em mag august 2010 - c.ymcdn.comc.ymcdn.com/sites/ · pdf fileat castrol, our goal is to ﬁ...

SUMMER 2010

Official Publication:

AEMP

HybridEvolution

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Successor Selection

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Training: A Critical Necessity

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How to Seasonalize a Fleet

JohnDeere.com/backhoe

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08.01.10

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AEMP STRATEGIC ALLIANCE PARTNERS

Summer 2010

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MANAGEMENT

12 HybridEvolutionA look at the state of the newtechnology moving intoearthmoving equipment

STRATEGIC ISSUES

18 Successor SelectionMake grooming a replacement partof your job function, whether it’s aformal plan or informal

BEST PRACTICES

22 Training: A CriticalNecessity2010 Fleet Master MarilynRawlings, CEM, invests time,energy and more than a little fun

MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT

24 How to Seasonalize a FleetFollow these guidelines to ensureproper operation in cold-weatherconditions

DEPARTMENTS

5 The President’s Pen6 AEMP News

• The AEMP FoundationAnnounces 20 ScholarshipRecipients

• Certified Equipment Managersand Equipment ManagerSpecialists

• AEMP Board of Directors

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I T ’S M O R E T H A N J U S T O I L . I T ’S L I Q U I D E N G I N E E R I N G.®

®

Our Online FutureBy Daryl Crear, 2010-2011 AEMP National President

At the AEMP 2010 summer board meeting, our Board of Directors looked care-fully at the past and future of the association. We looked back with pride at the recentlaunch of the telematics standard, the new EMS credential, and the major success ofour annual meeting.

As we looked to the future, we were greeted with grand opportunities and newchallenges. AEMP was not immune to the vulnerability that the economic downturnbrought our industry. But we have optimism and confidence that our association hasthe courage and creativity to triumph in the face of these challenges and never to losesight of our vision.

We concluded that we need to focus our energies in order to have a greater impacton our membership. In everything we do we want to foster leadership, continually

build on the knowledge we offer and gain, and prioritize projects that will make significant educational contri-butions to our members.

It is now clear that AEMP must not merely “weather the storm.” What AEMP is experiencing is not sim-ply an economy-driven passing storm; it is a climate change. We are experiencing more than just a market-driven recession. We are experiencing a shift in the entire way people go about business.

We cannot simply attempt to cling to what we have; we must take account of new realities and technolo-gies and adjust accordingly. A 2007 study by the U.S. Department of Education shows that more than two-thirds of all postsecondary institutions in the nation offered popular online distance education courses.Furthermore, more than 97 percent of all public two-year institutions offered online education courses.

Keeping these staggering statistics in mind, AEMP will be seeking funding to create a website that will bea dynamic educational resource to our membership. The website will not only be the 24-7 home base for ar-ticles, videos and other types of education, but it will also host the future online AEMP University. Astronger online presence will help AEMP present a professional and credible image. Contemporary web usersexpect to be able to find information and communicate online.

Organizations that still do not have a Web presence are inadvertently making a statement about their abil-ity to embrace technology and adapt to change in today’s dynamic environment.

Our boosted online presence will also offer greater accessibility and convenience to members looking forinformation or education. Furthermore, our members will be able to enjoy travel and time savings, as educa-tion will be delivered directly to their screen.

Building a website that will grow with AEMP is a big goal. It’s challenging. And we know we can’t do italone. The AEMP Education Foundation has agreed to assist AEMP with tax deductible fund collection. Wewill look for partners and individuals who can help us in any way. We plan to pursue an active, strategic ap-proach for the use of our resources.

Although we have not set a new direction, we have decided to narrow our focus to a project that can bethe foundation for many future successes. As we build on our achievements, lessons and innovation of thosewho came before us, we ask all of our members to help achieve these goals. We invite you to help us with thisprocess—be it a tax deductible donation to the AEMP Foundation or by sharing web development resources.Most of all, we thank you—for your past and future support as we embark on this exciting new project.


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AEMP FoundationAnnounces 20Scholarship Recipients

The AEMP Foundation is pleased to award scholarships to 20 students planning to enter the diesel technicianprofession. The scholarship competition is open to students all over the United States who are interested in pursu-ing a career as a heavy-equipment technician.

The AEMP Foundation is committed to addressing the critical technician shortage by assisting those who wishto make a career in the heavy equipment industry. This year the Foundation saw a record amount of interest inthe scholarship program and awarded a record number of scholarships.

This year, scholarships were awarded to:

Jacob Novotny, Hot Springs, SD. Jacob keptbusy through high school with 4H, varsity track, crosscountry, and swimming. Diesel has always been one ofhis top interests, starting from when he had theopportunity to help a local rancher fix tractors orcombines. Jacob plans on studying diesel mechanics atLalze Area Technical Institute.

Caleb Freidrich, Henry, IL. Caleb is an EagleScout who is involved in Premier Boys State of Illinoisas a delegate. Caleb is interested in the challenge of theever-changing field of diesel technology. He will bestudying Diesel Technology at Illinois Central College.

Corey Fuhrman, Holtwood, PA. Corey hasworked nearly full time with diesel for two and a halfyears and is attending the Lancaster County Career &Technology Center program for diesel technology.Corey will be attending the UTI campus located inExton, PA.

Jeremy Raney, Kearney, MO. Jeremy kept busyin high school with his participation in Skills USA asan executive council member. He has wanted to be adiesel technician for a long time and is especiallyinterested in medium/heavy trucks. Jeremy is excited tostart his diesel studies at Linn State Technical College.

Courtney Krueger, Grand Forks, ND.Courtney was busy in high school, serving as team

captain for Red River Soccer and being chosen to playon Team North Dakota. He also was involved inNational Honors Society, National Society of HighSchool Scholars, traveling hockey, and his churchyouth group. He is also the recipient of two academicawards: Breakfast of Champions award and thePersonal Best Award. Courtney will be attending NorthDakota State College of Science to study dieseltechnology.

Dylan Pieper, Norfolk, NE. Dylan was involvedwith football, basketball and track in high school.Dylan currently works at a lawn care company wherehe has had the opportunity to service skid-steerloaders, tractors, wheel loaders and snowplows. Dylanwants to specialize in demolition and will be studyingat South Dakota State University.

Bryan Eaton, Amesbury, MA. Bryan is anhonor student who won an academic excellence awardas well as a scholarship awarded to Massachusettsstudents based on state exam scores. Bryan will beattending Wyotech in Laramie, WY, to study in thediesel program as well as pursue studies in chassisfabrication.

Timothy Chartrand, Rindge, NH. Timothyhas always been interested in diesel engines. Timothystudied at his high school’s ASE-certified automotivecareer center, but is excited to learn even more about

Scholarship recipient Zane Osgood.



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diesel engine design and hydraulics systems. Timothywill be studying at White Mountains CommunityCollege in Berlin, NH.

Thomas Finley, Bridgeport, IL. Thomas is afour-year participant in FFA, serving throughout histime as President, Vice President and Treasurer.Thomas was also his class President as a senior andVice President as a sophomore and junior. Thomasplans on pursuing an associate’s degree in DieselEquipment Technology at Wabash Valley College.

Jacob Parnaby, Middlefield, OH. Jacob wasbusy in high school, serving as team captain on hishigh school’s basketball team and working more than30 hours a week as a farmhand. Jacob wishes tobecome a diesel technician to “keep Americarunning.” Jacob will be studying at the University ofNorthwestern Ohio for hands on training andcertification as a diesel technician.

Zachariah Parnaby, Middlefield, OH.Zachariah was the recipient of numerous awards,including the National Technical Honor Society,Auburn Career Center Award of Excellence, AuburnExemplary Student Award, and the Student of theMonth award. Zachariah will be studying agricultureand Diesel at the University of Northwestern Ohio.

William “Alan” Kennedy, Skowegan, ME.Alan participated in the Order of the Elks, VarsityGolf and Varsity Bowling throughout high school. Healso works as a mechanic apprentice at R. F.Automotive. Alan is looking forward to gaining newskills and advancing his knowledge at UniversalTechnical Institute in Norwood, MA.

Tyson Mayhall, Grant, AL. Tyson was an activeparticipant in the FFA, serving as Vice President andreceiving Star and Chapter Green Hand awards. Tysoncurrently works on a farm and wishes to expand his

knowledge in diesel repair and maintenance. Tyson islooking forward to studying diesel technology atWallace State Community College.

