Bringing Maintenance to the Truck
Lights, tires and the air system can all be inspected from a mobile maintenance truck at a customer’s location. Photo: Transervice Lease Corp.
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Lights, tires and the air system can all be inspected from a mobile maintenance truck at a customer’s location. Photo: Transervice Lease Corp.
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Fleets are constantly looking for ways to increase roll time of their trucks and trailers and cut down on CSA violations, says Jerry Bodkins, program manager at TA Truck Service OnSite. Mobile maintenance allows them to do that “without having to go through the logistical nightmare of going back to the shop and staffing technicians, which is not easy for anybody in this industry today,” he says.
There are economic advantages to fleets that have their own mobile maintenance trucks, because they do not have to invest in brick and mortar. Even if a fleet chooses to outsource mobile maintenance, it still can have economic advantages.
“With mobile service, we can reduce customer downtime for normal maintenance and repairs and get their trucks back up and running quickly,” explains Mike Besson, managing vice president, service and customer solutions for mega-dealer Rush Enterprises.
Taki Darakos, assistant vice president – Berkeley Division of Transervice Lease Corp., says transportation is a just-in-time business, and mobile maintenance allows fleets to operate with minimal disruptions or delays in their operations.
Mobile maintenance providers offer a range of services. Rush, for example, has two levels of preventive maintenance inspections: a 57-point one and a more comprehensive 105-point inspection, which includes changing oil and filters.
Transervice offers trailer PM service as well as working on lights, tires, air leaks, small repairs and providing mobile diagnostics. “We walk a fine line between customer service, safety and landlord requirements about what we can do on site. Safety becomes very important when operating in active, busy yards,” Darakos explains.
Jim Reed, vice president of new business and personnel development, TA Truck Service, says they do not currently offer oil changes as part of their …Read the rest of this story
