Okemos Corners

Warranty

Warranty Tags will be at all terminals to assist with marking parts properly for return. If you don’t see them, please ask for one.

Tire Digest- September Article

Download tiredigestSept07.pdf

Lost Warranty Parts = Lost $$$$

We’ve been losing parts out on the road w/ warranty value & need your help. Repairs being made over the road often receive parts replacements that are under after market warranty as well as OEM Warranty. Once a driver leaves the repair facility, the parts are usually lost forever. We’re reminding all of an existing policy for drivers to assist us in parts return by making sure to take parts with you. The part can be returned to the first terminal you come to & will be forwarded to Williamston for processing of the warranty claim. Once you’re at a terminal please make a tag w/ your unit # & date if possible. Write on the part w/ a paint pen if necessary. It’s import that your unit # be on the part, as it may take a week or two to make it to Williamston.

From time to time drivers will be asked to truck-mail these parts to Williamston. Again your help makes a big impact on our ability to process claims timely. For the most part, we’re talking about Alternators, Starters, Batteries, & other small items that will easily tuck away in a small spot. Most drivers are already doing these things to assist us, & your help is appreciated. We’re bringing attention to this as an effort to make everyone aware of the impact your help can make. Thank You in advance for your help in this matter.

Tire Digest- August Article

Download tiredigestAUGUST07.pdf

Article in Tire Digest-May

Download tiredigestmay07.pdf

Article in Tire Digest

Download tiredigestapril07.pdf

Reminders

Blue Beacon

Drivers are turning in receipts for having paid cash for Blue Beacon Truck washes, & no RO # or call to D. Stasa when the problem occurred? It's important that if Blue Beacon fails to recognize your truck for authorization that you call Dave Stasa @ cell # 517/819/1204 prior to paying cash. I'd like the opportunity to correct Blue Beacons records prior to paying cash. If we can't resolve the problem on the spot, I'll issue a repair auth # for you to get the wash needed. Reimbursement of the expense will be quicker in the approval process.
You will still get your truck washed as desired & hopefully won't have to pay cash from your own pocket. This will also prevent the same problem from rising in the future.

Raising the Cab & Separating a Unit

Our intention is that mechanics out on the road will raise your cab & separate your truck when necessary. Our regular preferred vendors are aware of this policy & comply. When we have a breakdown after hours & are using other vendors, they aren't aware of this policy of ours. Often they have a similar policy due to liability concerns. On these occasions we make every effort to get assistance doing these things for you, & in some cases we can't. As with every rule or policy there is an exception. There may be a time when we ask a driver to work with a technician in separating a truck & trailer. We'll provide instruction over the phone & help to assure that you'll have minimal problems.
Please become familiar with raising the cab on your truck. T/A & Petro's all have a policy that they won't, & most stick firm to that rule. Once you've done it, you'll see that it's quite simple. I've had a driver refuse to raise a cab & stated he'd just keep driving until the unit died or shut down. We're here to help & are asking for your help from time to time. We will exhaust every other option before asking this of you, but those exceptions may still occur.
If you're not familiar with raising the cab, ask for some instruction from a BMT facility at your next service. Keep in mind that this is a limited request, & will help us get you rolling quicker.

David Stasa
Maint. Admin. Mngr.
Bavarian Motor Transport LLC
Tri Star Transport LLC
Watts (800) 554-8138
Cell # 1-517-819-1204

Maintenance Update

With spring upon us, please make sure winter fronts are all removed from your units & replaced with a bug screen if you haven't already done so!

If you've forgotten the proper use of Fleet Net America, please remember that they are there to help when you are broke down & in need of a vendor to come to your aid. Marker lights out @ the Greer terminal at 2:00 PM isn't an emergency. A stop @ the T/A in Duncan will get the same repairs for a couple hundred $$ less than an FNA Roadcall. A Saturday or Sunday roadcall to the Greer terminal is a minimum $475.00, even if it's just to replace a marker.
If you are at a shop & need an OTR #, please still call Okemos & allow us to assist you. Repairs from a T/A & Petro or any other shop can be managed by us the same as on a weekday. FNA is intended for the roadside breakdown, or that terminal markers that are out after dark. Most every driver is doing a great job of calling for a repair authorization #. We need you to go one step farther & call us back when you're done.

Occasionally a driver is calling for a comcheck for fuel. Please remember that the Petro in Breezewood is NO LONGER a preferred fuel stop. Also don't forget that there is a 200 gallon per day fuel purchase limit.

Weekend Rd Support is to assist you w/ breakdowns, please hold that 11:00 PM Sunday call to find out where you're scheduled for service until Monday morning. We have people in the offices of maintenance until 8:00 am Saturday morning, Road support takes over until Monday morning @ 8:00 am when office personal come back in. Your help on this is appreciated.

We've had a complaint from Pirtek that when they are on site to replace a blown line that drivers are running the hydraulics to continue loading, & making an extreme mess w/ un-necessary fluid spilled. One driver actually told Pirtek, "My job is loading & delivering cars, Yours is to repair & clean the mess". That invoice was increased an additional $500.00 for spill clean-up. The paperwork was forwarded to safety as an "incident". We need you to work w/ our vendors to get you repaired as soon as possible.