Brian Appleman, Amboy, IL. Brian wasinvolved with FFA, Key Club, National HonorsSociety, baseball, wrestling, and football.Additionally, Brian spent time as a firefighter at theAmboy fire department. Brian is excited to start hisstudies in diesel power technology at KishwaukeeCollege.

Logan Nelson, Rigby, ID. Logan participated inbaseball for 15 years as a pitcher and first baseman. Inaddition, he participated in Marion County Searchand Rescue, getting certified in CPR/first aid, lifesupport. Logan currently works at an auto parts storebut will be looking forward to studying dieseltechnology at Idaho State University.

Zane Osgood, Ischua, NY. Zane is a second-yearscholarship recipient who is busy studying at AlfredState College. Among some of the skills he has gained,Zane has learned to repair and describe brakefunctions, perform wheel alignments, and repairsuspension parts. Zane’s professors applaud his workand people skills.

Sam Boyle, Polson, MT. Sam is a second-yearscholarship recipient. Sam is attending Montana StateUniversity-Northern. Sam’s professors are pleased thathe is challenging himself in the Diesel TechnologyProgram and applaud his decision to pursue abachelor’s degree.

Kevin McKinley, Fairlee, VT. A second-yearscholarship recipient, Kevin is gaining hands-onexperience at Washington County CommunityCollege. Kevin attended the 2010 AEMP annualmeeting in Dallas and gained an abundance of industryknowledge and made valuable industry contacts.

The AEMP Foundation was able to provide additional scholarships with the generous support of the Foundation’s annual scholarship donors: Terex, Bechtel, Delta Rigging & Tools and ACEM.

For more information on the AEMP Foundation’s scholarship program, visit AEMP.org.



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The Certified Equipment Manager (CEM) Certification program was developed by AEMP and is therecognized certification in the industry. The CEM program is designed to evaluateprofessional standards, enhance individual performance, and recognize those whodemonstrate knowledge essential to the successful practice of equipment maintenanceand fleet management. The Equipment Manager Specialist (EMS) designation recognizes

the achievement of equipment managers in the first five years of their careers when theyare developing the knowledge and skills to become a CEM.

Join a distinguished group of peers nationwide who have chosen to attain this high level of excellence. Formore information, visit www.aemp.org.

2010Carter Dicken, CEMDavid Heredia, CEMJoseph E. Martin, CEM

2009Richard Miller, CEMJason Marmann, CEMDonald Lubinsky, CEMLowell Burgett, CEMTim Boland, CEMRich Hahn, CEMMike Blankenship, CEMRon Kennedy, CEMRonald Sharp, CEMJim Sulkanen, CEMRobert Fitchett, CEMLarry LeClair, CEM

2008Bradley Ament, CEMBrent Balluff, CEMMark Bellamy, CEMRobert Bogardus, CEMMyron Brubacher, CEMTom Burbank, CEMDonald Carson, CEMKeith Cox, CEMMike Demelo, CEMTed Dexheimer, CEMKevin Edwards, CEMMike Fink, CEMWill Ford, CEMCliff Francois, CEMMark Gannon, CEMRobert Genter, CEMEd Gestido, CEMCharles Hall, CEM Mac Hardaway, CEMJames Hardesty, CEMGene Huffman, CEMGeorge Hrichak, CEMBrent Johnson, CEMJarot Karcher, CEMJames Kulesa, CEMRon Lallo, CEMRobert Lawson, CEMDave Leicester, CEMRichard Lutz, CEMBob Merritt, CEMVerlon Moore, CEMRichard Mullins, CEMDan Pitt, CEM Bill Prussman, CEM

Harold Reich, CEMMarvin Rivera, CEMJohn Rothweiler, CEMJames Smith, CEMGregory Stashuk, CEMRobert Tonn, CEM Nathan Watts, CEMRoy Widney, CEMCraig Worrell, CEM

2007James Amspaugh, CEMRichard Behrens, CEMDanny Brashear, CEMJohn Brewington, CEM Robert Bucklew, CEMJeff Buckmaster, CEMRandall Carter, CEMTommas Cochran, CEMDaniel Connelly, CEMJeremy Cowing, CEMRobert Dix, CEMMason Ford, CEMDominic Galati, CEMLawrence Gray, CEMSteven L. Hagel, CEMMyron Kuehler, CEMJason Mauney, CEMGary Merrifield, CEMSandra Mesquita, CEMJames Miller, CEMWilliam Mueller, CEMBruce Prentice, CEMKarl Quackenbush, CEMWarren Schmidt, CEMEarl Schwing, CEMStacy Smith, CEMAngel Sosa, CEMPhillip Strahin, CEMDwayne B. Thomas, CEMPhillip Wolfley, CEMMike Young, CEM

2006Dan Beaver, CEM Ryan Scott Bentley, CEMDan Bernosky, CEMTerry Fox, CEMRodney George, CEMGil Gilbert, CEMHarold Huddleston, CEMLarry Maready, CEMGregory E. Morris, CEMAndrew Murad, CEM

Steve Nester, CEMJoe O’Leary, CEMPhil Picone, CEMMichael Pierce, CEMJuan Ramirez, CEMJohn Root, CEMJohn Summerfield, CEMBradley S. Wright, CEMRobert Weeks III, CEM

2005Dale Abbott, CEMMichael J. Brennan, CEMSteve Burleyson, CEMRobert Collett, CEMMatthew S. Endsley, CEMLorne Fleming, CEMSteve Frazier, CEMJohn Gray, CEMDavid Greenlee, CEMChuck Hoffner, CEMJeffrey Holt, CEMPeter Huisenga, CEMCarter LaFoy, CEMMichael Lax, CEMRandall Lykins, CEMMark R. Malnack, CEMJohn McCorkhill Jr., CEMTim Morgan, CEMTracy Ochsner, CEMTroy Peterson, CEMMarilyn Rawlings, CEMBarry Schlouch, CEMPaul Schmidt, CEMWalt Shaw, CEMTom Stoner, CEMDon Swasing, CEMRichard VonVolkinburg, CEMRichard Weston, CEM

2004Christopher B. Anderson,CEMMichael A. Bates, CEMSteve Bell, CEMRichard J. Brannigan, CEMMatt Bush, CEM Bradley J. Bylsma, CEMRichard Byrd, CEMDeborah S. Clark, CEMPatrick T. Crail, CEMRex Davis, CEMRichard S. Deeds Jr., CEMDavid Dingey, CEM

David Doss, CEMRobert Ermer, CEMTodd Fulsom, CEMDarrell Gregory, CEMGrant Harrod, CEMKelly Hogan, CEMThomas Kelpe, CEMLarry LaBarbera, CEMRobert Lang, CEMMark E. Lynes, CEMLewis Martin, CEMRobbie Martin, CEMGregory Moore, CEMMichael O’Brien, CEMMichael Reischman, CEMRandy Rendon, CEMBrian Richards, CEMDavid R. Schulhofer, CEMJohn Sharp, CEMMarcus Skaggs, CEMC. Bryan Soileau, CEMWilliam Stanley, CEMMichael Tenski, CEMBen Tucker, CEMCarl Uhinck, CEMErvin W. Yahr Jr., CEMMike Zobel, CEM

2003Robert Andrade, CEMJames Brohamer, CEMStephen Burton, CEMJonathon Chupp, CEMDan Delk, CEMB.E. Denton III, CEMKent Field, CEMKevin Fritzinger, CEMPaul Hays, CEMStephen B. Howard, CEMCharlie Johnson, CEMTerry Kader, CEMGreg Kittle, CEMJames L. Landolt, CEMMichael E. Lockhart, CEMRichard Lower, CEMBradley Melcher, CEMKaren Palencar, CEMRobert Patterson, CEMTom Paulin, CEMLeon M. Prillaman, CEMGary P. Rakes, CEMM. Lee Shaffer, CEML.T. Williams, CEMWilliam Don Wright, CEM

www.aemp.org Summer 2010


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2002William Anderson, CEMDavid Anderson, CEMTheresa F. Anderson, CEMDaniel Bass, CEMJames F. Brandon, CEMArcher Caldwell, CEMRichard Campbell, CEMCharlie Caudill, CEMDavid L. Coombs, CEMLeigh Dennis, CEMLevi Dungan, CEMJoe Fiorelli, CEMStephen Green, CEMBruce Guggemos, CEMScott Holland, CEMCarl W. Huskey, CEMRonald P. Hutchinson, CEMWarren Laing, CEMDale T. Leuer, CEMKen Mannon, CEMBryan K. Maul, CEMRobert D. McClure, CEMRudy Payton, CEMJames B. Pearman, CEMRaymond Peter, CEMMichael C. Poorman, CEM

