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An Open Letter to the Trucking Industry Regarding Electronics and Modernization,
Technicians and Training
Dan Sullivan, Owner, Sullivan Training Systems
For the past ten years, I have spent thousands of hours standing before over 3000 men (and too infrequently women),
teaching the skills and knowledge necessary to troubleshoot modern electrical systems on trucks. My 23 year background as a mechanic, and not an engineer, has made it possible for me to relate to
these men in a way that gives me insights into their concerns and needs for their futures as truck technicians.
Without question, these men are some of the most intelligent and capable individuals I've ever met, and it remains a
pleasure and privilege to teach them weekly. In reviewing the data, manuals and schematics that the trucking industry provides us, I have serious doubts about whether or not my positive opinion of
mechanics is shared by engineers and other responsible persons in the trucking industry.
If the reader will allow me the benefit of the doubt, my intent is to explain my concerns and to offer suggestions for
improvement. In addition, I have warnings for CEOs about profitability, warranty costs and product reliability that should be seriously considered as trucks make the transition from analog to digital
multiplexed systems.
First, as trucks have become more complex, the system descriptions and operational explanations provided by the
manufacturers have become less detailed, less descriptive, and less useful to mechanics. Rather than providing a simple system operational description, many manufacturers have tried to "dumb-down"
the troubleshooting process by providing detailed, step-by-step instructions that are vague, yet supposedly fool-proof.
This has failed because we – mechanics – are not fools.
It is this process that makes me suspicious of the intent of the engineers who produce these materials.
Engineers should produce simple, concise operational descriptions, coupled with accurate schematics drawn using industry standard symbology. This is not because mechanics are illiterate, but because
it's the logical thing to do. Manuals are often highly repetitive; rather than providing an overall description of system operations, every "conceivable" failure is listed in minute detail, without
actually describing how the system should be working normally.
We would much rather read a logical explanation of how a system works so that we can apply our knowledge and years of
experience to the troubleshooting process, than be restricted to follow a step-by-step process that may – or may NOT – result in a correct identification of the fault.
With all due respect to engineers, I have NEVER found a computer diagnostic system on a truck that NEVER fails, and there
will never be one. Engineers are a capable bunch, but mechanics often locate problems that were never dreamed of by the authors of ECM software.
CEOs need to evaluate the logic of trying to rely entirely upon a computer for finding every problem that can occur on a
truck. If engineers assume it is necessary to accommodate the ineptitude of mechanics, they fail to recognize that their inability to write effective technical data is a significant part of the
problem.
We are the men who make your trucks move, and we are not incompetent. I cannot count the number of students who have told
me about talking to a tech support line and being told to "call me back when you find the answer". If we are as ignorant as many seem to believe, why are we depended upon in this manner?
Returning to schematics, these critical and invaluable tools should NEVER be delivered via computer. It's
already difficult enough to read them, and having to tape together ten or more small pieces of paper is not only time consuming and annoying, it is foolish. Digital delivery of schematics may be
cost-effective for manufacturers, but for mechanics it is worthless. Most truck shops are too small to own a printer of sufficient size to print large format schematics, so the question arises as to whether or not schematics should be provided at all if only delivered online or on disk.
Further, few manufacturers use the full capability of schematics (colors, standardized symbols, accurate and logical
legends, component specifications, etc.), so making the decision to improve schematic delivery must also include a decision to improve overall quality and detail.
Without question, well-drawn, detailed and current schematics are the single-most useful electrical data that any
manufacturer can provide. Any decision to curtail schematic availability in the future, based upon poor schematics in the first place, is ill- advised.
With regard to multiplexing, I have been hearing rumors that manufacturers will be providing even less data for mechanics
to use on the upcoming multiplexed truck systems (proprietary concerns?). I honestly believe that this decision – if made – will be a perpetuation of the myth the industry has that the
average mechanic cannot effectively use currently available materials, and will be a huge financial mistake.
I can state – without hesitation – that trucks placed into service that use multiplexed
electronic and electrical systems will generate large warranty costs, financial losses and a catastrophic loss of customer satisfaction IF mechanics are not provided: (1) detailed schematic drawings, (2) detailed ladder
logic for ALL inputs and outputs, and (3) detailed system descriptions that explain ALL input requirements for output operation.
In short, if you want us to fix a multiplexed truck quickly, we need to know - in concise detail – every, single
input that must be satisfied. If there are six conditions that must be met to energize a relay, tell us in a simple list - that provides input location and operation – what those six conditions
are. Imbedding these data exclusively in a troubleshooting tree is a mistake.
CEOs must understand that writing a short list and a detailed description of the
system operation is far less costly than paying to write hundreds of pages of repetitive flowcharts. I assure you that we are more than capable of reading a well-written system description and
repairing your truck systems quickly. If we are not trusted now to make intelligent decisions, the problem will only be worse in the future as systems become more complex, engineers become more disdainful, and the number of
qualified mechanics continues to decline.
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