Back to School with TRICO | The worst defensive driving class
-
Similar Content
-
First Brands Group Acquires Brake Parts Inc. And Champion Laboratories
By Alex,
- first branc
- trico
- (and 1 more)
- 0 replies
- 2,176 views
-
-
Similar Topics
-
By Counterman
Scheduling of delivery drivers can be one of the more difficult personnel-related tasks for any manager. Often at the lower end of your pay scale and frequently staffed by part-time employees, these positions can be difficult to screen, fill and maintain. They are a critical link to commercial success, yet their value is easily overlooked when weekly schedules are created.
In many retail environments, analysis of prior hour-by-hour sales figures often shapes the forecast for staffing future shifts. Adequate staffing at the front counter is critical to assisting customers and moving merchandise efficiently, but in order to accurately forecast demand for delivery drivers, we must ignore the majority of retail sales, which occur in-store or, increasingly, as online purchases. Unless your business model includes “home delivery” to retail customers, staffing your delivery needs will revolve exclusively around your commercial accounts.
Having adequate delivery capability to maintain (or strengthen) your commercial relationships can look different for each location. Vehicle and personnel numbers will vary based primarily on that individual store’s customer mix and the type of market served. Wholesale jobbers generally serve a broader geographic area than retailers, due in part to their smaller store network. A chain retailer is more likely to have a greater concentration of individual stores per square mile, each serving a smaller area, while the jobber maintains a larger commercial customer base spread across a larger geographic area.
As a result, jobbers tend to make better use of scheduled route delivery, in contrast to focusing on frequent short “on-demand” deliveries in the immediate area. These schedules are much easier to forecast, as they are somewhat consistent throughout the business day. When scheduling for the “hot-shot” portion of your delivery needs, however, the natural ebb and flow of your store’s daily routine become an important factor. There are key points throughout each day that require additional delivery staffing.
Many stores enjoy some form of overnight warehouse delivery, and those daily orders will be expected at shops across your territory as soon as possible the following morning. Between those “first thing in the morning” deliveries and the daily ritual of vehicle pre-checks, the first hour of the workday can be a beehive of activity for your delivery staff. By the time your trucks are returning from their early rounds, orders generated from those 8 a.m. diagnostic appointments at shops across your market have begun to filter in, resulting in another rush. Customer calls ramp up again before and during the traditional lunch hour, as shops try to arrange deliveries to arrive before technicians return from their breaks. Another flurry of dispatches will be in response to the afternoon’s diagnostics, with shops hoping to wrap up repairs before end of day, and to beat the overnight order deadlines for the next day’s business.
In addition to customer-driven rushes, we may also see a spike in driver demand centered around our own incoming deliveries. Stores with midday warehouse deliveries will see a surge in demand around these times, as well as those created by UPS or FedEx drop-offs. Most of our best customers already know what time to expect such special orders, and the volume of “where’s my stuff?” calls will add to the sense of immediacy felt by everyone on staff!
Delivery scheduling can also be adversely affected by seasonality and holidays. Freezing or snowy weather not only creates delays in parts deliveries from the warehouse and at store levels, but it can also limit an individual driver’s ability to report for duty as scheduled, creating a gap in coverage. Coupled with the longer delivery times required for the remaining staff to complete routes safely, it can create temporary bottlenecks. Holidays also create personnel issues, as we attempt to find coverage for those days that everyone wants to spend with family and friends. Travel-intensive holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day also create an increased demand from shops prepping vehicles for extended trips, with added pressure for everyone to complete repairs, often at the last minute.
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman
It’s a common comeback: a failed starter covered in oil. Let’s break down why replacing it alone won’t fix the issue and how to prevent it.
The starter converts electrical energy into mechanical rotation to crank the engine. It relies on clean, dry internal components for proper operation. Engine seals, like valve covers, cam seals, rear main seals and oil pans, are designed to keep oil contained. When these seals fail, oil can leak externally and contaminate components mounted below, including the starter.
In some vehicle layouts, a rear main seal leak can travel along the bellhousing and reach the starter, though that depends on how the engine and transmission are positioned.
An oil-soaked starter can suffer internal damage to brushes and electrical contacts, leading to slow crank, intermittent operation, or no crank at all. Oil also attracts dirt, accelerating wear.
Heat plays a role as well. On vehicles where the starter is located near the exhaust, oil contamination can bake onto the housing and internal components, forming a varnish or sludge. That buildup can increase electrical resistance and further degrade starter performance.
In real world situations, a technician may replace the starter, only to see the new one fail prematurely. That often results in warranty returns, but the real issue is the unresolved oil leak continuing to contaminate the replacement unit.
Verify the starter concern, then inspect for oil contamination. Check above the starter for leaks from valve covers, cam seals, or rear main seals. ASE diagnostic logic emphasizes fixing the root cause before replacing components. The correct repair may involve replacing the failed gasket or seal. If immediate repair isn’t practical,
link hidden, please login to view can be used to help restore seal condition and reduce leakage. To apply, add it to the engine oil, do not overfill, run the engine to circulate, then drive normally. Most leaks stop within a few days of operation. If the starter is oil-soaked, the leak is the problem. Fix it, or the failure will come back.
This video is sponsored by link hidden, please login to view.