J. Chris Ryan, CEMPietro Scarafiotti, CEMBill Sterner, CEMCarlton D. Stevens, CEMDon Walker, CEMPete Walsh, CEMJudy Workman, CEM

2001Thomas W. Atkins, CEMRichard G. Bonistalli, CEMJames T. Brewbaker, CEMJames Conley, CEMGregg Cox, CEMEddy Elliott, CEMHerbert Gann, CEMDavid Harris, CEMSam Houston, CEMTerry Howard, CEMKevin Knaebel, CEMJ. Howard Mann, CEMCalvin Martin, CEMJohn L. Nackers, CEMTodd M. Perrine, CEMErle Potter, CEMJohn H. Puzenski, CEMTom Serfass, CEM

Don Sprouse, CEMBurt Thorpe, CEMLindsay E. Walker II, CEM

2000David Allard, CEMDan Augstin, CEMBrett Burgess, CEMDon Caplinger, CEMJohn D. Gaines, CEMGuy Gordon, CEMDave Gorski, CEMNick Helms, CEMBlair Kinker, CEMDave Markey, CEMCharles S. Miller III, CEMKevin Power, CEMGary Smith, CEMRichard Stanbery, CEMBill Underwood, CEMBill Vanden Brook, CEMWilliam J. White, CEMCarl Wulf, CEM

1997Al Beamer, CEMFrank Bull, CEM

1996Gary Carpenter, CEMBill Cyford, CEMGary Dow, CEMRobert Draves, CEMRobert Gordon, CEMRobert Turner, CEMDale Warner, CEM

2010 Equipment Manager Specialist ClassHarold Romberg, EMS

2009 Equipment Manager Specialist ClassDavid Akins, EMSJohn Gutierrez, EMS

The Certified Equipment Manager Institute(CEMI) takes place twice annually in conjunction with the AEMP Annual Conference

in March and the AEMP Fall Symposium in October. It consists of sixteen, one

hour sessions relating to the sixteen equipment manager competencies

covered extensively in the Career Equipment Fleet Manager (CEFM) manual.

Candidates for the Equipment Manager Specialist, Certified Equipment

Manager, or the Certified Equipment Support Professional exams will find

that the course is an excellent opportunity to study the content, ask

questions of the professionals, and network with study groups prior to

any of the three exams.

The Institute is open to all Conference registrants to attend any of the

individual sessions but the Institute materials are only available to those

that register specifically for the CEM Institute. Register for the October 26-27

CEMI and/or Certification Exams at the equipment manager learning source,

aemp.org

An AEMP Educational Program


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2010-2011 AEMP Board of DirectorsEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Daryl Crear(President)Rumpke ConsolidateCompanies, Inc.Cincinnati, OH

Dave Gorski, CEM (President-Elect)K-Five Construction Co.Lemont, IL

Daniel Connelly, CEM(Vice President)Oldcastle Materials, Inc.Columbus, OH

J. Chris Ryan, CEM(Vice President)Boh Bros. Construction Co.New Orleans, LA

Sam Houston, CEM(Vice President)City of JacksonvilleJacksonville, FL

Guy Gordon, CEM(Sec/Treas)Insituform TechnologiesChesterfield, MO

Michael A. Bates, CEM(Immediate Past President)Cajun Constructors Inc.Baton Rouge, LA

ELECTED DIRECTORS

Patrick T. Crail, CEM(Director of Construction)John R. Jurgensen Co.Cincinnati, OH

Michael J. Brennan, CEM(Director of Governmental)Manatee County Fleet SvcsBradenton, FL

Carl Porter(Director of Associates)John Deere Construction &ForestryGranville, OH

Lorne Fleming, CEM(Director of Mining)Grace Pacific Corp.Honolulu, HI

APPOINTED DIRECTORS

Aaron MayerRyan Incorporated CentralJanesville, WI

Barry GilbergKomatsu America Corp.Rolling Meadows, IL

Bob Merritt, CEMURS CorpBoise, ID

Matt Bush, CEMThe Ruhlin CompanySharon Center, OH

Peter Graham CauserVolvo ConstructionEquipmentAsheville, NC

Rod SuttonConstruction Equipment

Ron SchultzCaterpillar, Inc.Peoria, IL

Steve TurbinOldcastle MaterialsSpokane, WA

Warren Schmidt, CEMFlatironLongmont, CO

AEMP NATIONALHEADQUARTERS P.O. Box 1368Glenwood Springs, CO 81602Phone: (970) 384-0510 Fax: (970) 384-0512E-mail:[email protected].

To apply for membership,goto www.aemp.org

The subscription rate formembers is $80, which isincluded in the Association’sannual dues.

The U.S. subscription rate fornon-members is $150 for oneyear and $275 for two years.

Canadian subscribers add $5per year; all other non-U.S.subscribers add $10 per year.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:Association of EquipmentManagement ProfessionalsP.O. Box 1368Glenwood Springs, CO 81602

LET’S WORK.Every day you work hard to build a better future — and there’s so much work to get done. Let Volvo be with you every step of the way. Let’s work stronger, faster and more efficient. Let’s work safer, cleaner and greener. We know you’re ready to do your part — and we promise to do ours.

Partner with a Volvo dealer near you. Visit volvoce.com/dealer today.


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Hybrid EvolutionA look at the state of the new technology moving into earthmovingequipment

By G. C. Skipper, ContributingEditor

As hybrid technologyemerges in earthmovingmachines, at least three of

the industry’s major OEMs—Ko-matsu, John Deere and Caterpil-lar—have turned to electrical powerto “green up” and clean up the en-vironment. Volvo ConstructionEquipment is “advancing its hybridtechnology,” says a spokesperson,but chose not to comment for thisarticle because it does not yet have ahybrid machine on the market.

If OEMs are right, hybrid tech-nology issues facing fleet managersshould be few and far between.They suggest hybrid technologywill outlive the machine itself. Re-lated components shouldn’t fail asoften, owning and operating costsshould go down (Caterpillar esti-mates a 10-percent decrease), andmaintaining the machines will re-quire normal servicing. In fact,since hybrid equipment has fewermoving parts, there are fewer com-ponents to fail, say OEMs.

“Hybrid technology does affectcomponent life, but not negatively,”says Erik Wilde, vice president ofproduct marketing at Komatsu.“Basically, our machine (the PC200excavator) runs off what we call anultra-capacitor. The life of that ca-pacitor is astronomical. In theory itshouldn’t need to be replaced dur-ing the life of the machine.”

Wilde says capacitors will de-grade over time, “but when you arelooking at 100,000 hours on a ca-

pacitor the odds are, for a machinethat size, the equipment won’t runthat long.”

Fewer mechanical parts willboost reliability, suggests Joe Mas-tanduno, product marketing man-ager for engines and drivelines atJohn Deere Construction andForestry. “When you electrify thedriveline, it allows you to remove alot of mechanical parts, like torqueconverters, transmission and differ-

ential,” he says. “When you elimi-nate the mechanical driveline, youhave fewer components and yourreliability should go up.”

Todd Lohnes, D7E service engi-neer with Caterpillar, concurs.“Compared to today’s nonhybridD7R machines, we have a generatorreplacing the torque converter anda propulsion module with electricmotors that replaces the planetarypower shift transmission. As far as

Komatsu’s hybrid PC200LC-8 lowers CO emissions up to 22 pounds after one hour of operation time,according to the manufacturer. Fuel consumption in customer trials was reduced by 25 to 41 percent,Komatsu says.

component life goes, we expect themotors and generator to last the lifeof the tractor when maintainedproperly.”

Lohnes says that on the Cat gen-erator, the rotor uses permanentmagnet technology, a technologycommonly used today. The rotors,he says, have the magnets. The sta-tor—the fixed portion of the gener-ator—has basically coils andwindings. “As the rotor rotates, yougenerate an electric field and, fromthere, you can develop your electri-cal energy, depending on the mag-nets and the poles.”

The propulsion module has sta-tors and rotors as well, Lohnes says.“Within the electric drive systemwe have a lot less rotating compo-nents.”

Energy storageOne of the major challenges in

adapting hybrid technology to off-road applications has been how bestto store the energy that is gener-ated. One method that Komatsu,John Deere and Caterpillar say theyare not using is batteries—other

than the usual battery to crank theengine.

