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OCTOBER 2019 Archive

VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 OCTOBER 2019 utilityfleetprofessional.com

Rigor and Discipline

| Jim Vaughn, CUSP |
The date was January 28, 1986. The event was the tenth and final flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Seventy-three seconds into flight, the booster rocket that was lifting Challenger into space exploded, killing all seven astronauts aboard. When events like the Challenger explosion happen, you never forget where you were at the time. You […]
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Fairfax Water: Overhauling Crew Truck Specs to Improve Safety and Productivity

| Sean M. Lyden |
In his classic bestseller, “Thriving on Chaos,” management expert Tom Peters put it best when he wrote, “Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence – only in constant improvement and constant change.” Perhaps the same could be said about excellent fleets, where you never ultimately arrive at a destination called “excellence.” Instead, you remain on a […]
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Using Technology to Eliminate Aerial Device Overloads

| Dan Brenden |
Knowing bucket capacity and understanding how to read a jib load chart are two critical elements of aerial device operation. While both tasks are fairly straightforward, it is crucial to stay within the allowable capacity of the unit. The platform capacity and material-handling capacity provided by the manufacturer are not recommendations – they are absolute […]
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ICUEE 2019 Set to be the Largest Demo Expo Ever

| Kate Wade |
The International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition – also known as ICUEE – The Demo Expo – heads back to the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville October 1-3. Owned and produced by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, ICUEE is the largest event for utility industry professionals seeking insight into the latest technologies, innovations and trends […]
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Investing in Garage Management Software

| Sandy Smith |
Before the City of Springfield, Illinois, merged all of its fleet operations and implemented garage management software, the utility fleet used to log important information via a low-tech method. “The utility garage relied on Post-it Notes,” said William McCarty, director of the Office of Budget and Management for the City of Springfield. “There were vehicles […]
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What to Know When Spec’ing Service Vehicles for Utility Applications

| Grace Suizo |
When it comes to spec’ing vehicles, the absence of an effective, proactive strategy often results in a significant number of units being purchased from dealer stock, rather than ordered from the factory. That drives up acquisition costs, delays delivery and hampers efficiency, according to Ted Davis, vice president of North American supply chain for fleet […]
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Bucket Trucks, Powered Up

| Fiona Soltes |
New Jersey-based Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) has a little over 500 bucket trucks in its fleet. Of those, 327 have some degree of electrification. That might mean an original Bohlinger electric drive system from decades back, or perhaps a more current and elaborate work-up that operates the boom and provides climate control […]
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Recruiting for Fleet in a Tight Labor Market

| Sean M. Lyden |
Ask utility fleet professionals about their biggest challenge, and many will say that it’s recruiting – and keeping – good, young mechanics. That’s because you have to compete with OEMs, local truck centers and other types of fleets for access to a shrinking pool of highly skilled mechanics. So, how do you gain an edge […]
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Winterizing the Shop

| Jim Galligan |
Winters in the northern latitudes can be brutal. A utility fleet’s winter preparedness plan for the maintenance shop can improve safety for its technicians and helps to ensure that fleet equipment is ready to go when needed. UFP spoke with Les Faul, operations manager with Commonwealth Edison Co., to find out how the Chicago-based utility […]
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What are Your Stories? Share Them.

| Sean M. Lyden |
A couple of months ago, Dale Collins, the fleet services supervisor at Fairfax Water in Virginia, emailed me about four new crew trucks he had ordered. He and his team were proud of the final product – and of the nearly three-year process they went through to get the spec right. Collins thought there might […]
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