Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Painting in NY
When it comes to truck painting in NY, truckers and fleet managers alike have plenty of questions! Oftentimes, they take to Google to find some answers. Instead of leaving you to pore through pages of results to find the answer you’re looking for, we decided to provide some answers to the top questions right here on our blog! Hint: Most of them involve money and the cost of repainting a car or truck… So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are some of the most frequently asked questions (with answers-courtesy of Fast Action) about truck painting in NY! Q: Is a Maaco paint job worth it? A: It depends. Obviously, we may be biased on this question, but it couldn’t be skipped! So many people are asking Google about the quality of Maaco’s services. Based on our research and various comments and reviews on the internet, the quality of a Maaco paint job truly varies from shop to shop. The thing to remember is that Maaco is a franchise, meaning each shop is probably owned by a different person than the last. While each shop does operate under the Maaco brand, daily operations can differ from one to the next. For instance, proper prep work is crucial to delivering excellent truck painting in NY, and if the shop you choose decides to cut corners, the quality and durability of your truck paint will suffer greatly. Furthermore, Maaco positions itself as a car painting and repair shop- aka four-wheelers. While their website claims that they can cater to “trucks and over-sized equipment,” this is again dependent on whether the shop in your area is actually equipped or experienced enough to deliver quality service for trucks. For truckers and fleet managers in NY, we recommend visiting a shop like Fast Action that not only specializes in truck painting, but excels at it. For more tips and advice on factors to take into consideration when choosing a repair shop, check out our article What You Need to Know About Truck Repair in NYC. Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Painting in NY Q: How much does it cost to paint a truck a different color? A: The price will depend on how much prep work and paint is needed; and remember, you get what you pay for. As cliche as it is, you truly do get what you pay for when it comes to truck painting in NY. While it’s totally understandable that price is a factor for many truck drivers and fleet managers, your decision should never be based on that factor alone. Cheaper paint jobs will most likely not be the most durable. Think of a quality paint job as an investment in your fleet and your business. After all, those trucks are out on the road representing! If they don’t look good, it will ultimately reflect poorly on your business and potentially cost you later. Furthermore, paying for cheap truck painting in NY increases the chances that your truck will need to be painted again sooner than if you had gotten it done right the first time! After a while, those “cheap” paint jobs will start to add up. Q: Is repainting a truck worth it? A: Yes, absolutely! Repainting your truck isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about representing your brand in the best light possible! If potential customers see your drivers on the road sporting old and rusty paint jobs, they most likely will take that as a reflection on how you do business. Everything to do with your brand needs to be on par with the quality of work that you promise to customers, and your fleet’s paint is a big part of that. Also, did you know that a bad or old paint job might actually make your drivers susceptible to more DOT inspections? It’s true! Although “ugly paint job” isn’t explicitly listed as a DOT violation, it will make your trucks stick out… in a bad way. It will cause DOT officers to make assumptions about the way you run your business, causing them to be suspicious enough to ask for an inspection. Your truckers do not have time to deal with increased DOT inspections, and your business does not have time for a bad paint job to cost you customers! Quality truck painting in NY is always worth it. Q: How long after a fresh coat of paint do I have to wait to drive my truck? A: The paint should be dry after 24 hours, but be sure to consult your shop. At Fast Action, we understand that your business depends on your fleet; you can’t wait for weeks on end to get those trucks back on the road, nor should you have to. We pride ourselves on quality service done right and done fast. When it comes to getting your truck back on the road, you should always consult with your shop to learn how to best care for your fresh paint job. For instance, it is usually best to wait about two weeks before washing your truck. However, at that amount of time, stick to soap, water and a soft cloth. After about a month, you should be in the clear. However, watch out for wax! Certain ingredients in the wax may react negatively if your paint hasn’t completely settled. Wait for a few months before waxing a fresh paint job, and you should be good. — For truck painting in NY, truckers and fleet managers have a lot to consider! Hopefully, this article was able to clear up some of your concerns.If you’re ready to freshen up your fleet in NY, request a quote with us today!