Although battery technology isthe most familiar energy storagemethod and has made outstandingprogress in the electronic world ofPCs and laptops, for instance, bat-teries are not yet practical in off-highway applications, according toOEMs.

“We decided not to use batter-ies because in off-highway equip-ment you need quick bursts ofenergy,” says Wilde. “By their na-ture, batteries are slow to providethat energy release. You can’t getthat quick function.”

Batteries take up additionalspace and weight, too. “The down-side of using batteries on construc-tion equipment is that they tend tobe bulky,” Mastanduno says. “Thebattery technology just isn’t therenow to have the payback for theseconstruction machines. If there isno payback for contractors untilfive or 10 years out, they won’t buythe machine.”

Caterpillar rejected batteries be-cause of the machine type, Lohnes

says. “Battery storage technologydoes not lend itself to track ma-chine applications. To our knowl-edge, we are the only companyright now doing what we’re doing(with hybrid technology) on track-type tractors. Many of our competi-tors, on the other hand, are lookingat hybrid technology for use on ex-cavators and wheel loaders.”

Another energy storage methodis fluid storage. That method, foron-highway vehicles, involves areservoir, Mastanduno says. “Theystore pressurized fluid in the reser-voir, and then when they need it,they release it. They can control orhelp assist the movement of the ma-chine. Storage of hydraulics calls fora big reservoir, which might be hardto use on construction equipment.”

Caterpillar’s system will lookdifferent to equipment managers,Lohnes says. “We are unique inhow we use generators and motorsin our system,” he asserts.

Cat still uses a diesel engine inits D7E dozer to drive a generator,he says. The generator, mounted onthe back end of the engine, replaces

This schematic of electronic traction from John Deere shows how the engine drives the generator to create and transferelectronic power to a motor for a transmission. That, in turn, powers the front and rear axles of the vehicle.



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the torque converter to produceelectrical power that runs motors.The motors replace planetary shifttransmissions that traditionally havebeen controlled by hydraulics.

“In the hybrid technology thatwe utilize, we take our mechanicalenergy that is developed from thediesel engine and convert it to elec-trical energy,” Lohnes says. “Thatelectrical energy converts back torotational energy out through ourdriveline and eventually to our finaldrive.”

The motors, which work to-gether as opposed to one motorpowering the left final drive and theother powering the right final drive,are used strictly to provide forwardand reverse direction, nothing else.Steering is handled through a hy-draulic differential steering system.“We have a pump that rotates asteering motor that changes speedand direction to handle the steeringleft to right,” Lohnes says.

Mastanduno says Deere’s ap-proach focuses on hybrid electrifi-cation. “That has many features,”he says. “One is electrifying some ofthe auxiliaries. We call that auxil-iary electrification. That’s onepiece. Another is electric tractionthat converts the energy from the

engine into electricity, which, inturn, controls the traction of themachine to go forward. The thirdpart is energy storage, or energymanagement.”

Energy storage can be achievedin several ways. “You need to haveone in some cases to get to theother,” Mastanduno says. “All areinvolved with moving things frommechanical energy to electrical.”

Hybrid electrification in con-struction equipment simply meanstwo sources of energy, such asdiesel and electricity—with energybeing created, transferred or stored.Although electric traction (the en-

gine drives agenerator tocreate electric-ity) is in theconstructionmarket today,says Mastan-duno, “electricdrive is a futurejust waiting tohappen.”

Deere al-ready has devel-oped hybridelectrification

technology for use on mowers thatcut golf greens and fairways, hesays, and it is this technology that“sets the stage for electric tractionon construction equipment.”

“As energy storage technologyreuse capabilities and costs improveover time, this technology will pro-vide contractors viable paybacks onequipment that does a lot of repeti-tive motion, or equipment withshort cycle times such as loadersand excavators,” Mastanduno says.

Maintenance concernsWith all this complex generation

of electrical power, many equip-ment managers are concernedabout safety issues for technicianswho work on the equipment.

Mastanduno says training ad-dresses those concerns. “Tradition-ally, when people looked atconstruction equipment they saw abig mechanical bunch of metal witha bunch of mechanical parts,” hesays. “When you switch over toelectrical, there is training involved.But when you start talking withfleet managers, you hear, ‘Hey, isn’tthat the same system that’s on thebig loaders,’ or they say, ‘Isn’t that

Caterpillar’s D7E dozer clears a job site using electric power that lowers owning and operating costs byabout 10 percent, according to the manufacturer. The machine’s hybrid technology eliminates mechanicalcomponents such as torque converters and planetary power shift transmission.

An electrical swing motor, shown here, rotates the upper structure of theKomatsu PC200 and recovers energy during swing braking. Durability isenhanced by a special housing, which circulates cooling water and lubricating oil.



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the same system used on railroads?’Well, yes, that’s exactly what’sbeing used. It’s not a big jump.”

Rather than being trained ontorque converters and drivelines,now technicians have to be taughtabout voltage converters and switch-ing electronics.

“Technicians—especially theyounger ones who play videogames—won’t have any troubleadapting to that,” Mastanduno says.“It’s just a matter of education andtraining on a new system.”

Lohnes says technicians are pro-tected. “We operate in an industry-spec’d low-voltage application,which is less than 1,000 volts DC,”he says. “We operate below that.Also, we have designed within oursystem a proprietary ground faultdetection system, and a trou-bleshooting system within that al-lows technicians never to beexposed to hazardous voltage dur-ing any kind of system repair ortroubleshooting.”

In addition to the engine that is

not running during repair, Cat hasa safe shut-down procedure in itsmanual for technicians to follow.“It’s as simple as turning off the ig-nition key and within five or sixseconds the energy in the system isbled down,” Lohnes says. “Also, wehave a hazardous indication lampnext to our battery disconnectswitch. Once that lamp is out itmeans there is less than 40 volts inthe system.”

Preventative maintenance on hy-brid equipment will be no differentthan PM on nonhybrid equipment,according to Komatsu’s Wilde. “Wedo have coolant to make sure thecapacitor is cool, but there are noreduced drain intervals or increasedservice time on the machine fromthe general PM activity.”

Caterpillar does not require ad-ditional PM requirements for itshybrid equipment, either. “Whatwe’ve done for PM as far as fluidsgo (is to) extend the intervals onour powertrain oil and filter lifecompared to a nonhybrid D7R,”Lohnes says. “We’ve extended thefilter. In the hybrid there are electri-cal cables, which are expected tolast the life of the machine as well.There are some tests to be done butonly, for instance, at times when weneed to check the integrity of thecable for current leakage.”

Hybrids are being shipped fromCaterpillar factories with nonsyn-thetic multiseasonal oil, Lohnessays. “We ship machines all over theworld,” he says. “This allows someareas of the country not to have tochange oil simply because of cli-mate changes, whether it’s hot orvery cold.”

In addition Cat uses a power-train oil to cool the motors andpropulsion module. Engine coolantis used to cool the generator and

Learn the LingoOn their quest for lower operating costs, lower emissions and higherreturn on investment, fleet managers now face the advent of hybridtechnology.

Among some equipment manufacturers, the technique du jour is“electrification.” John Deere Construction and Forestry is one of thosemanufacturers.

Because much of the hybrid terminology is used interchangeably, and somuch information is in the marketplace, Deere says fleet managersshould learn the lingo, so to speak, to clear up whatever confusion theymight have. The company offers its version of this “basic vocabularylesson.”

• Hybrid electrification. In construction, this means simply two sourcesof energy, such as diesel and electricity, with energy being created,transferred or stored. “Think of hybrid electrification as an umbrellaterm over subcategories such as electric traction, auxiliary or ancillaryelectrification, energy management and integrated/ starteralternators,” the company advises.

• Electric traction. The engine drives a generator to create electricityused by an electric motor or motors to drive tracks or wheels. Largemining trucks use this today.

• Electric drive. Deere has already developed electric drivers formowers used to cut golf greens and fairways and expects to transferthe technique to construction equipment in the future.

• Auxiliary or ancillary electrification. Electric power is generated torun an attachment off the main machine or a component of themachine. This is being used now in agricultural equipment such assprayers with electric power.

• Energy management. Recovering unnecessary propulsion or workenergy and storing it. At this time, better energy storage forconstruction equipment is being researched further. Currently, it doesnot carry the right payback for construction equipment customers,according to Deere.



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power electronics. “These are stan-dard fluids, nothing special,”Lohnes says.

