Current economic conditions and concern about the unknown cost and durability of new low-emission EGR diesel engines are driving some fleets to keep their vehicles for several more years.

The big question is, what does such a decision to do costs and the likely need for increased maintenance? Executive Editor Jim Winsor attempts to answer that question with a case history in the April issue of Heavy Duty Trucking.
Speaking at the recent Technology and Maintenance Council meeting, Joe Fleming, president of Falcon Transport in Youngstown, Ohio, laid out the extended-life action plan that he started in 2000.
Falcon used to trade its tractors at five years, regardless of mileage. The new plan is to trade out groups of tractors at 550,000 miles, with a goal of no trades at all in 2002.
Fleming explained how the objective of his maintenance program top-notch preventive maintenance. The idea is for PM mechanics to spend as much time as necessary to service and inspect/repair equipment so it will make it to the next servicing with little or no revisits to the shop.
For details on how Fleming's program works, read Winsor's column in the April issue of Heavy Duty Trucking.