Here we are soaking up some sun on a bright warm afternoon. I made a special trip to the wash bay before I started giving my ride a little shine. I’m still trying to get the salt off from last winter. This deicer destroys anything that shines or carries current. The stuff doesn’t impress me on the road much, but the way it works itself into the paint and wires of a truck is nothing short of amazing. I’ve tried numerous methods of prevention with only limited success. Thank goodness I have knowledgeable friends in the truck detailing business who give me useful pointers.
I’m sure a few of our readers have helpful hints as well. The best idea I’ve heard so far is to park the truck after Halloween and keep it in the barn until Easter. Maybe next year I will try that or spend the cold months in warmer climates – someplace like Phoenix or Miami, where they don’t need that stuff. Between now and then I have to try to recover some of last year’s shine. I’ve joked for years, “It’s not how fast you truck, or how heavy you haul, it’s how good you look along the way that matters most of all. So, I drive 55 from one truck wash to the next and let as many people as possible see me.” That’s not really all I do, but I am well aware of my equipment’s appearance.
Often when we see a driver rolling across the parking lot or driving down the street our impression of their ability is first judged by the equipment they drive. The name plate isn’t all that important since every brand now makes trucks capable of doing most jobs. The condition of those trucks, however, is a critical element I use to assess the professionalism of the driver and his or her company. We have all seen the Rubbermaid truck roll in, missing two tires, with the front fender duct taped together, looking for a place to park. That’s when you make the decision to pull out, because the only available spot to park is next to you! Had that driver been piloting a clean, polished, and well maintained truck, chances are you might not have considered moving.
Our customers make the same choices, only they can’t move, so they will find a more creative way not to use your company again. I have worked with a few companies where they stated in the lease agreement I, the contractor, must have and keep an appealing visual appearance when dealing with customers. That did not just apply to the driver, but our equipment, as well. Last month I mentioned in that article the importance of good service, and part of that service is attention to detail. That’s where I want us to go this month. It’s the little things that matter. Yes, of course, cleanliness and punctuality are also an element, along with knowledge.
Those of us who have driven for any length of time – and I’m talking years not miles – have needed to make road repairs or emergency makeovers to fix unexpected and untimely problems. Having the basic understanding of how something works and where it is located can be the difference between making an embarrassing wrecker call or your “MacGyver moment” when you look like a genus. Just this week I had an old driver of mine call with a truck dead in the water at the fuel island. He drove it in, shut it off, and when he tried to leave, there was no power. His suggestion was a bad ignition switch, so that’s where we started. But, since everything powered up on the key switch, we then focused on the starter. A basic understanding of electrical currents is needed to deal with these types of potential problems.
Every driver should be able to identify any given part on the truck they drive. If not, then spend some of those lost hours playing on the phone during a 34-hour reset researching components and elements that make up the units they drive. In the case of my old driver, he is very capable of doing just that. The reason he called me was more a case of frustration – he was looking for a new set of eyes or ideas. Once we set him on the path of chasing wires, checking for loose grounds or broken wires, the problem was solved. The ground wire to the frame was corroded in two splices, and once it was replaced, it powered up and down the road he went.
All of us old time, dyed in the wool, know everything truck drivers are the last of a dying breed. That’s not a complement. We tend to be set in our ways, and only a few of us are receptive to new ideas when they come wrapped in youth. A classic example is the use of an electronic logbook, or an automatic transmission – yah, no, I’m not having any part of either of them. Since I own the company I can make that choice, but as a driver, you’re going to drive what your company provides or go home.
Last month I attended the big MATS (Mid-America Trucking Show) in Louisville, KY. While there, I shadowed three of the best custom truck builders in North America. This year I didn’t have any need to make purchases, so I spent three days watching and listening. My sole purpose was to stand in the rear and observe the responses to products and the presentation of the people (company) making those products. This experience was enlightening in terms of fabrication and application of replacement parts. I’ve said in the past, “Engineers design and builders build, but in this case, the redesign of stock or replacement parts for customization is not as simple as swapping out one piece for another.