Cat did develop service tools tohelp disassemble and assemble thenew drivetrain components. Otherthan that, standard service truckscan be used in keeping hybridshealthy, OEMs say.

Technician training on hybridspromises not to pose a problem ei-ther. “For most areas, techniciansdon’t have to be certified on mobileequipment at the levels we operateat,” Lohnes says. “We have createda service training class for the D7Ethat we recommend for technicians,but it is not required and isn’tmandatory.”

Komatsu also recommendstraining on its machine, but thetraining isn’t required, Wilde says.“We’re not talking intensive train-ing on the system. We rely on ourdistributors for this training, butbefore we make delivery of a ma-chine they have to be trained onthe products that we ship intotheir territory.”

It’s the same at Deere, Mastan-duno says. “A lot of OEMs havenew model qualification for techni-cians. A certain number of techni-cians or parts managers have to becertified, but in this case it’s justanother new piece of equipmentthat happens to be more electrical-based that it is mechanical-based.”

Hybrid technology won’t imme-diately have an impact on today’swarranties, say OEMs. “I think themarket may go toward increasingwarranties over time because of thereliability of electronics,” says Mas-tanduno. “That’s one of the thingsyou could do, but at the end of theday the most critical parts are the

engine and emission. That all re-mains the same. The governmentrequires a certain warranty on theduration of the engine and theemissions system. Those key thingswill stay in place. But,” he adds,“you might see some people uppingthe ante on electrical pars versusmechanical parts.”

Komatsu’s standard machine hasa one-year limited warranty, Wildesays. “For the hybrid system, it isfive years, 7,000 hours. With thePC200 generally, you are going tooperate between 800 and 1,500hours a year.”

Caterpillar developed its hybrid“to be just like other tractors wehave in production today relative toliability and durability,” saysLohnes. “Warranties that we offerfor nonhybrid machines today arethe same for the D7E.There’s noth-ing special that we do differentlyfor the hybrid machine in regards

to warranty.”Among these particular OEMs,

and perhaps others, achieving hy-brid technology for earthmovingequipment is best done throughelectrification.

“We really like the idea of elec-trical components,” says Mastan-duno. “You can do a lot more, suchas traction control,” he says, “oper-ate the machine if you have onlytwo motors rather than four, or ifyou have two or three motors andone of them stops working you canstill operate the machine. By com-parison, with a mechanical drive-line, if one of the parts fails alongthe way, you’re out of luck.”

Wilde offers the final reassur-ance for equipment managers: “Thekey thing is not to be afraid of thetechnology,” he says. “We havemore than 700 units working outin the field, and we know it is aproven technology.” EM

The hybrid PC200 generator motor is built in between the engine and hydraulic pump foreffective power transmission to the hydraulic pumps. During periods when the machine isnot being used, the generator charges the capacitor.



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WE’RE FIRST-TO-MARKET BECAUSE WE STARTED WITH A VISION. YOURS.

www.JohnDeere.com/IT4READY

Introducing an industry fi rst*: the Interim Tier 4-certifi ed 744K. When itcomes to emissions, you asked for simple, proven technology that wouldn’t holdyou back. And we answered. With a design built on an established platformand relentlessly tested in widely varying conditions, the 304-horsepower 744Kensures you won’t lose a step in productivity. Learn more at your dealer or call 800-503-3373. Need a partner for emissions solutions? We’re On It™.

*First machine over 75 hp certifi ed to U.S. EPA Interim Tier 4 emissions.

08.01.10

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Successor SelectionMake grooming a replacement part of your job function, whether it’s aformal plan or informal

By G. C. Skipper, Contributing Editor

Replacing yourself on the cor-porate career ladder or, moreappropriately, choosing a

successor, can be done in two ways:formally or informally. Yet many oftoday’s equipment managers re-member all too well a third way todo it, politely referred to as the “oldschool” approach.

“With that ap-proach, you learnmore from your fail-ures than your suc-cesses,” says DickBrannigan, CEM,equipment operationsmanager, John R. Jur-gensen Company.

Brannigan doesn’tnecessarily subscribeto “old school” ways,but he did have onething to say about it.“You certainly learnedway quicker what notto do.”

Selecting a succes-sor has changed dra-matically. Branniganand others havelearned that the best way to success-fully pass the baton requires insightinto talented employees who maynot recognize their own potential,identifying a “self starter” who is se-rious about his job and his future,and recognizing the value of contin-uing education in the overall mix ofthings.

“AEMP’s Certified EquipmentManager program is a good exam-

ple of continued education,” Bran-nigan says. Also, he points out, in-dividuals who go back to school toearn degrees or sharpen technicalskills on their own are worth keep-ing an eye on. Brannigan has iden-tified Pat Crail as a possiblesuccessor to his position.

“When I came here nine yearsago, Pat was a technician who, youmight say, tapped himself for theshop foreman’s position, and fromthere he decided he wanted to domore,” Brannigan says. “He wentback to school and earned his Bach-elor’s degree and now is within afew days of receiving his Master’sdegree.”

Lining up someone to take the

helm when you retire doesn’t haveto mean rankling feathers of otheremployees, Brannigan says. “I try toget everybody on the continuingeducation program,” he says, not-ing that there are other success sto-ries within his operation.

“We have a talented group of em-ployees and are alwayson the lookout, tryingto identify strengthsthat will be a good fitfor advancement.”

In Jurgensen’s envi-ronment, successorplanning is done infor-mally. The companyoffers tuition assis-tance, but it is up tothe individual to workwith his supervisor toobtain the additionaleducation he needs.“Everything is infor-mally stated,” Branni-gan says.

In a session onmentoring held atAEMP’s annual con-ference last spring,

Brannigan and Crail discussed theformal approach that calls for ananalysis of the demographics andtalent within the organization. Inaddition to formally identifying tal-ent from within, consideration isgiven to return on investment andthe necessity of mentoring. Proce-dures are established for not onlysetting up a formalized program,but also for recruiting mentors.

Dick Brannigan, CEM, (right) has tapped Pat Crail to succeed him as equipment operationsmanager at John R. Jurgensen Company.

Both formal and informal ap-proaches include the necessity ofcontinuing education.

Another fleet manager who de-veloped under the “old school” phi-losophy is Marilyn Rawlings, CEM,fleet director for Lee County (Fla.)Fleet Management. Initially, shesays, she was a finance person forthe county, but in 1994 she wasgiven an opportunity to move overto the fleet side.

“I was told, ‘Fleet is in a mess.Go out there and get it ready so wecan privatize it,’” Rawlings says.When she arrived, she wasn’t toowell received.

“They threw me in the pool andI had to sink or swim,” she says.“One of the first things I did whenI came in the door was to tell thepeople I didn’t know how to dotheir jobs, but what I did know wasbusiness and financing. I told themthat as of that minute the countywas looking at privatizing fleet

management and if that happened,they would all lose their jobs. I alsotold them that I needed their help,and if they would work with meeverybody’s job could be saved. Ifthey worked against me, I said, fleetmanagement will be privatizedwithin a year.”

Fifteen years later the fleet is notprivatized, the jobs are still there,and so is Rawlings. What do heremployees think now?

“There are people here whowould jump in front of a truck forme. There are others who wouldlike to push me in front of thetruck,” she jokes.

“Having people know that youbelieve enough in them to invest inthem is critical. We don’t have a lotof turnover.”

Kinder Morgan Energy Partnershas a different spin on the formalapproach to successor planning.

“We have an executive searchfirm that recruits retired military of-ficers to fill our Terminal Managerpositions,” says Don Pleu, CEM,and heavy equipment manager.“We’ve found that the regimenta-tion, training, life style and the mili-tary culture in general work verywell with our bulk and liquid termi-nal operations.”

The recruit comes in as a Man-ager-in-Training and is given achoice of functions, such as mainte-nance operations, administration orprocurement, all within the termi-nal operation. “This gives theseManagers-in-Training a sense of theterminal aspects,” Pleu says. At theend of the training period, the re-cruit is promoted into a TerminalManager’s position, depending onopenings that come up.

This program came about whenthe company, like many other fleet

operations, realized it had an agingmanagement and had better startconsidering successors. The secondconsideration was that terminalmanagers, due to operating such alean staff, seldom had time to takevacations that they had “earned anddeserved,” says Pleu. “They had no

Preparing Successors For Others?

Sometimes fleet managers dosuch a good job at successorplanning they wind up groominga person for somebody else’scompany.

That scares off some fleetprofessionals who say, “Whyshould I spend all that time andeffort on somebody who isgoing to leave the company?”