Locus Review for Fleet Managers in NY
If you are amongst the fleet managers in NY, this article will outline the numerous ways you and your employees can benefit from Locus. Locus is a fleet management solution that caters to multiple industries, including e-commerce, 3PL, home services, retail and CPG & FMPG. Their company promise is to help you master your supply chain through logistics planning, automation and optimization. This type of technology can provide huge benefits to fleet managers in NY, especially those that are managing big fleets and, therefore, large quantities of jobs and deliveries. As a fleet manager, your business depends on efficiency and reliability, so Locus may just be the solution you’ve been looking for. Read on to find out more details on how Locus can benefit your fleet. Route Optimization Locus’ software takes into consideration a multitude of factors to determine the best routes for your drivers. Fleet managers in NY probably know better than anyone how time-consuming and problematic manual route planning can be. In a state such as NY that is so expansive, efficient routes are crucial, but there are many components to making efficiency a reality. Luckily, Locus will consider everything for you and provide your driver with real-time, optimized routes. Their AI-technology quickly tests various “what-if” scenarios to determine the best route. It does this by considering factors like real-time traffic, order-vehicle constraints, driver preferences and historical data such as customers and time of day. Added bonus: route optimization can save you 20% to 40% on fuel and drive time. This will also allow your drivers to complete more jobs in the day, including last minute deliveries. In 2020, quick and efficient delivery is not only necessary but expected, and route optimization can help your fleet meet that demand. This will also help your drivers reduce stress. With the industry experiencing shortages of drivers in comparison to the rising demand, route optimization can help to ensure that drivers are, not only completing deliveries in a timely manner, but also have enough time to take their appropriate (and much needed) breaks. If your drivers have several stops to make in a day, you know that the potential for unforeseen obstacles can grow exponentially. Therefore, it can be crucial that you and your drivers have access to the smartest, most up-to-date route optimization available, and Locus will certainly provide that. Real-Time Tracking This technology will allow fleet managers to provide enhanced customer service and driver accountability. With Locus’ real-time tracking capabilities, you can keep your customers up-to-date on their delivery status and ETA. The customers can receive a text message when their order is on the way and track it in real-time. In addition to receiving information about their package’s ETA, they can also see the specific location of the package en route, as well as view contact details on the driver. In addition to providing unparalleled customer service, the fleet manager will also be able to keep track of each truck’s location in case of a deviation. This will add an extra layer of accountability to drivers in the event of an ETA or SLA breach. Intellisort technology for Fleet Managers in NY Intellisort is an AI-powered solution to package sorting and driver assignments. Traditionally, package sorting is done manually (or at least semi-manually) when someone in the warehouse deciphers addresses and assigns packages to the appropriate driver. Locus, however, provides fleet managers and drivers with a more effective, smarter solution. Intellisort uses geocoding to cut down on human error in package sorting. Geocoding is a technology that can decipher even handwritten addresses to find the exact geographical location, latitude and longitude. The Intellisort technology will then assign packages to the correct drivers based on their optimum route. This technology can potentially result in saving up to 60% in sorting time. That will get your drivers on the road faster, with less packages being delivered to incorrect addresses, and more packages delivered overall. Customization Based on your fleet’s struggles, Locus promises tailor-made solutions. Locus’ team consists of scientists and consultants who can analyze your business’ needs and utilize- yep, you guessed it- AI technology to simulate different scenarios. From there, they are able to provide your business with solutions to your most common struggles. In addition, their technology is very user-friendly and can be customized as per your business’ requirements, which will be especially appealing to the less tech-savvy fleet managers in NY. And, if you run into any issues, you can contact the Locus support team for help. — Fleet managers in NY have a specific set of challenges, but with Locus’ cutting edge technology, you can overcome some of the most common ones. Utilizing features such as route optimization, Intellisort, and real-time tracking will reduce time on administrative tasks, money spent on fuel costs and delivery times. This automation will also improve customer satisfaction as they track their own package. Also, route optimization makes sure that each package gets to its destination on time. Automation is the future of shipping, so make sure that your company stays ahead of the curve with Locus.
