Tips Archives

Changing Machinery Filters to Save on Fuel

Routinely replacing filters saves 3% to 4% or more on fuel. Monitoring temperature and pressure also helps. Check manual for proper idling time to cool engine. Machinery represents a major portion of capital costs, second only to land in farming operations. A well-kept fleet of machinery lets you respond to changing field conditions and other… Continue reading Changing Machinery Filters to Save on Fuel

Acing your Bucket Truck Inspection

Responsible for lifting staff high into the air to perform work, there’s no doubt bucket and crane trucks pose greater safety risks than some other fleet units. While they need to be maintained just like other equipment, fleets must also consider other elements for safe operation, such as preventing tip-overs, making sure buckets are securely… Continue reading Acing your Bucket Truck Inspection

Wheel-End Maintenance Saves Tires, Brakes

Bearing adjustment is a tricky procedure. Unless you’re using preset hubs, you should check to be sure your techs are doing the job properly. The difference between good and bad in the wheel bearing world is a very fine line — about the width of a couple of human hairs to be imprecise. That’s not… Continue reading Wheel-End Maintenance Saves Tires, Brakes

121 Ways to Save Fuel: In The Shop

From the equipment you spec and maintain, to the fuel you buy, to driver training and incentives, you’ll find tips for nearly any type of fleet. There’s hardly a fleet out there that wouldn’t like to save money on fuel costs. Maybe you’re not sure where to start. Maybe you feel like you’ve picked all… Continue reading 121 Ways to Save Fuel: In The Shop

How to Evaluate Performance of Improved Tire Designs

For commercial truck tires, just because a particular tire make/model runs well on one model tractor or trailer does not guarantee that the same tire performs equally as well on another make model vehicle. Tire companies continue to make improvements to existing products on an ongoing basis. New materials in combination with new and improved… Continue reading How to Evaluate Performance of Improved Tire Designs

Choosing the Right Filler Metal is Esstential When Welding

THE toughest part of selecting the right filler metal for any application is that, often, there is more than one right answer. In aluminum trailer and truck body manufacturing, the task is much simpler because the list of choices that can be used in this application is significantly reduced. The most common base materials used… Continue reading Choosing the Right Filler Metal is Esstential When Welding

Keep Your Rubber Tracks in Top Shape with These Handy Tips

It can be easy to get a little protective of your rubber-tracked equipment. You’ve seen what can happen. Operators run over surfaces they shouldn’t, and the rubber cracks or chunks off — or worse. Be proactive. Take steps to prepare the machine for adverse treatment ahead of time, and then educate workers about operating tracked… Continue reading Keep Your Rubber Tracks in Top Shape with These Handy Tips

Welding in the Field – The Power of Handtools

Equipment repair eats at the bottom line. Every minute a machine is down is a minute of lost time, and minutes turn into hours. While downtime is sometimes unavoidable, workers can minimize it by having the knowledge and the right equipment on-hand to cut, prep and weld damaged and worn sections of steel quickly. Source:… Continue reading Welding in the Field – The Power of Handtools

On-And-Off Engine Patterns Can Be Hard on Oil

Fleets that do city deliveries are increasingly turning vehicles off during deliveries rather than letting them idle. While this saves fuel and cuts emissions, and in many cases conforms with local regulations, Chevron warns that it could be affecting your engine oil. Chevron representatives say they have been seeing an increase in severe-duty operations due… Continue reading On-And-Off Engine Patterns Can Be Hard on Oil

A Systems Approach to Start/Charge System Maintenance

We have to stop thinking of our start/charge systems as simply a handful of separate components, and start viewing them as a system. From alternators to batteries and starters, cables and regulators, and even add-on components like low-voltage cut-off switches and DC/AV inverters, each can impact the component next to it. In electrical systems, weak… Continue reading A Systems Approach to Start/Charge System Maintenance