may2021 - 14

Service and maintenance
considerations
As the complexity level of a vehicle increases, so
too does the skill and knowledge necessary to
maintain, diagnose, and repair it.
" Adding features to the truck certainly has
its benefits: improved fuel economy, enhanced
safety, increased connectivity, and better driver comfort are a few of the key ones, " said Brett
Fincham, director, fleet field service, Daimler
Trucks North America. " However, with these
features usually come additional maintenance
requirements and additional failure modes and
codes, especially for those features with electronic controllers. This can therefore change fleets'
maintenance cycles and practices. "
Maintenance and repair technologies have
evolved along with the vehicles to provide technicians with products such as advanced diagnostic scan tools, but that is not always enough to
make a proper diagnosis. Sometimes, no matter
how many diagnostic tools are used, technicians
hit a dead end.
" I think that complexity is really making it more
difficult to service the vehicle, " Eaton's Bauer said.
" There is a very high percentage of electronic
components that get returned - no matter who
the supplier is - under warranty, that when they
come back it's, 'no fault found.' "
As difficult as today's vehicles can be to service,
there are actions fleets can take to ensure maintenance and repair are handled properly and efficiently in order to maximize uptime.
Vehicle spec'ing
There is no getting around complexity in modern
trucks, especially when spec'ing to fit the needs of
a fleet. Fleets can, however, order as many vehicles as possible with a similar spec in order to
streamline maintenance and service. If a number
of the fleet's trucks will be performing the same
duty cycle, they should all be spec'd identically to
simplify vehicle maintenance.
" While some changes to vehicle specifications are necessary due to where they operate
geographically, both drivers and technicians
benefit from uniform spec'ing because they
become familiar with the specifics of the product, " said Phil Cary, Southeast regional fleet
service manager for Mack Trucks. " A consistent spec also allows common parts to be used
throughout the fleet, allowing fleets to keep fewer
unique parts in their inventory, thus saving
money over time. "
Navistar's John Crichton, director of fleet
service, and Adam Krey, senior technician training manager, added that more stable prediction
of costs is another benefit to operating similarly
spec'd vehicles. With similar spec, it becomes easier for a fleet to estimate what parts and service
will be required for each vehicle.
" When you've got similar specifications or some
combined specifications, from a fleet maintenance director standpoint, [it is easier to predict]
what you can expect in terms of how vehicles
wear, what are the replacement items, what are
the intervals for your preventive maintenance,
because I think those are all different based on

14 Fleet Maintenance | May 2021

		»If a number of the fleet's trucks will
be performing the same duty cycle,
they should all be spec'd identically
to simplify vehicle maintenance.
Photo courtesy of Mack Trucks

		»Experts agree that proper training is one
of - if not the most - important consideration
of complex vehicle maintenance and repair.
Photo courtesy of Mack Trucks

the application and the supplier for the different
components, " Bauer confirmed. " The more you can
simplify the specification of the vehicle, you start
then consolidating some of the challenges. "
Spec'ing similar vehicles has other benefits as
well, such as reliance on fewer suppliers and fewer
specialized tools needed for service.
Perhaps the most important benefit of consistent vehicle spec'ing, however, is the ability to
streamline technician training. With fewer variables throughout the fleet, technicians can be
better trained and become more familiar with
the systems used fleet-wide.
" From a continuous training standpoint, consistent spec'ing of trucks reduces the new material

" Technicians with
a strong electronics
background,
proper training,
the right tools, and
strong supplier
engagement will
find these future
vehicles and
systems exciting
to work on. "
Chuck Brodie, Field Service Team
Leader, Commercial Vehicle, ZF

technicians need to learn due to the reduction of
variances a tech would come across in servicing
a vehicle, " Crichton and Krey explained.
Technician training
Experts agree that proper training is one of - if not
the most - important consideration for complex
vehicle maintenance and repair. No matter how
intricate vehicle systems become, technicians will
need to know how to service them.
" We can't emphasize enough the importance of
proper technician training and the impact that



may2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of may2021

Uptime: ADAS service strategies
Editor's Note: Vocational vehicle VMRS
Equipment: Vehicle complexity and its impact on maintenance
In the Bay: Why fleets should bypass the urge to bypass aftertreatment systems
Shop Operations: Considerations for optimal shop efficiency
Under Vehicle: Retreading done right
Body & Cab: Latest developments in electric APUs
Management: The business of parts
Training: Bolstering your technicians
Fleet Part & Components
Tools & Equipment
Classifieds
Guest Editorial: Keeping the lights on
may2021 - 1
may2021 - 2
may2021 - 3
may2021 - 4
may2021 - 5
may2021 - 6
may2021 - 7
may2021 - Uptime: ADAS service strategies
may2021 - 9
may2021 - Editor's Note: Vocational vehicle VMRS
may2021 - B1
may2021 - B2
may2021 - B3
may2021 - B4
may2021 - 11
may2021 - Equipment: Vehicle complexity and its impact on maintenance
may2021 - 13
may2021 - 14
may2021 - 15
may2021 - 16
may2021 - 17
may2021 - In the Bay: Why fleets should bypass the urge to bypass aftertreatment systems
may2021 - 19
may2021 - 20
may2021 - 21
may2021 - 22
may2021 - 23
may2021 - Shop Operations: Considerations for optimal shop efficiency
may2021 - 25
may2021 - 26
may2021 - 27
may2021 - 28
may2021 - 29
may2021 - 30
may2021 - 31
may2021 - Under Vehicle: Retreading done right
may2021 - 33
may2021 - 34
may2021 - 35
may2021 - Body & Cab: Latest developments in electric APUs
may2021 - 37
may2021 - 38
may2021 - 39
may2021 - Management: The business of parts
may2021 - 41
may2021 - Training: Bolstering your technicians
may2021 - Fleet Part & Components
may2021 - Tools & Equipment
may2021 - 45
may2021 - 46
may2021 - 47
may2021 - 48
may2021 - Classifieds
may2021 - Guest Editorial: Keeping the lights on
may2021 - 51
may2021 - 52
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