"At-a-Boy" for the month goes to TST driver of 0507, Lance Voels, . Mitch wanted to pass along the thanks to Lance for the job he did one day after blowing a coolant hose clamp. He reinstalled the hose with a new clamp & refilled the system w/ new coolant. He did this w/ Mitches authorization & paid for materials out of pocket, turning in a receipt. The following day, Lance had a hyd line failure & contained the spill from entering a storm drain. The city came by & with a street sweeper & picked up his contaminated floor dry. It's very common for an EPA spill clean up fee to be 3 to 5 thousand dollars. EPA penalties for contaminating a storm drain can run in the 10's of thousands of dollars, & have in the past. Our sincere appreciation to Lance for his efforts. Without a doubt or exaggeration, he saved the company several thousand dollars. The efforts of drivers to save wasted $$ often go unrecognized. We appreciate the daily efforts of all drivers in their efforts to reduce wasted $$.

When you're in the neighborhood of Williamston or Okemos, please take the time to stop in & say hello.

David Stasa
Maint. Admin. Mngr.
Bavarian Motor Transport LLC
Tri Star Transport LLC
Watts (800) 554-8138
Cell # 1-517-819-1204

Maintenance Phones

Drivers have recently called in and complained to Brenda that when she answers the phone & can’t assist w/ their breakdown problem, “she’s wasting their cell phone minutes & shouldn’t be answering”? On the other hand if we allow the phone to just ring until Steve or Mitch can get it, they’re aggravated that there isn’t anybody here? We are aking the drivers to be patient.

Brenda asked after that call how to handle the phone ringing? Dave instructed her to continue to proceed as she has been. If drivers could try to understand that maintenance is dealing with many truck & drivers issues and maintenance is acting as professional as they can. Cold weather like this past weekend & yesterday multiply the calls that come here. Getting through may require a little patience. With more lines than Road Support staff, our phones were 100% full several times yesterday. We never just let the phones go, nor do we answer quickly to burn up a cell phone plan. Thank you for your patience.

Driver Repairs

Driver Repairs: I’d like to start with thanking the following drivers for their efforts at saving the company $$ in maintenance expenses;

Robert Moore / Unit # 0420 purchased & installed a headlight ($17.84) @ T/A in Baltimore. (Approx Savings $50.00)

Eric King / Unit # 0114 purchased & installed a flasher ($16.38) @ T/A in Nashville. Approx Savings $50.00

Robert Branch / Unit # 0332 purchased & installed a headlight ($17.84) @ T/A in Duncan. (Approx Savings $50.00)

            

            Thank You gentleman for your efforts, & to all drivers who make those same efforts & aren’t brought to my attention. These savings are based on repair cost in a shop.  Savings are considerably larger when a roadcall is requested for these repairs. 

            Often we see on invoicing the cost of a repair facility lubricating screws, cylinders or valves to resolve a sticking rack concerns.  Please remember that our terminals have spray lubes that are available to you.  This is done at every service, but needs to be done between services intervals: especially after a truck wash of the boxes internally. Everyones attention to keeping their boxes lubricated is appreciated.

            Blue Beacon: Truck washes are being regularly monitored for wash frequency. Two a month externally & 2 per year in the boxes is what we are looking for.  There are many units that are showing no washes @ all?  If you aren’t taking the time top have your truck washed, please start doing so.  The company finds it very important to keep the equipment as presentable as possible within the guide lines.  On more than one occasion a dealer has called to complain that “Our cars arrived in the dirtiest truck we’ve ever seen”. It’s not uncommon for the purchaser of a new BMW or Mercedes to be at the dealership to see their new car delivered.  Our desire as a company is to be a leader in the industry of auto delivery.  The dirty old truck starts us off on the wrong foot. 

            Recently there have been receipts turned in for Blue Beacon washes.  These will be denied for reimbursement because we have an account w/ Blue Beacon, & paying cash isn’t necessary.  If you find a problem getting authorization for a wash, contact me & we’ll get the issue resolved.  Paying with cash will not allow your units washes to be tracked, resulting in additional unapproved washes, or me beating you up for not washing. 

Remember that any request for a reimbursement needs to be accompanied with an OTR #.   

            Motel Misconception: I herd through scuttlebutt that drivers believe they are to stay in motels after check out times to avoid hanging out at the shops?  This results in additional room fees for a couple hours waiting on a unit repairs to be completed.  If you have been told your truck will be done in the afternoon, please check out & avoid that unnecessary additional expense.  We would appreciate that you avoid hanging out at the maintenance facilities for extended lengths of time.  It creates distraction of the intended goal, getting your truck completed so you can get rolling & make money.  The shops both provide vehicles to get out & do laundry, grocery shopping & any other activities you need to complete.  Everyones help on this will make a large impact of motel expenses, & is greatly appreciated.

            Cash Expense Reimbursements: Any & all receipts turned in for reimbursement must be pre-approved by maintenance or operations personal.  Anti Gel additives for fuel, wiper blades, flashers, headlights, ect….If we can’t confirm the pre-approval, you won’t be getting reimbursed.  Please don’t allow yourself to pay for company expenses due to failure to call. 

            On a closing note for the month, winter weather is here. Please use winter fronts when in climates below 40 degrees.  Allow a little more stopping time, & don’t forget about Black Ice.  Don’t allow bad weather to bite into your bonuses.  Drive carefully & stop in to say hello when you’re in the neighborhood.  We’re always happy to see those smiling faces that call daily. 

David Stasa
Maint. Admin. Mngr.