| Times have changed, has your truck? Advances in our patented hydraulic technology have made the auxiliary engine a thing of the past! |
CUSTOMER SERVICE: FILLING IN THE GAPS
| Maintenance Minute - Maintenance Log | |
 A commonly overlooked, but important aspect of both vehicle and sweeper maintenance, is record keeping. A simple log and a few minutes to track your routine maintenance can give you information to plan budgets, reduce down time, and lower inventory costs. The maintenance log should list the date and service performed, as well as the technician responsible and the parts used.If you don't already have a Maintenance Log, click on the link here to download an example. Contact your individual equipment manufacturer for specific maintenance schedules. These logs should be keep on all your equipment, including blowers, sweepers, plows, striping and paving equipment, and pressure washers. The more accurate the log, the better your planning information will be. | |
GRATEFUL
I was walking through the airport the other day and I saw a young guy, mid twenties I suspect, walking in front of me. Clearly in good shape with a well groomed haircut, I am guessing a military man of some sort. As I and the rest of the passengers walked off to their respective planes eager to get to their next destinations, he stood out to me for some reason. He was wearing a t-shirt that read:
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."
The quote is attributed to Ronald Reagan. I was immediately struck with a sense of gratitude for the privilege to live in this country and for the men and women who serve.
For months, it seems like in every article I mention the doom and gloom out in the world today, but yet fail to mention all the opportunity that this great nation affords us. I don't slow down nearly enough to contemplate the truly awe inspiring sacrifices that went into not only creating, but maintaining our country and freedoms. I am humbled by the privilege to live and raise my family here.
I love history and have dragged my family around the country to places like Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York to see firsthand the staggering time line of events that created the United States of America. I try to teach my kids how important it is to recognize the value in what we have as citizens. Mostly I imagine my kids are thinking that it's just another thing dad wants to see" or "really dad... do you have to read everything?" But I hold out hope that one day they will truly appreciate their country and not take it for granted.
This was no more evident to me as when recently our family left from a visit to see my wife's great Grandpa. At almost 90 years old he is a tremendous example of the greatest generation. He served in WWII on two continents and received two purple hearts; he never speaks about it, but will answer questions if you ask. He doesn't consider himself special, but figures that it was the right thing to do.I love that about those guys. I think he knows that he made a difference. I certainly know he did. I am grateful for his sacrifice and hope that I don't have to wonder someday if I made a difference.
And even though times are not what we all would like them to be, it is important for me to stay grounded and understand what I truly have. I have had the opportunity to travel and see other places both in this country and abroad. I am constantly reminded how lucky we are to be in the U.S.A., but day-to-day life gets in the way and you forget what a blessing it is to live here. The great fortune we enjoy to make our own way and raise our families and teach them as we see fit. We have the opportunity to start a business and succeed or fail, by the sweat of our own hands, and to enjoy the rewards. An opportunity I am grateful and thankful for living in this blessed country.
| NAPSA Webinar | |
 Tips and Tools for Estimating a Profitable Parking Lot ContractSeptember 1, 2010 - 5:00 PM Eastern Objective To provide individuals/organizations involved with parking lot sweeping with tips and tools on how to estimate a contract while making a profit. What You Can Expect To Learn:
Intended Audience All individuals and companies within the sweeping industry are encouraged to attend this webinar. Whether you are a new company starting out or if you are a second or third generation owner, everyone will gain something from this educational session. For more information and registration please visit the NAPSA website at https://www.powersweeping.org/index.cfm/webinar_registration/?CFID=6957280&CFTOKEN=73541976. | |
| Maintenance Minute - Skid/Flap Adjustment | |
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A simple way to keep your Nite-Hawk performing at its peak is to regularly inspect and adjust your pick-up head, flaps, and skids. This inspection should be part of your daily procedure with a focus on the skid, alignment, pick-up head, and length of the rear flap. Step 1: The skid (NH # PU-1601) and skid plate (NH # PU-0211) should be parallel to the top of the pick-up head. If the skid plate is out of adjustment, use a ¾ wrench to loosen the skid plate bolts and bring the skid plate back to parallel. Step 2: Next, inspect the skid for wear and damage. The skid should be a minimum of ¼" think in all areas, with no signs of cracking or fatigue. All the skid bolts should be tight and unbroken. Step 3: After inspecting the skid plates and skids, sight down the rear of the pick-up head for damage and alignment. Step 4: To check for flap wear, measure the distance from the ground to the bottom of the rear flap. This distance should be no more than 1/4". If an adjustment is needed, remove a skid spacer using a ¾" wrench. If the rear flap is uneven, remove enough skid spacers to eliminate all gaps. Over time, the flaps will wear and this process can be repeated. The flaps (NH # PU-1900) should be replaced when all skid spacers (NH # PU-1602) have been removed and the rear flap shows a gap of ¼". By following these simple procedures you can maximize the performance of your Nite-Hawk and extend the life of your pick-up head. For parts and service you can visit us on the web at parts.nitehawksweepers.com or call us at 800.448.9364. | |
