John Hitch

Cleveland

Editor-in-Chief at Fleet Maintenance

Editor of Fleet Maintenance, a B2B that provides fleet maint. mgmt. with best practices & tools to maximize uptime. @FleetMx [email protected]

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Articles

Survey: How does your fleet use telematics?

4 days ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

Telematics can completely transform how fleets monitor their drivers, assets, and overall maintenance program. The data streaming off trucks has the capabilities to assist fleet managers in something as simple as GPS tracking, or as complex as the proactive scheduling of maintenance and repairs to prevent failures on the road. But there's a big difference between expectations and reality.
Tool Review: M12 Fuel Stubby 3/8" Impact Wrench

4 days ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

The M12 Fuel Stubby 3/8" Impact Wrench, No. 2562-20, from Milwaukee Tool, delivers up to 3,000 rpm with 550 lbs.-ft. of nut-busting torque. The wrench only weighs 2.2 lbs., reducing user fatigue and increasing access to cramped spaces. It is equipped with tri-LED work lights and 4-mode Drive Control for increased precision. It also features Auto Shut-off, which applies no more than 15 lbs.-ft. of torque to prevent overtightening in hand-tight applications.
Staying lean, not mean to increase shop efficiency

1 week ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

I probably type the word efficiency and its various forms more than a hundred times a week. That’s 5,200 times a year, far more than I’ve ever used the `, or backtick, button. I should probably figure out how to swap that key to write “efficiency” instead of `. (What the hell is it even for?) That would save me something like 2,600 seconds a year, or 43 minutes a year. That’s just one small change.
Mobile tech boosts efficiency with lean thinking

1 week ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

And while they break down the financial of running their truck, covering profit margins and expenses, the subjects of efficiency and waste inevitably come up when they get to the fuel line item. “We need to manage our fuel consumption, so we need to idle our trucks as less as possible,” the MHC brand ambassador said.
Learning to lean: How a small California shop gets better every day

1 week ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

Not all shops have the time and resources to pull off large initiative, but they can still be lean. Nina Ceja, operations manager at United Fleet Maintenance (UFM) in Woodland, California, expected some comebacks in the first few months when the shop opened in 2021. Having to rework jobs is one of the most egregious anti-lean events a shop can have, for it doubles the work, possibly parts, and hurts the relationship with the customer.
How to use lean principles in commercial vehcile repair

1 week ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

At some point in your climb up the managerial ladder, you’ve probably come across a book on continuous improvement, or the Japanese equivalent “kaizen.” You may have even heard of Six Sigma, a strategy all about removing defects in processes, using data, and optimizing outcomes. Invented by Motorola engineer Bill Smith and popularized by General Electric decades ago for manufacturing, it codifies tenets to help any leader.
First impressions of the Mack Pioneer: Old bulldog learns new tricks

2 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

BROOKLYN— On April 8, in a crowded Brooklyn Navy Yard warehouse, Mack Trucks celebrated its milestone 125th anniversary with the same moxie that made its trucks famous and made the brand synonymous with bulldogs. The warehouse was chock full of restored vintage Mack truck models—and human models dressed to the nines in early 20th century fashion.
Latest trucking technology and tools from TMC 2025

3 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Lucas Roberto |John Hitch

John Hitch is the award-winning editor-in-chief of Fleet Maintenance, where his mission is to provide maintenance leaders and technicians with the the latest information on tools, strategies, and best practices to keep their fleets' commercial vehicles moving. He is based out of Cleveland, Ohio, and has worked in the B2B journalism space for more than a decade.
Drill, baby, drill: Lessons on emergency response in the shop

3 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

People often ask me what life on a submarine was like, and while movies and Tom Clancy novels play up the tense moments of silence and unfathomable escapes from enemy torpedoes, what I remember most was the monotony of it all—doing the same thing over and over. For me, it started with six hours on watch staring at lazy green acoustic data falling down my CRT screens and listening through my headphones for contacts among the ocean’s symphony of white noise and chattering creatures.
Why Congress has 2025 bill to repeal federal excise tax

3 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

Despite the date, this headline is no joke. Members of Congress are actually contemplating helping the trucking industry by repealing the prohibitive 12% federal excise tax, as opposed to adding more regulations that increase the cost of trucks. On March 27, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) reintroduced the Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act (H.R. 2424), which if passed would amend IRS Code of 1986 by repealing the excise tax on new heavy trucks and trailers.