Trucking may change, but the need for quality tools won’t
Commercial vehicles and their components are always undergoing iterations, some drastic. Shops must keep pace by knowing what tools will best help technicians do their jobs, and we need techs to let us know which products on the market get their seal of approval.
As editor-in-chief of a leading (some may say the best) truck maintenance magazine, my inbox is constantly deluged with emails touting the latest and allegedly greatest commercial vehicle and automotive parts and tools. Allegedly is the key word here, as until a large enough number of a new product gets into the hands of end users, who really knows how great it is?
I’ve bought plenty of tools and gadgets that seemed great at first, but weren’t made to last. Like the manufacturing executives who cheaped out on materials to save a few pennies, these products simply lacked integrity. It makes you appreciate the oil-soaked tools with peeling handles that still get the job done after 20 years.
We do our best to filter out the junk fit for the bin from the toolbox treasures, but over the several decades Fleet Maintenance has been in print, it’s likely more than a few have slipped past. That’s bound to happen when you publish several hundred a year, yet get to see and hold, let alone use, only a handful. That’s why I appreciate all the technicians who test tools for us and write up their thoughts. The ones I have dealt with earnestly want to provide an honest review to help their colleagues get the best results. And they know putting their stamp of approval on a shoddy tool could lead to a lifetime of mockery in the shop.
With so many new tools coming out each month, we could use more help vetting the best of the best. We’d love to hear your thoughts, so if you want to gush or gripe about a particular tool or piece of shop equipment you use, send us an email at [email protected]. All emails will be considered off the record until we can confirm details by speaking directly with you. We also welcome requests from those who want to become a reviewer or want us to review a certain product.
We hope together we can add more integrity into the tool and equipment purchasing process, doing our part in helping fleets and shops reach new levels of safety, productivity, and uptime.
About the Author
John Hitch
Editor-in-chief, Fleet Maintenance
John Hitch is the award-winning editor-in-chief of Fleet Maintenance, where his mission is to provide maintenance leaders and technicians with the the latest information on tools, strategies, and best practices to keep their fleets' commercial vehicles moving.
He is based out of Cleveland, Ohio, and has worked in the B2B journalism space for more than a decade. Hitch was previously senior editor for FleetOwner and before that was technology editor for IndustryWeek and and managing editor of New Equipment Digest.
Hitch graduated from Kent State University and was editor of the student magazine The Burr in 2009.
The former sonar technician served honorably aboard the fast-attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723), where he participated in counter-drug ops, an under-ice expedition, and other missions he's not allowed to talk about for several more decades.
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