Fleet Maintenance - 27

A fleet can lean
on its veteran
technicians
for advice on
new tooling
opportunities.
innovative tools to the market. Many are potential
solutions to some of the biggest challenges technicians are facing. Whether the fleet or individual
technician end up taking on the cost of procuring
those new tools, prioritization is key.
"Maintenance is maintenance and will always
be a variable," DeAngelo says.
In other words, a fleet must think about the
problems it is facing in its pursuit of maximum
uptime, and then seek out solutions to those problems. They must also prioritize their tool investments based on their biggest needs. Wurth USA is
a supplier of vehicle services, parts, and products,
including an expanding line of hand tools.

Identifying new tooling
opportunities

»»Maintenance will always be a variable. A
fleet must think about the problems it is
facing in its pursuit of maximum uptime, and
then seek out solutions to those problems.
Photo courtesy of Transervice

Wurth USA regional sales director, says fleets often
provide some kind of tool allowance to help new
technicians get started in their careers. From that
point on, however, technicians often bear the financial responsibility of adding to their toolboxes.
Tool suppliers are continually bringing new,

According to Wurth USA's DeAngelo, a fleet can
lean on its veteran technicians for advice on new
tooling opportunities. As different jobs come
through the shop, technicians are likely to run
into various challenges where unique tools could
be of assistance.
"Technicians have a handle on the day-today, as well as solutions they may have heard
about that could make their jobs faster and more
profitable," DeAngelo says. "I don't think a fleet
manager would be in a very
good position without the
willingness to listen to his
or her [technicians]."
As vital as communication with technicians can
be, finding the time can be
a challenge. After all, time
spent chatting is time away
from turning wrenches.
DeAngelo says he has seen a
few different ways fleets are
going about this.
"Some fleets have an internal electronic message board
where technicians can share
ideas and best practices
with each other, including
insights on useful tools,"
DeAngelo relates.
If a software-driven, internal message board isn't an
option, some organizations
have found closed Facebook
or LinkedIn groups to be an

effective way to foster communication and collaboration among employees.
"A fleet should simply determine the most effective way to maintain communication," DeAngelo
says. "We've seen some fleets devote part of their
weekly morning meetings for discussion about
new tools. Exit meetings at the end of shifts represent another possibility."
Regardless of how a fleet goes about conquering its communication challenges, it will likely
be time well spent.
"If I'm a technician and want to figure out a
problem, I want to share what I've learned with
others to help them, even if they are four states
away," DeAngelo says.
In many instances, that includes sharing
insights on a new method or tool to address a
maintenance or repair challenge.

Fleet-owned versus
technician-owned tools
Some fleets are seeing advantages in providing
fleet-owned tools to technicians rather than
expecting technicians to purchase all of their
own tools. Doing so can help fleets get new technicians up and running faster, as well as technicians coming from other industries such as heavy
equipment, agriculture, or even the military.
"We don't have any kind of tool reimbursement programs because we just go ahead and
supply all tools for our technicians," says Kevin
Schlangen, fleet manager for Dakota County
Fleet Management, a public sector fleet based in
Rosemount, Minnesota.
 Continued Page 28

»»A longstanding tradition in the vehicle
repair industry is that technicians are
typically responsible for their basic tools,
such as a common set of hand tools.
Photo courtesy of Transervice

February 2020 | VehicleServicePros.com

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com

Fleet Maintenance

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