The design of today’s new trucks is fast changing given the need, or want, for efficiency. We can no longer purchase the traditional straight, clean, smooth-sided cabs. Everything now has curves and is plastic. If I wanted to see curves and plastic, I would go to the strip club and take a fist full of dollars! I don’t like most of the new model power units on the market today because they all look alike. To me, the most prominent attribute of a driver is their individuality. The equipment they drive accentuates their individuality and the service they are capable of providing.
Case in point – if you are running short trips with heavy payloads your fuel mileage may not be the most important factor when choosing your vehicle. However, to the long haul driver who just eats concrete and pounds the pavement, that’s a totally different story. Most of us short haul or local drivers tend to retain our power units longer and spec them with a service life in relation to the duty cycles, not time and distance. For many of us, the longer we own a vehicle, the more we tend to “customize” it.
Louisville is beyond question the premier spot to debut a new creation. This year there were three builders who competed for top dog in a no holds barred, no rules (well, a few), custom truck build off. All three Build Off trucks were over the top in terms of originality and beyond the creative ability of most shops (see this month’s cover feature). The rest of the working and limited mileage trucks there were also a treasure trove of new and original ideas. I think most of us would like to have a truck be in contention for a “Best of Show” – or at least Best in Class – trophy!
After weeks of prep at home and then most of a week to dial in the trucks in Louisville, everything was set for the judges to work, picking the winners. I can say I did not envy any of the judges, as that was a tight field of magnificent machinery to critique. After the judging, I watched some different builders check out the competition and discuss among themselves how and why they made or manufactured the parts on their truck.
I had to ask a couple questions when following these guys as to why they were giving so much attention to certain parts of the vehicle. Their answer was the new design has more flex and not as much support as the old designs. The use of plastic and fiberglass doesn’t always need as much support as a part made of aluminum or stainless steel, therefore the replacement part must provide internal support or be made using thicker, more substantial materials. Not to mention the curved lines of these new trucks, which present an extra challenge when matching the bodywork, so the new dress up parts flow in a manner that fits the overall look of said truck.
All of us have seen the “will fit” trucks. Those are the economical minded owners that will stick miscellaneous pieces of shiny stuff and random lights any place they will fit. Most of the time they do not achieve the eye catching appearance they were going for.
I said I was ghosting or shadowing these guys, but what I was really doing was testing my knowledge. Sadly, I have to admit, I’m not ready to play ball on their field. Shoot, I’m not sure I qualify to sit in the stadium and watch them! I will say, I made some adjustments in my attitude towards the younger and, in this case, smarter and more capable, guys who are responsible for making drivers look cool on their stools these days. I spoke up a few times thinking I could contribute to the conversation and then got schooled about historical parts and their process of manufacturing. Who knew they were listening when their father was teaching them as kids (tip of the hat to Dale, one of the earliest customizers in the industry).
This was not done in a disrespectful manner, but to help me understand why they now remake some parts out of different materials and how the process has evolved through the years. In the course of three days, they were in and out of several of the more prominent suppliers for aftermarket parts. I was present when they conversed with not only the salespeople, but the designers and/or engineers, as well. And I have to admit, I didn’t comprehend some of the technology or the technological jargon they used, so I had them explain it later in terms I could understand.
I think we all know someone who is not necessarily an expert in their field, but definitely a person of considerable knowledge. It is always in our best interest to listen when they speak. Keep in mind there is a difference between that person and someone who just likes to hear their voice when talking. I have always been told, “If you’re talking to an older man and he carves a slice of apple with his folding knife while talking, you should definitely listen up, because that’s experience talking.”
The time I spent at the truck show with these young men was a valuable investment in my ongoing education. At the time I may not have understood I was in the presence of greatness, since they are considerably younger than me, but they are still worthy of my attention (even more so than I previously thought). With that being said, let me amend the old adage and change it to, “If you’re listening to a couple younger craftsman, covered with tattoos, wearing Dixxon shirts, Dickies trousers and Hey Dude shoes, and they’re talking custom trucks, LISTEN UP!” They may be the new and revised version of that old man carving the apple, 10-4!