That’s a valid question, howeverif the successor plan has beendone correctly in the first place,the fleet manager has alreadydetermined if the potentialcandidate is, and wants to be,loyal to the organization.

Nevertheless, says MarilynRawlings, CEM, Lee CountyFleet Management, during hercareer she “has developedsome people who are reallygood and someone comesalong and hires them away.That’s happened to me twice,”she says.

In one case, the person is now afleet manager in a neighboringmunicipality; in the secondsituation, the person she spent alot of time training now worksfor a software company.

Rawlings’ philosophy is simple:“When that happens, you feelyou have successfully launcheda person’s career. That’s whatit’s all about.”

“It’s startling when you see

that 10 years from now

you won’t have any staff.

If fleet managers don’t

identify this as an issue,

then they can’t change it.”—Marilyn Rawlings, CEM



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one to fall back on, so the Man-ager-in-Training program accom-plished two things. It gave usadditional resources to terminalmanagement, and two, it functionsas succession planning.”

At this time, Pleu has identifiedtwo individuals who have the po-tential to replace him when he re-tires. “They are completelydifferent,” he says, “but the core in-terest and skills and knowledge arethere, and either of them couldtransition into areplacement forme.”

Presently, nei-ther candidateknows he isbeing consid-ered, althoughone individualdid tell Pleu he’d like to have hisjob one day. “Both of them need togrow educationally and, to a certaindegree, in job maturity by takingon additional responsibilities thatallow them to grow,” he says.

Once a person becomes a Termi-nal Manager, the career path typi-cally runs from there to an areamanager’s position in charge of sev-eral terminals, to a director, a re-gional general manager and then tovice president.

The day is comingAlthough fleet operations differ

in many respects, depending on thecorporate culture and what kind offleet it is, all fleets have one thing incommon; the stark realization thattoday’s work force is aging and theyounger supply pool is beginning todry up.

When Dick Brannigan tookover as equipment operations man-ager at Jurgensen he was already 54

years old, he says. Among the firstthings he did, with top manage-ment’s blessing, was to implement asuccessor program.

Rawlings’ day of awakeningcame when she laid out a workchart and assigned colors to differ-ent age groups. Everyone under 30was green, people between 30 and55 were yellow, and anybody whowas older or had been with thecompany a certain length of timewas marked red on the work chart.

“A big chunk of my organiza-tion turned out red,” Rawlings says.“An even chunkier part was yellow,and a very small chunk was green.It’s startling when you see that 10years from now you won’t have anystaff. If fleet managers don’t iden-tify this as an issue, then they can’tchange it.”

After the revelation of thepaint-by-the-dots organizationchart, Rawlings realized she hadbetter start investing in her “greenpeople.”

“They are the future,” she says.From Brannigan to Rawlings to

Pleu, the search for successors is fo-cused on developing talent fromwithin, although Rawlings isn’t op-posed to looking outside for help ifthe internal staff isn’t quite readyfor prime time.

For one position, Rawlings hadto go outside. “The person fromoutside is incredibly good and hasforgotten more than I’ll ever know

about heavy equipment,” she says.“I didn’t have any supervisors whowere ready for the job—but therewill be a time when they are.”

Pleu has also found advantagesfrom looking outside. “By recruit-ing retired military personnel, wehave found that our work culture isnot foreign to them,” he says.“There is a need at our terminalsfor someone who is not opposed tobeing on call at night and on week-ends. We found this to be a good

transition.”One advan-

tage to growinginternal talent,Brannigan says,is the ability todevelopment re-lationships.

“In additionto the normal comfort factor, youalready have an ongoing dialog withthe person and that person is aknown quantity,” he says. “There-fore, you reduce your risk factor.There are a lot of talented peopleoutside, but whether or not they seeeye-to-eye with your philosophy issomething else. You have a bettersuccess rate from developing fromwithin.”

If you’re looking across the shopfloor or out the window for a suc-cessor there are certain basic guide-lines fleet operators should keep inmind.

Pleu says the first thing is tomake sure the individual wants thecareer. “Make sure they are in theright industry,” he says. “You don’twant someone who is in a mainte-nance position today, but has aspi-rations to become an accountant.The key to the whole process is toidentify that this is the right careerpath for the individual.”

“Make sure they are in the right industry. You don’t want

someone who is in a maintenance position today, but

has aspirations to become an accountant. The key to the

whole process is to identify that this is the right career

path for the individual.” —Don Pleu, CEM



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Rawlings looks for cooperationand leadership. “I look for waterthrowers rather than gasolinethrowers,” she says. “If I have a firein my organization I want peoplewho will help me throw water tohelp put it out, not gasoline to keepit spreading. I look for influencers.There can be bad influencers and

good influencers, so it’s the goodinfluencers I look for. I look forpeople who share the basic core val-ues—honesty, integrity and soforth—and I look for true leadersin my organization.”

If she sits down with a group,Rawlings says, she tries to find outwho the leaders in that group are.

Once she knows who that individ-ual is, she meets with the personprivately and explains the situa-tion. “Those are the ones I want,”she says.

In addition to observation,Rawlings also does an annual surveyof supervisors to find out who theinfluencers are, not necessarily lim-ited to the worker base. “Thoseleaders have more impact on the or-ganization.”

Of course her color organizationchart plays into the picture as well,but just because somebody is“green,” she says, doesn’t necessar-ily mean you want to bring themalong. “We have a couple of peoplewho are really sharp,” she says, “andthose are the people I need to spendtime with, to cultivate them.”

Rawlings not only focuses onher employees at large, but she alsoconcentrates on the staff who re-ports directly to her. She encouragesthem to identify the person whocould replace them.

“It can’t be predetermined,” shesays, “but you can still identify whoare the natural leaders.”

Those “natural leaders” are evi-dent, for example, every time some-one goes on vacation. “They justnaturally step up and assume therole,” she says. “People will followsome individuals, simply by virtueof who the individual is. If no onefollows you, that’s not leadership.That’s just being out for a stroll.”

For asset managers who haveimplemented programs to ensurethe continuation of a successful op-eration, it is clear that successionplanning isn’t “morose,” like plan-ning your own funeral. It’s more,well, “kingly,” like anointing some-one to the throne. EM

Growing from Within

Knowing when to tap into an employee’s potential and how to do itrequires a certain degree of skill. As with most things, timing iseverything.

Marilyn Rawlings, CEM, who is fleet director for Lee County FleetManagement in Fort Myers, Fla., had been keeping an eye on aparticular technician in her shop who was “very sharp and willing tolearn,” she says. The technician over a period of time had shown,perhaps without realizing it, the potential for taking on moreresponsibilities, learning them quickly, and displaying an honest interestin his job.

When Rawlings recognized the employee’s talent, she waited until theappropriate time to make her move. It came, she says, when she wasshopping around to find a welder that was needed in the shop.

“I went to this technician and told him I was going to hire a welder and Iwanted him on the interviewing panel that would screen candidates forthe job,” Rawlings says.

The technician’s first reaction was total surprise, she says. He looked ather and said, “Me?” as if she had made some kind of mistake. Sheassured him that he could prove useful on the review committeebecause he might be able to recognize certain abilities in the candidatesthat she and the other committee members might miss.

She explained that everyone would be there during the telephonesessions and all he had to do was watch two or three interviews to seehow it was done. When he felt comfortable with the situation, she toldthe employee, he should go ahead and ask a question. When he wasready, the technician could do an interview by himself, she says.

“During the first couple of interviews, he didn’t say one word,” Rawlingsrecalls. “I let him pick out one part of the interview he would like to do,and when it got to that point, I turned it over to him.”

He jumped into the interview with quivering voice, Rawlings says, “butby the time we finished he was getting much more comfortable and wasasking good questions.”

Now, she points out, when she has a supervisor’s position that opensup—and interviewing is part of that position—the technician is alreadytrained to take over the job.


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Talk to Marilyn Rawlings,CEM, about training andyou’ll hear things you’ve

never heard before, termslike “fleet barrel” and “thecutest knees.” She’s also thefirst to say, “Around here wedo some weird things.”

Of course, as a fleet pro-fessional, there’s method toher madness. Rawlings, di-rector of Lee County FleetManagement, Fort Myers,Fla., is dead serious abouttraining and team building,both of which are only inter-twining threads of the sametapestry.

“Many times,” she says, “if wecan’t hire it, we have to create it.”The “it” is providing technicians andadministrative employees alike withthe knowledge they need to do theirwork, to advance their skills, and togently push them out of their “com-fort zone.”

