One of my favorite cliches is, “The only constant is change,” and it holds very true here in the shop.  The problem with change is that we find ourselves venturing out of our comfort zone. But change is a necessary part of growth and efficiency. I am really happy with the way the shop personal are stepping up to the challenge that comes with learning new procedures and implementing new ways of record keeping, i.e. the laptops. I also think that trying to mix greasy mechanics and laptops is a lot like mixing pickles and ice cream, some people actually like it, but to most it just leaves a sour taste in their mouth. I can say that there are some concerns and obstacles we will have to address, but with the right goals in mind and some patience, we will be a better shop for it. In the long run what we are really after is a more efficient and interchangeable system that will be common throughout the company. I realize we are the guinea pigs, but I think we can implement a system that requires fewer steps on the paper trail and allows each mechanic to handle his own very important link in the chain. On the 15^th of Nov. some of the guys attended a workshop set up by Sandy M, Pasty P, and Will H, covering the basic fundamentals of work order edit. Now those with access to the PCs have been entering their own data, and doing very well at that. Our very first effort with this was done in our alignment bay. Ron Puls has been doing a wonderful job and is well on his way to making his corner of the shop self-sufficient.

Anyone who comes through the truck shop will notice we have a nice new sealed floor. This is due to some very timely and hard work done by our maintenance dept. Every day they pick up, clean up, and make our shops look ready for our next day of work. This is no small feat, I personally have been responsible for some terrible messes, and yet they dive right in up to their elbows. I would like to give them a big THANK YOU for the thankless job you guys do. With the winter work coming into the shop we find ourselves busy, and sometimes overwhelmed with the work we need to get done by spring. Every winter brings more trucks, equip, and pickups that need to be ready for work when called. I would like all the supervisors to please see to it that those units that they are responsible for get detailed and complete winter work sheets filled out for them. I will be glad to supply anyone with the proper paper work. This will help us to have the very best product for you to return to in the spring. I know we can accomplish more when we work together to a common goal. With that said, let’s all think, work, and achieve the very highest level of safety possible.