PLANNING FOR YOUR FLEET
For those of you in cold climates, DEF systems will be warmed through the engines and may require extra start-up time.Space requirements for the DEF units will require sweeper manufacturers to engineer around the changes. On a positive note, we have been told that the DEF equipped trucks will be more fuel efficient than current models. After this change, it appears like there are no other changes scheduled for the foreseeable future. All 2011 model year trucks will have DEF level indicators on the dashboard and manual site glasses to view the urea mix levels. Warning lamps will let the driver know somewhere between 400-500 miles before the DEF tank is empty.The amount of DEF used will depend, just like fuel consumption, on how the truck is used but plan on 2% or less of fuel consumption.
Hopefully this was helpful information. There is a lot to digest, so please don't hesitate to give us a call with any questions or comments. Or visit our website or www.factsaboutscr.com or www.isuzucv.com.| Maintenance Minute - Isuzu | |
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IDENTIFYING YOUR POSITION PLAYERS
A few months back I wrote an article titled, "Creating Your Team". The short article focused on creating a team of competent contributors outside your business to help you identify ways to become more productive, identify growth strategies, and manage resources. Being a sports fan, I identify with the "team" aspect. And in retrospect, I probably should have written about the "internal team" first. Putting your internal team together, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and what positions you need to fill, are essential steps that require examination routinely as part of your ongoing business health. Think about it like an annual physical, not pleasant but good insurance.
The first step is to identify your tendencies and personalities as the business owner, manager, or supervisor. Are you the dreamer, the manager organizer, or the person that just wants to get to work? Business books refer to these unique personalities in different ways, but I like the descriptions that Michael Gerber's The E-Myth uses; the entrepreneur, the manager, and the technician. Understanding who you are and what dominates your behavior is the first step to balancing these traits and selecting complimenting players around you. Stacking a line-up with all home run hitters may be great against a weak pitcher, but will ultimately lead to a higher strike out rate, and more than likely, poor defense. You need to have consistency in your lineup to accommodate for the deficiencies of the power sluggers.
I was thinking about a customer who was lamenting the performance of a once productive employee. He was disappointed that this employee wasn't functioning well in a new sales role and was contemplating terminating him. We spoke about how happy he was with this employee when he was in operations and he didn't understand what went wrong. He was promoted to fill a need and since he was good at operations and worked hard, it seemed like a natural transition to be a hard working salesperson. Looking at it from the outside it was easy to see that he had tried to make a .375 hitter into a home run hitter. He was hoping to change a manager organizer into a dreamer. Now, I'm not saying that people can't switch positions, or grow vertically and horizontally in an organization, but it's certainly essential to know what positions are needed and what type of people should fill those jobs. The reality of a successful growing business is that you need all three types of people. Not finding a balance will lead to frustration for you, the employee and possibly severe consequences for the business.
Taking the time to plan and identify these needs in your business can sometimes be a colossal task. Especially if you are one of the personality types, (entrepreneur), who fills the constant need to move on to the next project, challenge, or dream. Force yourself to honestly evaluate what your business requires and just like the thankless task of budgeting, your attention today, will pay off down the road.
| Spring Clean-up Sale | |
| Spruce up your fleet with these incredible prices on cost-saving options for your fleet: OEM Front Bumper Covers for Isuzu Cabover - Side-Suction Hose - Arctic Vinyl Seat Covers for Isuzu Cabover - | |
| Maintenance Minute | |
| Having a good safety plan for your employees and equipment will help minimize your risk for costly repairs or insurance claims. Go over your safety procedures and updates at your annual safety meeting.
Employee Safety - Replace damaged or worn safety glasses, ear protections, gloves, boots, masks, and work vests.