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman
The
link hidden, please login to view has released its 2024 American Driving Survey, which quantifies daily driving in 2024 and compares results to 2023 and 2022. Similar to 2023, the brief analyzes the age of vehicles driven and explores differences by population groups. This year, new analyses of vehicle engine type are included. Vehicle age and engine type are important components of both crash risk and environmental impact, as newer vehicles are equipped with more advanced safety features and alternative engines can reduce emissions. Key Findings Included:
94.2% of U.S. residents ages 16 and older drove at least occasionally in 2023, statistically unchanged from 2023 and 2022. In 2024, drivers made an average of 2.44 driving trips per day, spent 60.4 minutes driving and traveled 31.1 miles daily, with no statistically significant differences from 2023. Projecting these results to the national population, drivers collectively made 232 billion trips, spent 96 billion hours driving and drove 2.95 trillion miles in 2024. Some of the travel patterns reported by population groups were consistent with both previous years’ trends:
Male respondents reported more minutes, miles driven and trips taken as compared to female respondents. Drivers from the Northeast made more and longer trips, while drivers from the South spent more time driving. Other travel patterns, stabilized post-2021, have continued in 2024:
Drivers with a bachelor’s degree or higher took more trips and spent more time behind the wheel compared to other groups. White non-Hispanic drivers recorded the greatest number of trips and miles driven, while Black non-Hispanic drivers spent more time behind the wheel than other groups. Younger drivers continued using older vehicles (greater than 14 years old), whereas older, retired drivers tended to use newer cars ( less than four years old). Findings Related to Engine Type Included:
In 2024, gas-powered vehicles made up the majority of driving trips (91.0%), while hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for a smaller share (6.4% and 2.5% respectively). Respondents driving EVs recorded the longest average trip times (16.0 minutes) and distances (32.9 miles), indicating that EVs were often used for longer journeys. For more information on the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, visit
link hidden, please login to view. The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By jack552
Hey everyone,
I’ve been checking different options for good-quality auto parts and also exploring some driving-related stuff recently. It’s interesting how real some driving simulators visit: bussimulator-apk.com can feel — great for anyone who loves vehicles and the road experience.
Also, where do you guys usually buy your parts — local shops or online? Would love to hear your thoughts.
-
-
By Counterman
Toyota made a name for itself in America by thinking small. At a time when American automakers were still clinging to V8 power, Toyota was quietly producing fuel-efficient compact cars and trucks powered by inline-fours. Beginning with the R series engine in the 1958 Toyopet Crown, the Japanese automaker would offer US drivers inline engines for the next 30 years before introducing its first V6 in the 1988 Camry. The VZ series sixes were soon followed by the first UZ series V8 with the debut of the 1990 Lexus LS400.
These early Toyota engine “families” are further identified by an alphanumeric code indicating the block’s generation, the engine family or series, and major features like fuel injection, turbocharging and valve angle. The leading number or numbers is a sequential accounting of each generation, followed by a letter (or pair of letters) assigned to the family, and finally, a suffix to highlight those variations in features. These family codes do not directly signify displacement, only the basic architecture of the block.
Over its 40-year run, the “R series” went through 22 generations, with the “final boss” being the ubiquitous 2.4L known as the 22R-E. Powering thousands of compact Hilux trucks and 4Runners along the way, it is still one of Toyota’s most beloved engines from the era. It was finally replaced by the RZ series in 1995, after the introduction of the Tacoma and T100 platforms. The 2RZ-FE was a 2.4L used in 4×2 Tacomas, while the larger 2.7L 3RZ-FE found a home under the hoods of 4×4 Tacomas, 4Runners and the midsize T100.
Toyota had helped popularize the compact pickup in America, but it soon found itself growing toward the lucrative full-size market. Thanks to a 3.4L 5VZ-FE engine available in the Tacoma and T100, Toyota finally had a V6 to help it move toward creating its biggest truck yet… the 2000 Tundra. This platform would be in direct competition with The Big Three, and required an optional V8 to compete effectively.
Using the aluminum Lexus 1UZ-FE engine as a starting point, the cast-iron 2UZ-FE was developed in Alabama specifically for the American market. At 4.7L, the four-cam, 32-valve engine proved capable, but was soon replaced by the UR series in two phases. The aluminum 5.7L 3UR-FE debuted in 2007, and remains the largest displacement Toyota V8 ever produced. By 2010, the smaller 4.6L 1UR-FE block had replaced the last of the UZ family engines. The 1GR-FE, a 4.0L V6, soldiered on between 2004-2015 as the “in-between” engine shared by both Tacoma and Tundra.
2021 would see the end of Toyota’s “growth” in the truck market. With the 2022 model year, the V8 quietly disappeared, leaving Toyota with a series of 4 and 6 cylinder engines featuring their “Dynamic Force” engine technologies. These turbocharged “I-FORCE” engines are (once again) a 2.4L in the Tacoma and a 3.4L in the Tundra, with hybrid versions of each engine receiving an “I-FORCE MAX” designation.
Thirty years on from the first Tacoma (and 20 since the Tundra), Toyota has returned to its beginnings. With small displacements, big efficiencies and a reputation for building reliable vehicles on a global scale, Toyota is still Moving Forward.
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view
-
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.