How Fleet Managers in New York are Adapting to a Changing Landscape
Before managing logistics became a seamless system, fleet managers in New York only practiced simple tasks to deliver packages to any point they were assigned to. There were definitely many elements that needed improvement back then like a system that would improve the cost of operations as a whole, deadlines, and the safety of the fleet. The development of a more innovative logistic system has become a big “to do” to fleet managers in New York because of the challenges to learn new systems, and completing the required courses and tutorials for management tools. Since most of their day consists of running the business, setting aside time to learn all of the newer tools has become tricky. Admiring the use and importance of logistics goes as far back as Napoleon’s era. Delving even further back in history, Red Ball Express used logistic strategies to help the US Army. Over a three-month period, the team behind Red Ball Express helped the US Military by resupplying their provisions. The impact that logistics made to battles during that particular period was quite impressive. In fact, Red Ball Express delivered more than 400,000 tons of gun ammunition, vehicle gasoline, and other supplies proven to be beneficial to the US army’s developments. Looking back a century ago, the infancy of logistics has contributed to significant events. But fast forward to now, people are now used to seeing delivery vehicles around busy areas to move parcels daily. How Fleet Managers in New York are Adapting to a Changing Landscape Fleet managers in New York are now starting to consider advancing logistics by using technology to benefit their clients. The abrupt change in attention to logistics is primarily because of trends. Various digital platforms have emerged and improved throughout the decades, more particularly to service e-commerce brands. The FTR Annual Conference is an excellent reference to use for everything involving the progression of logistics, especially since they typically have an impressive panel lineup. Brent Hutto from Truckstop.com did a great job of explaining how data has helped to change the industry related to all things logistics. According to him, relying on digital data allows freight-matching technology to improve many aspects of logistics. Operators are also starting to get younger and younger as time passes and their standards seem higher because of the technological educational abilities and experiences they are used to. That being said, audience expectations have also changed; most of them are adamant when it comes to tracking their deliveries, which benefits everyone involved in the supply chain because it keeps everyone on their game. Most of these younger truck owners face several challenges, and Ramirez cited that one of the biggest of them is the rates. Fast Action Body Repair on Smart Trucks Claudio Ramirez of Fast Action Body Repair expressed his thoughts about logistics in the changing landscape. He says that everyone in the industry should be exposed to this change and get used to it. Ramirez also emphasized that using digital solutions has fine-tuned the entire process, saying that it is the primary reason the industry is improving. Fleet managers in New York are now relying more on digital platforms to manage their data and execute their processes in a more efficient manner. That’s why there has been an increase in the need of electronic equipment to accelerate the process behind logistics. Smart freight vehicles are the solution to many of the problems that the logistics industry has faced because they are now improving and decreasing problems that have been negatively effecting deliveries over the years. It’s not just useful for the shippers alone, but it is an essential asset for everyone involved in the delivery process. Smart freight trucks facilitate everything that is needed to decrease the volume of problems that fleet managers in New York are facing. Going back to Claudio Ramirez of Fast Action Body Repair, he elaborates that the key to utilizing the benefits of smart freight trucks is creating a platform or a network that oversees every process involved. For instance, Fortune 500 transportation and logistics firms have successfully implemented the concept in their system. They also have an application called the J.B. Hunt 360, which allows remote processing and management to be a lot easier and more accessible. For everything to work seamlessly, it has a user-friendly interface, displaying crucial aspects to logistic data such as rates, tracking, and price quotes. It includes a dashboard that is also ready to use for users who want to view all their spending, as well as package statuses. While technology has helped logistic operations to improve, the full scope of the process will forever keep fleet staff offices busy. Some work remotely and others work on-site to keep the processes running strong and consistent. Fleet managers in New York have begun to utilize data to stay up to date with the times, but it is safe to say that it is still in its initial stages. Many influencers in the trucking and logistics industry agree that virtual smart truck monitoring will be a crucial factor in the success of the industry’s advancements. Keep checking out our blog to stay up to date with advances in the trucking industry.