The same rules apply to Rawl-ings as well as to the staff. “If I go toa conference and make a speech,that’s just part of my job,” she says.“However, I’ve been able to moveout of my comfort zone by doingseveral things over the years, thingsthat people don’t expect me to do. Ihave a motorcycle license. I’ve writ-ten a business book. I’ve written anovel. I also made up my mind todo a complete brake job. When Itold that to the staff, they said, ‘Noton my vehicle.’”

Rawlings eventually did her com-plete brake job. One thing she keepsputting off, however: jumping out of

an airplane. The more she thinksabout it, the more it slides towardthe back burner, she says.

At a more practical level, Rawl-ings guarantees 40 hours of trainingper employee per year. “It’s easier totrain people to do what they need todo,” she says. “We try to create anenvironment where everyone has anopportunity to learn somethingevery day for the entire 2,080-houryear.”

This intense focus on training isbased on something familiar tomost fleet managers: keeping upwith the lightning-speed changes intechnology.

“A technician today has to be aplumber, an electrician, a computerprogrammer and quite a few otherthings that make that person differ-ent from the 1950 and 1980 me-chanic,” says Rawlings. Because ofthis almost-metamorphic change,training has become an essential in-gredient in the development of herentire fleet staff.

The training comes from a num-ber of sources: calling in the experts,

tapping the resources of the Equip-ment Triangle, and making use ofinternal expertise, to name a few.

“It is very, very difficult for some-body to keep up (with advancingtechnology),” Rawlings says. “Iwould rather have a person taughtby the experts than have a personwho is self-taught. The experts knowthe short cuts and the faster, moreefficient ways of doing the job.”

Sometimes experts come withhigh price tags, but when that hap-pens, she says, fleet managers have tobe creative. If an expert comes to herfacility for a training session, shemight sell seats to other municipali-ties. “If I have a session in hydraulicsand it costs me $1,000, I telephonea couple of other managers and tellthem I have seats available at $200each. If I get five people to come, Iget my training for free.”

Other municipalities reciprocate.If she sends someone to another mu-nicipality’s training session and itcosts her $200, “that person comesback and trains the rest of us.”

Being a good technician doesn’t

Training: A Critical Necessity2010 Fleet Master Marilyn Rawlings, CEM, invests time, energy andmore than a little fun

By G. C. Skipper, Contributing Editor

AEMP’s 2010 Fleet Masters, the team at Lee County Fleet Management, led by Marilyn Rawlings, CEM (seventh from left).


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necessarily make you a good trainer,Rawlings is quick to point out. Toavoid wasting employees’ time andto keep presenters from “winging it,”she requires the trainer to draw up alesson plan that she reviews and ap-proves in advance.

Other sources for training areequipment OEMs and vendors whocome to Rawlings' facility. “My onlystipulation is that they don’t make ita sales pitch,” she says. “I tell themthe audience they are addressingdoes not make buying decisions onpurchasing products. I do.”

Such sessions are often inexpen-sive or free, and they help the OEMsand vendors, as well, she says. “Theywant technicians to know how to in-stall the parts correctly.”

Of course, there is an initial costin training personnel. “If I can billout a technician for, say, $50 an hourand send him to an all-day trainingsession, then it cost me $400 in lostrevenue,” she says. “But if that per-son learns how to do the repair inthree hours, rather than four, I’ve justsaved that much money. To me it’s agood investment.”

Training is not always formal,Rawlings says. “It’s not always in aclassroom or sitting with an instruc-tor. It’s every moment of every day.”This approach, in fact, was one ofthe aspects of the Lee County opera-tions that judges noted when award-ing the organization the AEMP2010 Fleet Masters Award.

For example, someone may behaving trouble with an air condi-tioning repair. Since most shopshave technicians who can do a lot ofeverything, Rawlings works at creat-

ing an environment where the per-son having problems repairing theair conditioning can call to a tech inthe next bay and ask for help.

Sometimes she carries this onestep further. If she has someone whois particularly good, for instance in

hydraulics, she has that person con-duct an hydraulics training sessionfor the others. Of course, she followsthe process of a required lesson planfor review and approval.

Then comes the weird Rawlings finds that training is

even more effective when it’s imple-mented within a strong team envi-ronment. Hence, she invests time increating fun team-building activities.

“The importance of teamwork isnot always measurable,” she says,“but it is critical to the overall oper-ation of the division. This is not tosay we always have to agree. It does,however, speak of the respect thatall employees must have for one an-other.”

Although not used frequently (toavoid wearing out the novelty),Rawlings will stage an off-the-wallsession, such as taking photos of em-ployees’ knees and having staffmembers vote on “the cutest knees”with a $1 donation that goes tocharity.

Then there was “Where’sWaldo?” where Rawlings took pho-tos of all sizes of all 31 participants,cut their faces into the different sizesand placed each person’s face in anunlikely spot—on the helmet of arace car driver in the conferenceroom, on the face of a safety postercharacter with a broken arm or—

and she says this one was almostnever found—at the end of a fourinch pipe hanging from the shopceiling. The only reason that photowas located, she says, was by acci-dent. “A guy looked up to see if aladder was going to clear and sawthe picture. He burst out laughing,”Rawlings says.

Perhaps the strangest idea, how-ever, is the fleet barrel—an incrediblybrightly colored, super-ugly thing,rocket-shaped and made out of thebody of a fire extinguisher, and filledwith ball bearings. The fleet barrelhas a silver painted broom handlesticking through it. The contraptionwas first presented to an Employee ofthe Month who then had 48 hoursto hide it in the shop. Whoeverfound it had to move it and find anew hiding place. The only catch,says Rawlings, was that the fleet bar-rel had to be in plain sight with partof it showing. At the end of themonth whoever brought the fleetbarrel to the meeting won a prize.

The only misadventure came,Rawlings says, when an ashen-facedfacilities worker came hurrying intoher office and told her to vacant thebuilding immediately. He had justfound something that looked like abomb. Rawlings followed him outinto the shop. Near the exit sign shespotted the silver-painted end of thefleet barrel broom stick protrudingfrom the ceiling. She told the facili-ties worker what it was—and thentold him he had exactly 48 hours tohide it somewhere else.

In addition to individual andprofessional advancement and rein-forcing working relationships, a lightand preferably humorous touch goesa long way.

“This is particularly true duringtoday’s economic times,” Rawlingssays. “Sometimes you simply needto have fun, even in the workplace.” EM

“The importance of teamwork is not always measurable,

but it is critical to the overall operation of the division.

This is not to say we always have to agree. It does,

however, speak of the respect that all employees must

have for one another.” —Marilyn Rawlings, CEM



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Is your equipment fleet ready forthe cold winter ahead? Al-though the amount of work re-

quired to seasonalize your fleetvaries by location, number of units,age, and other factors, almost everyequipment manager needs to dosomething to prepare for winter.Preparation varies from minormaintenance work to significant ad-ditional components and relocationof lines or controls for severeweather preparation. Let’s startwith the easiest.

Engine oil viscosity is extremelyimportant. OEMs recommend thatwhen you start a cold-soaked en-gine or when you operate an enginein ambient temperatures that arebelow 0F, use base oils that can flowin low temperatures. These multi-grade oils have lubricant viscositygrade of SAE 0W or SAE 5W (SAE5W-40). For temperatures below22F, use a synthetic basestockmultigrade oil with similar viscositygrade of SAE 0W or SAE 5W (SAE0W-30, etc.).

Hydraulic, transmission andfinal drive oils have similar require-ments. For example, synthetic hy-draulic oil is recommended forambient temperatures below -22F.In extreme cases, an oil pan or hy-draulic tank heater may be re-quired.

Cooling systems must becharged and validated for freezeprotection. Some coolants such asextended life coolant do not needsupplemental coolant additives(SCA). Coolants with SCA must

also be charged and validated. An-tifreeze and SCA consistency isparamount as both will have ten-dencies, under sustained heat andtime, to chemically break down andminimize protection. Simplyadding antifreeze isn’t always ade-quate and refractometers must beused to determine the acceptablelevels of the proper antifreeze in ad-dition to OEM- or aftermarket-supplied test procedures and devicesto check SCA levels. Jacket waterheaters should be considered forfaster, easier starting in ambient airtemperatures below 70F. Anotherrule of thumb is when a 15-mphwind is present, heater require-ments double.