Equipment Safety - Replace damaged or cracked lights, horn, guards, mirrors, windshield and fire extinguisher.
Give our service department a call for more safety tips and training available. | |
As I sat down at my desk this morning to read my copy of Just in Time1, from the National Association of Manufactures, I browsed through the articles and was struck by all the stories that seemed to apply directly to me, Nite-Hawk and our industry in general. I kept thinking, is this what happens when we get older? Do we pay attention more, or does there seem to be, dare I say kindly (and more politically correct), "a different agenda toward business"? There was an article talking about the Health Care Reform Bill. An article speaking of the labor department's 90 proposed rules and regulatory actions adding 250 additional OSHA field inspectors. And another article about the EPA announcing "endangered findings" and declaring greenhouse gas (GHG) a danger to the public health, thereby giving the EPA unprecedented power. Regardless of where you find yourself in the political spectrum, keeping informed can be the key to survival.
If you are still not convinced, please call me and I can give you the names of some great contractors in my home state of California who can fill you in on what may be heading your way. Gulp! This isn't a rant on regulation, but more of a caution to stay aware and be vigilant for the betterment of your business and so that you may have a voice to influence change. Some of you may take the approach, "I vote and do my civic duty, that's all I have time for." I think you may be surprised at how much influence you really have, and what you can accomplish without running for public office.
A recent Gallup Poll2 asked if people had a positive or negative image of small business. 95% of respondents said they have a positive image. Free enterprise elicited a 86% positive view and to all you sweeping contractors or "entrepreneurs" 84% of respondents had a positive image of you. Those numbers surprised me initially, but then I thought about how many of the people I admire are entrepreneurs. I've also noticed over the years how small business owners are admired for their courage to do things on their own. I think that gives us an opportunity to keep people informed and best of all, they will listen. The first place to start is with our employees.
In the top sweeping companies in the industry, having informed personnel is almost always universal. Informed employees are engaged in not just the running of the operation, but understanding the reasons behind the procedures, and how ultimately it benefits everyone at an organization. They understand how outside forces and regulation can affect the bottom line and why procedures help control costs and provide a safe working environment. Therefore, these employees can offer insight on increasing efficiency because they are informed.
But don't stop there. Inform others about the things that ultimately affect us all. As we battle through tough economic times and increased debate on the role of government involvement in business, stay informed and understand your responsibility to inform others and don't underestimate your ability to make a difference.
1 January 2010 Issue
2Gallup Pole: Socialism Viewed Positively by 36% of Americans 2/04/10
| Learn from one of the best | |
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| Maintenance Minute - Tire Rotation | |
| - Examine the blower and remove all dirt and debris from blower exterior and the engine. Check the cooling fins and air cleaner for clogging and clean as necessary. - Inspect the engine, tank and hoses for possible fuel leaks, and repair as necessary. - Inspect the entire blower for loose, damaged, or missing components, and repair as needed. - Carefully remove any accumulations of dirt or debris from the muffler and fuel tank. - Remove the air cleaner cover and inspect the filter and per-filter. Clean or replace if needed. - Clean and gap the spark plug to the manufacturer's specifications (usually .024"). Weekly Maintenance - Daily maintenance 1-6 plus: - Remove and inspect fuel filter and hose, replace if needed. - Remove dirt and debris from cylinder fins and crankcase. - Remove and clean the spark arrester. Replace if damaged or unserviceable. | |
| Tax Season is Upon Us | |
| Taxes are one of the most important issues facing small and growing businesses. And like a company's profitability, its annual tax bill will reflect the owner's aptitude and knowledge. Business owners need to be sure that they are meeting all of their responsibilities and seize every opportunity available to reduce their taxes. For the latest in tax laws, tips, deductions, and credits available, refer to www.irs.gov. | |
| Maintenance Minute - Tire Rotation | |
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Tire rotation can often be done in conjunction with an oil change to minimize down time. This is also a good time to have your tires rebalanced to avoid vibration issues. Inspect the tires for any damage, remove stones or debris from the tire treads, check for uneven wear, and tire pressure. | |
Tire rotation is an aspect of tire service that is often ignored. Tire rotation can help equalize tread wear and greatly extend tire life. This is usually performed at 5,000 miles depending on the type of tire and vehicle. Check your owner's manual for recommended mileages.