4 Tips on Getting the Best Truck Repair in NY
Your truck is your baby and you always want the best truck repair in NY when it’s time to heal your baby. After purchasing a new truck, you can expect it to run quite a few months or even years before it begins giving you trouble. Just like any other vehicle, trucks are made up of mechanical and electrical parts that wear out or malfunction over time. It will be unfair to say your new truck might not give you problems at all. When the time comes, you must have a good truck repair service to counter unexpected repairs. When it comes to adequate truck maintenance, it’s necessary to hire a reliable and reputable commercial truck repair NY shop that gives high-quality service. Selecting the right service provider is not easy, particularly with so many repair service providers competing in the market. Just like other kinds of vehicles, trucks require mechanical and electrical repair services because of malfunction of wearing out of their parts. It is best to get the most reliable truck repair services where you can call for instant help whenever your truck has problems. The truck repair shop you intend to go for should be able to deal with particular problems and provide other reliable services. Selecting the best truck repair in NY services for your routine maintenance can be frustrating due to the various service providers in the market today. But you can consider a couple of things to make the right choice of a truck repair shop. The following are tips for choosing a truck repair service. 4 tips on getting the best truck repair in NY 1. Get Recommendations When you are looking to get the best truck repair in NY, it is vital to get recommendations from family, colleagues, friends, or business associates who may have their truck repaired recently. Apart from the online insights, you need to consider the shared experience from professionals and other referrals. By doing this, you can quickly find a truck repair shop with a good reputation and the best services. Once you prepare a list of recommended truck repair NY shops, you need to narrow down your search by interviewing and monitoring what they can do. Make sure the mechanics in the repair shop have the best skills to handle major truck issues. Once you get a few good truck repair NY companies, search online to see if you can find a business website. Go through the websites and look for reviews and testimonials. Read them to get a better idea regarding whether or not the mechanics are capable and experienced enough to handle all types of repairs on trucks. 2. What does their shop look like? After getting the top recommendations of the best truck repair companies, you need to pay a visit to the garage site to have a look at what the mechanics are doing. When in the repair shop, consider some things that will make you trust their services. For example, you need to check the response of the staff and the organization of the mechanics to determine their level of commitment. You also need to check the quality of work done in the workplace. Compare more than one garage to find the best that suits your needs. It is best to work with professionals that have high qualifications and best personalities. Don’t consider garages that lack clean facilities or a good organization. They cannot guarantee the professional quality of work if they are unable to keep their workplace neat and presentable. Rather, look for a professional that has a clean, organized garage. The place has to be comfortable and neat for waiting, while the professionals work on repairing your damaged truck. 3. How expensive are they? As you consider the price of the truck repair services, you may be tempted to go to the cheapest mechanic. You also need to have a particular budget that does not limit you to the substandard facilities. Make sure you select a truck repair shop that has a competitive price that you can afford. Compare the prices of various service centers to know the best that meets your needs and budget. Repair shops that offer to get the work done for less may not repair your truck fully, which means you might have to visit them several times before actually getting the truck fixed. At the same time, don’t go for a mechanic that charges too high. Instead, go for one that is fair on the pricing. It is also advisable to compare the pricing of various service centers to get one that best suits your requirements and budget. 4. Consider their experience Experience in commercial truck repair is the most important criteria. Inexperienced providers could lead to delays and mistakes that could cost more in the long run. You should look for a service provider that has experience with various manufacturers and has experience with additional accessory improvements that could benefit your fleet business. While looking for truck repair in NY, you should check for proper credentials. You need to ensure your prospective repair shop has prior knowledge and skills to fix the problem. In the same way, the certification documents will give you an idea of whether the mechanics offer acceptable repair services. Additional credentials to look at include the license, insurance cover, and other legal documents that give the credibility of the truck repair shop. A licensed service provider knows and works in compliance with the rules and regulations of the car industry. Why you need to hire a professional When you have a problem, it is advisable to call an expert. There are a lot of things that you can fix on your own, but your repair work will not be as good as that of a professional. This is particularly true when it comes to truck repair NY work. You should always hire a semi-truck repair specialist when you need your truck repaired. Not only will you get the best
6 Tips to Improve Fleet Management in New York
