spindle nuts – a superior bearing adjustment system for wheel-end management, longer tire life and less downtime. Doctor Preload, when used in conjunction with Temper-Loc spindle nuts, is the ideal wheel-end bearing adjustment solution. The system sets the bearings to precise preload settings with a quick, simple, reliable and repeatable process. For more information or to download this brochure, go to MeritorCYA.com.

AN INDUSTRY TRIPLE PLAY FROM AUTOMANN

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HEAVYDUTY WHEEL ALIGNMENT CATALOG Bee Line has introduced a catalog highlighting its heavyduty wheel alignment equipment. This full-color brochure features the company’s LC7000 series laser guided computer alignment gauging system, the 22000 Rear Axle Aligner and the Smart Balancer II. Also highlighted are the company’s on-the-floor alignment configurations and its mobile alignment system, as well as various alignment accessories. Action photos show how each product is used and detailed information accompanies each photo.

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