ACtion Magazine - July/August 2016 - (Page 6)

Another world Andy Fiffick T his issue of ACTION™ focuses on heavy-duty truck, off-road and specialty vehicle air conditioning service, currently a growth segment of our industry. If you doubt the latter, look at By the Numbers on page 39. Recognizing that it is important to address and balance two very distinct worlds - that of the car guys versus the very different reality of heavy duty truck, off-road and other specialty vehicle applications, MACS convened a blue-ribbon panel in Orlando earlier this year. At that meeting, participants discussed best procedures for A/C service, and specifically how HD/off-road service practices may differ from those for auto/light truck. The goal was to share information and arrive at some consensus on best service practices and training for this increasingly important service segment. It should be noted that the MACS Heavy Duty Truck and Off-Road Forum dates back to the organization's early years, and its formation and nurture is credited to members including Gordon Marks of Marks Air, Gary Hansen of Red Dot, Al Leupold of Bergstrom ...the very different reality (formerly of CNH) and Dan Spurof heavy duty truck, off-road geon of Caterpillar. It says a lot about their commitment to the inand other specialty vehicle dustry and membership that each applications of these leaders were part of that blue-ribbon panel involved in the meeting earlier this year. The meeting bore fruit, and Robert Brocx, HVAC Technical Steward for Red Dot Corporation, and Chairman of SAE International's Off-Highway Human Factors Technical Committee 6 (SAE HFTC6), took the lead on the project. (See page 46 for Robert's guest editorial discussing the focus of the committee's work.) Want to know how to check the Freightliner M2 Business Class Truck HVAC controls and blower motor circuits? Larry Turay of LETCO Enterprises walks you through the process, beginning on page 26. And if you are wondering what specialty vehicle air conditioning entails, look no further than the feature article by Stephen Petit, beginning on page 18, on cooling the operator cabs on vehicles you've probably never seen and you may not have known even existed. As I pointed out earlier, it's a different world from what many of us are used to, and MACS is exploring it. We have been sponsoring a series of grassroots meetings devoted to training for this segment of the industry, and plan to continue that initiative this fall and next spring. Watch your email and check the MACS website for a training program near you. The annual Training Event and Trade Show also includes two days of information and training devoted to the HD Forum, and planning is well underway to make the next meeting, scheduled for February 15 to 18, 2017, a valuable experience for shop owners and technicians in both "worlds." ❆ " Sincerely, Andy Andy Fiffick andy@macsw.org 6 ACTION * July/August 2016 http://www.meicorporation.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - July/August 2016

T/CCI's Wind Tunnel: Let's Test It
CAT Training @ T/CCI
Outlook
Service Port
Leonard's Law
Virtual View
Last Watch
By the numbers
Industry News
Association News
New Products

ACtion Magazine - July/August 2016