So my service truck is in the shop to get a head gasket resealed under warranty (again, since it was redone last November as a warranty from the inframe done last October :Banghead). I was just wondering what you other field techs do when your "shop on wheels" is temporarily immobile? Do you get paid to fix it yourself, take vacation, get paid to sit in a comfy chair and watch the shop guys work (yeah, right)? I still have my toolbox in the shop sitting empty and my service manager had me throw some basics in it so I could work in the shop for a week or so (he says he has a cylinder head on a dozer, and a wheel loader quick coupler to fix). I was just wondering what the norm is elsewhere, or if maybe you guy's trucks just never breakdown so it's never an issue. Oh, yeah second question how new are your trucks, too? Mine is a '95 with 471,000 miles (I'm beginning to think I'm getting screwed!)
I am a shop guy but, when the road guys trucks are in the shop they either work in the shop, go to class if any are on the schedule that week or sometimes load some tools into a spare truck. We replace the trucks every 7 years so they are fairly dependable with only minor issues and are usually fixed within a day.
I fix my own truck, but don't get paid since I own it. If there is something that has to go, I make a huge, messy , almost unworkable pile of tools in the back of a pickup.
My current truck is a 2007 Fuso. My old 1990 F450 was an old toilet. When it went down, i loaded the Lincoln 250 and a few toolboxes in my personal S-10 until it was was fixed. At the time we were too busy to have me work on the service truck.
I would love to have a U.S. style service truck, fitted with all the Toys, but sadly in the U.K. it would not realy be to handy as the work sites I usualy get on are often wet and boggey, so I use a Land Rover to carry my handyman set of spanners about,this little banger is a custom build item for me and is about 1 1/2 years old, it still has a good bit of dealer waranty left on it, if it does brake down I have a Willy's Jeep snoozing in my Garage ready to cart me and my few spanners to work, I sometimes take the Jeep out on a "Mission" if its a simple job with just the bits I need thrown in the back, it is a bit of fun for me and the people on site like to see my old cart (Jeep) as it has all the Military spec . tctractors
One of the positives about having 1 big client is I only need to go to one place, so when my truck is down I throw a tool bag and some bigger stuff in the trunk of my 82 Mercedes. 100 miles round trip so much more economical, just not as convenient. I do quite a bit of shop work in town or I would leave a truck out there all the time.
myself being the "one and only " when i have a road call now i get in whatever has fuel and go its a bit different going from working for waste management having a new service truck with all the goodies minus the coffee pot and fridge but im working on a setup
I usually throw my needed tools and jump into a extra truck which sucks not being in my own truck
This is one of the reasons I went with a truck and trailer unit. If the truck goes down ( as it has ) I tow the ford out of the way and hook on the dodge cummins. The only thing I'm missing then is the crane. I have been towed in and out of sites before with all axles dragging. The trailer is a warm dry place to go when its -40 too , It's insulated and heated.
Mobiltech and when the Dodge falls off that cummins you will put it in the ford and have a great truck. That is my plan anyways.
That thought has crossed my mind.When the ford broke down the last time I was actually looking for a swap over kit. The problem is if I do that then both trucks are down and I have to hook on a gasser that hardly pulls it .
For about the last year whenever my truck has broke down(07 F550) which has happened about 3 or 4 times I either switched into the spare service truck which is identical or one time had to jump into a pick up for a couple days. Now we have another mechanic in the spare so I would probably be put into a pickup to do whatever light stuff I could, unless its something minor that could be repaired in a day or two. Fingers crossed I'm supposed to be getting a new truck soon!
We keep two trucks pretty much set up the same , ( welder , torch , tool storage ) in the event that one go's down or for some reason need the second truck . One is a 1974 GMC with 6-53 Detroit . Other is 1984 Kenworth with cummins engine . Have taken care of allot of service calls in a Jeep Cherokee . Throw in what tools we might need & run .
I work for a dealer and most of the field techs drive fairly new Freightliners M2's, all but one or two with less than about 120k. Until just a few months ago, mine was still under warranty and it got sent to the stealer for work. Unless it's something that can't be done in a day or two, I'll fix it myself now, or at least that's what I did with my all my old trucks. If not, there's an old F-550 that hangs around the shop as a spare. When it's in use, you either stay home or drag out the old FL-80 with half a million plus miles on it and pray it isn't hot or cold out cause the A/C and defrost don't work and that it isn't raining cause the doors don't shut all the way and the wipers have a lot left to be desired. Personally, I hate changing trucks and I'd rather not work in the shop so I'd rather stay home and take a few days off for a change.
Hey mobiltech do you have any pictures of the inside of your trailer. I have just a f 250 with a service body but thinking of going trailer to for same reasons. Don't want to be down if my truck is.
do you have any pics of the kenworth?