Fleet Management in New York can be hard to handle. There are costs to control, trucks to repair and paint, and employees to keep safe and on-task. This creates little room for error. For fleet managers to remain on budget and keep their operation rolling they need to make their fleet more efficient. Regularly addressing maintenance problems, managing costs of tire and fuel, lowering paperwork, and making use of new technology can help make fleet management in New York more effective. Fleet maintenance schedule ensures that your services are in accordance with federal, state, and local laws. The roles and challenges of an operations manager seem endless, and a fleet management system can surely help make those tasks easier. Even though having a fleet management solution doesn’t ensure that your daily operations will suddenly take less time than before, choosing the most effective fleet management system that is also the right fit for your business is more important. Whether you handle a delivery business, or work in the industry of field service, managing your fleet is important for success to ensure you are keeping up with the needs and desires of your clients. Technology, information, and connectivity are coming together to create a belief in people that they can have what they want, when, where, and how they want it. 6 Tips to Improve Fleet Management in New York To continue keeping up with the high demands of your customers, you need to have proper fleet management in New York. It demands business owners to plan and optimize routes taken by their vehicles, make changes at quick notice, track your vehicles and drivers, all while maintaining customer satisfaction. Below are tips to help fleet managers increase effectiveness and increase customer satisfaction while saving both time and money. 1. Have better route planning Route optimization software can show you daily processes. It gets rid of the need to manually plan routes and can provide quick ROI for a business (greater than 30 percent). In addition to better planning your routes, it has additional benefits such as: Automated data reporting that gives details about the performance of a fleet, making it possible for you to make better decisions based on those metrics. Extended lifetime of your trucks and cheaper fuel costs by implementing better routes and lowering idling time. It saves office time because you will have the chance to plan in a short time, rather than in hours, and focus on other tasks. To better comprehend the significance of investing in routing technology, it is important to understand just how much manual planning is costing fleet management in New York. Take time to consider the following projects that are wasting valuable time that could be invested elsewhere: Dealing with lengthy paperwork and files that could contain a lot of human error, such as, filling out paperwork manually, creating vital reports, typing addresses into a navigation system, or answering calls from the office Inability to properly manage requests or change routes in real-time (such as when there’s traffic, road closures, or on-demand requests) Lack of visibility into the location of your driver, making it hard to manage your day and nearly impossible to give customers dependable updates 2. Embrace Telematics Fleet operations are benefiting from technology. Advances in telematics and GPS tracking provide more insight into the exact locations of your fleet, behavior of drivers, and general vehicle performance. Telematics can also assist managers identify bad driving behaviors such as speeding, quick accelerating or braking, and idling. It also helps business owners identify road or traffic conditions to make it possible for drivers to be rerouted. This can help you not only improve driver safety and at the same time, cut down on fuel expenses. This technology can also send alerts to fleet managers and drivers regarding potential issues with the vehicle. The technology can detect urgent issues, or identify problems that should be fixed during the next scheduled preventative maintenance service. 3. Move towards paperless modules Why should you have more paperwork than needed? Filling out paper forms takes time and it creates room for mistakes. What happens if a technician incorrectly records his or her hours? What if a document gets missing? Going paperless and rather gaining access to data through a software solution will help improve the efficiency of the operation of your business. Fleet management in New York can allow technicians to automatically allocate time to particular projects and have access to vital information regarding vehicles and equipment. Instead of looking for paperwork that has warranty information or vehicle history, a manager can access it through the software. The technician can record all details from the services carried out in real-time, making sure he or she does not forget to enter vital information later. 4. Analyze information to improve fleet performance The best method of improving the performance of your fleet is to analyze data and detect where you are succeeding and where there is room for improvement. Using routing software with a large analytics dashboard will give you an idea of important metrics and allow you to make better decisions that will greatly improve the performance of your fleet. You’ll also be able to know which members of your team are not abiding by the plan, missing time-windows, or might require additional coaching and training: Use of the current resources of your fleet including average daily vehicles, vehicle usage by the load, planned distances, and unplanned time window violations Make changes to the execution of your routes and get a detailed look at time spent at other locations, route deviations, unplanned idle time, and delays Carefully monitor seasonality by looking back at how your fleet did during weekends or holidays to know if you were understaffed, if certain aspects resulted in problems, or if you need to adjust your plans 5. Take your fleet management systems mobile Whether you are in your office or on the go, making use of routing software with a mobile app
