Know-how 31 Preventive maintenance (16) Ragged but running
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THE most difficult task for a maintenance engineer is caring for a vehicle within a year or so of its retirement. The vehicle is expected to work for a reasonable profit and keep pace with the rest of the fleet but, in general haulage, there is a limit to the lighter local jobs that can be found for it. Therefore, it can face a rather odd existence in that it is invariably given to the newest and least experienced driver. And in his hands it may suffer unfairly for some time and be unreasonably expensive, yet common sense calls for the least possible expenditure.
This is a problem faced by all in our industry—how to run a vehicle down at minimum expense yet extract from it a profitable work content until its last day. So it is fair to say that such vehicles are indeed operating on a shoestring, with no one inclined to spend, other than—as stated at the start of this series—to mend only those items that fail or fall off. This has applied throughout most of the history of transport and the operator has managed to get by with, at odd times, police action after some road incident.
Now, however, any vehicle on the road can be checked by MoT at any time with disastrous results where neglect is found. Also, looking to 1968 and the proposed tests for compliance with Construction and Use Regulations, together with braketesting, the end is very much in sight for the bedraggled truck deliberately run to death in its final year. So it appears that a new situation will face us in 1968. It needs thought now—not later—to avoid expense and loss of use. Worse still, a vehicle with below-standard braking efficiency can easily suffer de-rating.
However, this is a glimpse at the not-toodistant future whereas our task at this time is to clear up several years of neglect among the oldest vehicles, bringing them as near Class 1 as possible and keeping them there. We have dealt with the easier of the Class 3 vehicles, and indicated a method whereby their defects can be cleared up without serious loss of use, so we should now look at a really rough one in dire need of overhaul or even scrapping, from outward appearances. Where there is a planned replacement programme with vehicles on order, the position can be placed under control but where a company has just ploughed on regardless, intent only on extracting the last ounce from its fleet, there is little that can be done with a completely run down machine other than de-tax and overhaul.
However, we have suggested that preventive maintenance can be applied to any vehicle, so our really rough machine, in its final year or so, need not be de-taxed but can be taken out of service for a week. When viewed in all its grime-caked grease and with U-bolts, chassis brackets, and so on, buried in mud, it does look very much on its last legs. Yet if the first task is completely to clean the vehicle from top to bottom, the amazing fact is that it becomes transformed, it can be fully inspected, its actual con; dition more easily assessed and the task of repair and adjustment tackled in much better heart.
Since it will never become a Class vehicle in its remaining life, the work done must revolve around safety features, and the power unit, because with a willing engine the oldest vehicle retains its driver's respect. He will then accept other forms of wear with much less comment.
Therefore, if a minimum sum is to be spent on the final-year vehicles, spend some of it on regular cleaning and inspection. Your interest will ensure that all others concerned with the vehicles retain theirs.