Service and Support of Electronic Products in the Trucking Industry

The opportunities and problems facing the trucking industry with the introduction of electronics are numerous. The effect of this new technology on the industry are very pronounced in the service and support areas. Two “people problems” characterize the situation in the field today: the lack of electrical experience and a “parts-changing” orientation. Initial research was conducted by talking to representatives of the passenger car and truck-related industries. Results of this research indicated that better diagnostics were key and that both training and toois were essential to that end. Experience with electronics in military, automotive, and other industries all point to a high incidence of “No Trouble Found” (NTF) faiiures. Research indicated the need for training in basic electrical theory -this in addition to the obvious need to train the field on the new products themselves. One of the most significant needs that became clear was the need for quick “turn-around”, flexible methods of delivering the training and service information. This was especially necessary for product-specific training since electronic products have a much shorter model life than previous products in the industry. This need was attacked by the development of various training tools, service tools and support systems, which require a new involvement on the part of the users and new organizational approaches on the part of the development groups.