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

Breakthrough battery algorithm could double lithium lifecycles, Flux Power says

4 days ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

Electric trucks already cost more and have far less range than their diesel counterparts, so for fleets to do more than dabble in electrification, they need to know how long these new investments will last and what their resale value will be. These are critical variables in the total cost of ownership equation, and right now, there isn’t enough real road data or experience to make any firm conclusions.
Tow4Tech hooks new investor to scale roadside dispatch platform

2 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

A Florida-based startup called Tow4Tech, which developed towing dispatch software to improve fleets’ ability to find and receive tows for their downed trucks, has increased its available capital by 50%. The company said BrightCap Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm out of Sofia, Bulgaria, has invested $1.5 million. This gives Tow4Tech at least $4.5 million in total invested.
Peterbilt upgrades Model 579EV and launches vocational 567EV

2 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

Through the decades, Peterbilt’s ardent customer base has always loved their older distinctive trucks like the Model 389 for its sweeping, low hoods and towering smokestacks, which its predecessor, the Model 589, retained when it first rolled off production lines last year (with, of course, plenty of technological updates added in). The Denton, Texas-based OEM had 5,000 orders as of last June, not bad for a truck that bucks the aero trend—smooth, sloped hoods—dominating the heavy-duty segment.
AIRCAT Pneumatic Tools 5250-A-T .401 Shank Super Duty Air Hammer

2 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

Q: Is there any way you could think to improve or add to this tool? A: A rust descaler attachment would complement this nicely. Q: What types of jobs/repairs did you use this tool for? A: Splitting exhaust during removal, cutting up an old fuel tank, and control arm busing removal. Q: How does this tool compare to other tools you’ve used like it? A: I have owned several different air hammers, all the tool truck brands and some store brand versions.
Noregon opens Innovation Center for training, R&D in Greensboro

3 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | John Hitch

Noregon has opened a dedicated 18,500 sq.-ft. Innovation Center a few miles away from its Greensboro, North Carolina corporate headquarters and product configuration/fulfillment center. The facility will serve as a hub for training, testing, and developing Noregon’s suite of hardware and software applications, including its heavy-duty diagnostic tool JPRO, DLA adapters, and new shop management platform called ShopPulse.
Survey: How does your fleet use telematics?

3 weeks 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

3 weeks 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

4 weeks 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

4 weeks 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 month 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.