Riding the Winds of Change: Maintenance Challenges in the Age of Smart Technology

March 1, 2021

Maintenance Challenges in the Age of Smart Technology

Truck maintenance has come a long way in 30 years, with the most dramatic changes centered around the technical sophistication of the trucks and the related expectations of the diesel technicians who service them. While trucks are now more technologically advanced than ever before, the increased troubleshooting wait times have many technicians longing for the past.

While the sheer number of sensors in a modern emissions system does increase performance, they can also be an electrical nightmare to maintain. Chief Carriers uses a telematics provider for GPS and electronic logs, and whenever there is a problem with a component within a truck, an email detailing the problem is sent to maintenance. With thousands of fleets facing the same maintenance issues today, Zigler agrees that the Nebraska Trucking Association has been an invaluable ally, involved heavily in legislative advocacy at the state level in particular. “The Nebraska Trucking Association allows someone as small as Chief Carriers to have a voice,” says Tim Zigler, maintenance manager at Chief Carriers. “A collective voice of all member companies allows for absolute strength in numbers. We’re able to collaborate. We may compete, but we are really all in this together.”

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