Fuel purchases and availabilityshould be reviewed and high atten-tion given to the consistency, gelpoints, and respective flow restric-tion attributes. Fuel tanks, espe-cially aluminum tanks, will actuallymake water with ambient tempera-ture changes, thus permitting thegrowth of algae in the tanks and

sometimes catastrophic fuel systemfailure. All bulk storage tanksshould be tested regularly for watercontent and drums placed in cov-ered storage to prevent water entrythrough external ice or water build-up on barrels/tanks themselves.Fuel water separators are most im-portant in these situations andshould be checked daily andbrought up to OEM specifications.There are many products on themarket that, for the most part, pro-vide good results. Many fleets runmixtures of No. 1 (winter grade)and No. 2 (summer grade) diesel,and these decisions are dependentupon operational demographics.

The cab heater cores in manyunits have not been active duringthe summer months and thereforemust be inspected to ensure that nodetrimental corrosion has occurredwhile they were inactive. Drainlines must also be cleared of debris.

Tires are also more susceptibleto damage in cold weather condi-tions. Extremely cold temperatures

How to Seasonalize a FleetFollow these guidelines to ensure proper operation in cold-weatherconditions

By Dean Mock

Although the amount of work required to seasonalize your fleet varies by location, number of units, age, andother factors, almost every equipment manager needs to do something to prepare for winter.

can cause sidewalls to become brit-tle and subject to impact damage.It’s also important to rememberthat during the heat of the summerair pressure tends to elevate; ascooler weather approaches the ac-ceptable PSI gauged in your tireswill be much different than on acooler day. Your air pressure pro-gram is equally as important duringwinter months as it is during sum-mer months. Use dry nitrogen gasto inflate the tires in order to elimi-

nate ice crystals. Ice crystals couldhold the valve stem open in the tire.In severe cold, ice or muddy condi-tions, isolate the tires from groundconditions if possible. Park onstraw, wood planking or other dryinsulating materials in the area.

Severe-weather preparationIn addition to the basic cold-

weather maintenance actions above,fleet managers in severe-weather sit-uations will need much more dras-tic actions. Bob Merritt, CEM,from URS Corporation, will tellyou that if the temperature in Ka-puskasing, Ontario, changes for theworst before their machines areready, they could have big prob-lems.

Merritt has seen mud frozen sohard on equipment that a jack-hammer had to be used to removeit from the machine. “Frozen mudhas broken off lines and fittings asthe machines operate normally,” hesays. “Backs of buckets and shovelshave extra guarding to protectgrease and hydraulic lines.” URShas changed from air auto-lube toelectric systems, too.

His company installs very effec-tive “winter fronts” on all trucks tokeep engines from overcooling.These fronts can be described ascomplete covers of the radiator withcutouts for lights. There are alsofour small rectangular “flaps” thatcan be opened during warmerweather.

URS installs alcohol (Tanner)gas injectors to prevent freeze up ofthe air system. They have installedguarding around 777D hoist con-trol valves to protect exposed valvesand lines that are under the chassisof the vehicle. They also install gassystems for the safety brake afterthe air dryer for all units that have

air systems. Heaters are installed onsome water tanks and drill rock oiltanks to maintain operating tem-peratures. URS also puts coversaround big hydraulic tanks tomaintain heat in the systems fortheir large hydraulic shovels.

URS has worked in this extremecold territory for a long time andhas learned how to protect andmanage their equipment in order toobtain the longest life and lowestlifecycle cost.

Not in Ontario?Not every manager deals with

such extreme weather conditions asMerritt. Consult with local dealersor OEM representatives for equip-ment protection recommendationsor best practices in your territory.Also reference OEM guidelines de-pending on your average ambientwinter temperature and conditions.

The cooling system and the lu-brication system for the engine donot lose heat immediately upon

Cold-weather Checklist 3 Check and replace batteries.

3 Change engine oil and filters.Use OEM recommended filtersand fluids.

3 Check hydraulic oil and filters.

3 Verify through testing andsampling proper coolantcondition.

3 Special grease may be required.

3 Verify all grease fittings are notplugged or damaged andaccepting grease.

3 Reduce idle time.

3 Check all sheet metal for rust ordamage that would permit entryof ice or water into critical areasor components including glassfixtures.

3 Check all radiators to ensurecleanliness and proper operatingcondition for the coming winterseason.

3 Do not store starting fluid orstore alcohol in the operator’scompartment.

3 De-icers lower the freezing pointof the moisture in the fuel. De-icers are not generally neededwhen fuel heaters are used. Ifyou experience trouble, consultyour fuel supplier forrecommendations of acompatible commercial de-icer.

3 Inject alcohol into aircompressors in order to preventmoisture from freezing in the airsystem.

Engine compartment cover for D6T dozer.



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Winter front installed on 777F truck radiator.

shutdown. The transmission andthe hydraulic system lose heat morerapidly because of more exposedareas. Gear cases cool rapidly, sincethe gear cases do not operate aswarm as other compartments. Thismeans that an engine can maintainthe ability to start readily afterbeing shut down for a few hours.The other systems will lose heatmore rapidly. The equipment willrequire exercising upon starting. Ifthe engine is shut down for at least16 hours, the engine will cool downto the outside temperature.

Running the engine at idle willkeep the engine compartment

warm. The compartment forthe transmission will also bekept warm. However, runningthe engine will not keep hy-draulic systems warm. Theouter wrapper on hydraulichoses can crack when flexingoccurs in cold temperatures.This does not mean that thehoses have failed. The hoseswill still carry oil under pres-sure. Consult with your OEMon how to condition the hy-draulic hoses on the equip-ment before the temperaturesdecrease below -40F.

One final recommenda-tion is to exercise patiencewhen starting a machine. Ex-treme cold can considerablyshorten component life anddrive up maintenance and re-

pair costs. Allow extra time to startthe machine and make sure equip-ment is up to operating tempera-ture (180F) before putting it underload. This will prevent carbon de-posit build up on exhaust valves.Carbon deposits can cause the fol-lowing problems: burned valves,bent pushrods, and other damageto valve mechanism components.Some companies even make amakeshift tent at night to keep theengine compartment warm.

Whether you are just doingsome preventative maintenance forthe coming cold or preparing for se-vere winter weather, the key is to dosome planning and executing toready the equipment fleet prior tosignificant weather changes. EM

—Dean Mock is a market profes-sional at Caterpillar, Inc.

Cold-weather Components Many OEMs provide “arctic packages” ontheir machines, including:

• Jump-start receptacle

• Ether aid

• Extra heavy duty 2400-amp starter

• 1000-watt hydraulic reservoir heater

• 500-watt engine oil pan heater

• Two additional maintenance-free, high-CCA gel cell batteries

• 160-watt battery heating blanket

• 1000-watt engine block heater

• 60/40 blend -62F antifreeze

• Arctic-ready lubrication oils

• Diesel fuel anti-gel supplement added tofuel tank

• Pre-operation boom hose circulation kit

• Diesel fuel heater

• Cold weather lines for ripper, cylinders,pin puller, and other tools

• Engine enclosures

• Dual pane glass with fan defroster

• Reversible fan

• Precleaner under the hood to avoidsnow particles

• Flexxaire fan system that adjusts thepitch and air flow based on enginecoolant temperature. In extremelycold weather, the fan will remain atzero pitch and act as a dam,providing a cost effective alternativeto shutters.

Beating the Common Cold• Proper oil viscosity is most important.

• If unit is in a heated shop all night or for any length of time, start the unit andthen park it outside (while running) and allow the exterior components to coolto ambient temperature before going to work. This will keep the snow frommelting on surface of the machine and sticking.

• When working in snow, regularly clean out areas where snow can accumulateand damage components.

• Reduce the load on the machine in -20F or colder conditions to prevent metalcracking.

• When leaving machines running unattended in extreme cold, -15C or less, orfor extended periods of time, leave running at an elevated idle in the 1200RPM range.

• Ensure machine has winter tarps or guarding.

• Fill the fuel tank at the end of each shift.

• Regularly inspect engine crank case breather for icing.

• Before returning the machine to working conditions, the hydraulics should becycled to warm up the oil in the cylinders and exposed hydraulic components.

• Do not return machine to full working conditions until all systems are warmedto operating temperatures.

• Keep all starting fluid at room temperature. Inject starting fluid only when theengine is cranking.

• To prevent final drive seal failures in the case that ice has formed due tocooling down condensation on the seals, move the machine from forward toreverse a few times in very small movements.

• Cyclone precleaners help prevent snow build up in air filters.



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