4 Truck Painting in NY Tips That Will Ease the Process
Truck Painting in NY is one of the most time-consuming and costly projects to undertake on your vehicle. By the end of this article you’ll know if you can paint it yourself or you should have it painted by a professional. Paint and bodywork have long been seen as an art more than a mechanical undertaking. A good truck painting in NY job is surely the result of many hours spent welding, sanding, and preparing the body for paint. Rather than the popular misconception that a paint job is a single step process, painting a vehicle is a process that involves various steps that lead to the real painting of the truck. Being a good painter needs a lot of patience and some amount of perfectionism because that new, glossy paint job will show the slightest blemish underneath. When it comes to truck painting in NY, any automotive professional will tell you the same thing: it all goes down to the preparation. Whether you’re repairing a chip or re-spraying the entire truck, preparing the paintwork is just as important as applying the paint, and plays an important part in the quality of the final result. To help you prepare like a professional, we’ll guide you through some vital ideas on cutting, sanding, priming, and picking the right paint for your truck, with insider ideas to give your truck a truly professional finish. 4 Truck Painting in NY Tips That Will Ease the Process Step 1: Remove the rust The first thing to do to get a great looking paint job that will last for a long time is to have a solid, rust-free foundation to work from. Rust is a popular term for the process of steel oxidizing and is usually caused by unprotected metal being exposed to liquid or liquid-vapor. Adding salt to the process, as in salty roads in the beach or winter driving in the summer, only extends the process and can quickly turn sheet metal into an ugly, flaking, rusty mess. The worst problem of rust is that once the oxidation process has begun it is very difficult to stop. Even taking away the source of the moisture won’t stop the metal from rusting in a self-destructive way, so, the only decision is to completely get rid of the rust or to stop the process of oxidation chemically. Either way, the rust has to be completely removed or treated or it will return under the paint, leading to unsightly bubbling. The best method to make sure that rust won’t return is to get rid of it from the truck. This can be accomplished by removing the metal just in the rusty area and welding in areas, but extreme cases may need you to replace the whole panel. While doors and fenders are easily replaced by bolting on the new parts, quarter panels and door skins are harder and need special tools like a welder, clamps, spot weld cutter, grinder, and cut-off wheels. Whether getting rid of the metal because of a collision or due to rust, the methods are the same. Cut out the destroyed part, fabricate or buy a patch panel, fit the panel, and weld it in together. The welding process can be a trick in itself because the heat made in thin, sheet metal panels can result in distortion, causing more time spent to straighten the welded-in panels. Coating the panel with a heat-absorbing compound and stitch welding (welding short segments gradually) the panel are two ways to keep the panel from warping while being welded together. More concern about welding is that moisture can be trapped inside any area of porosity, causing more rust issues. Priming the metal in a weld-through primer and sandblasting the area after being welded are two ways to making sure the area won’t rust in the future. Most places of light surface rust don’t need metal replacement and can be chemically treated with a liquid rust inhibitor. Rust inhibitors are found in gel form, such as naval jelly. No matter the brand, all rust inhibitors function in the same manner. Their main ingredient is phosphoric acid, which converts iron oxide (active rust) into iron phosphate, chemically preventing the oxidation process. Parts can be dipped in rust inhibitor, but the more common method is to spray liquid inhibitor on the part from a spray bottle. Depending on the severity of the rust, it can take from two to twelve hours for the phosphoric acid to convert the rust to iron phosphate, which is black. Have it in mind that this process is only effective in areas of surface rust that are not flaking or rusted through. Those areas should be cut out and replaced. It is not until all the rust of the car has either been cleaned and replaced with new metal or treated with a rust inhibitor, that we can call the first step in the painting process complete. Now we have a solid foundation to build on, we can start straightening and filling warped panels and correcting other imperfections. Step 2: Straighten the panels Getting the panels straight is probably the most time-consuming process of automotive bodywork. Most cars have all new metal with no filler, which is why it’s so straight. But nearly all panels need some filler to be made straight. Although some panels may be straightened with a hammer and dolly, others need filler to be perfect. It takes many hours of spreading body filler, sanding, and repeating the process to make sure a panel’s straightness, and, again, some specialty products and tools are needed. First, it is necessary to make use of quality body filler. Cheap body filler may fill the voids and imperfections of the panels of the car, but it will not last as long as quality fillers. Another advantage of quality filler is that it is normally easier to sand than its cheaper counterpart, needing less time to carry out the truck painting in NY job. Step