Truck Repair Archives

  • 24
  • Nov2021

Why is there a container shortage?

Why is there a container shortage?

As we approach another holiday season with the pandemic, hopefully we can look forward to greater social mobility.  Last year we were contending with lockdowns but concerns over shortages were largely isolated to toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies.  What a difference another year makes.  Surging consumer demand has overwhelmed a system focused on […]

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  • 17
  • Aug2021

A Time for Safer Trailer Braking

A Time for Safer Trailer Braking

The annual CVSA Brake Safety Week is scheduled for August 22 – 28, 2021.  During this industry-focused safety event, enforcement officials will inspect commercial vehicles and place units out-of-service (OOS) until any critical brake issues or other safe-operating violations are corrected.  The last brake safety week found that 12% of commercial vehicles inspected had brake […]

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  • 04
  • Jun2021

An Accessible Way to Increase Value Delivered

An Accessible Way to Increase Value Delivered

The pandemic has caused us to evaluate our existing processes and revisit assumptions about how we get things done.  The ongoing need to adapt quickly to changing markets and economic conditions is compelling operators to develop strategies that increase productivity while proactively managing costs.  Rising energy and commodity costs, unanticipated supply shortages and an uncompromising […]

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  • 04
  • Sep2020

Medium-Duty Trucks Need Heavy-Duty TLC

Medium-Duty Trucks Need Heavy-Duty TLC

People call K.I.D. Truck & Trailer Service in Oakville, Ontario to enquire curiously if we work on medium-duty trucks.  In our nearly four decades in business, we’ve serviced every make and model of diesel engine equipment, literally.  It seems like a good time to review our commitment to this class of vehicles and explain why […]

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  • 23
  • Jul2020

A Reputation for Good Value is a Certainty

A Reputation for Good Value is a Certainty

Given our current circumstances, there’s an intense focus on making every dollar go further and every purchase count. We’ve come to equate a low price with good value and there is often waste in this equation. It reminds me of a time when I met a Maintenance Manager for the first time. He kept repeating […]

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  • 11
  • Feb2020

We All Pay For Cargo Theft

We All Pay For Cargo Theft

A tractor trailer on its side against an Esso sign at Eglinton and Mavis after a deadly crash on Jan. 13, 2020. (Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun) When did you ever think that the Peel Region would come second only to California in anything?  In one category it does and that’s cargo theft.  According to Marco Beghetto […]

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  • 26
  • Nov2019

Penny-wise or Pound Foolish?

Penny-wise or Pound Foolish?

It’s not easy running a freight company and everybody is looking for a way to cut costs.  The new mantra is to do more with less, faster.  Nowhere is this more prevalent than with preventive maintenance.  At K.I.D. Truck and Trailer Service, we’re often confronted with customers where the equipment has broken down and they’re […]

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  • 12
  • Oct2019

LEDs Help You See and Be Seen During the Polar Coaster Winter 2020

LEDs Help You See and Be Seen During the Polar Coaster Winter 2020

The Farmer’s Almanac has been using an ancient formula to forecast weather conditions up to 16 months in advance with a nearly 85% accuracy for more than 200 years.  The publication says that it had no choice the winter season of 2020 as the “Polar Coaster.” The overall forecast is that we’re going to see […]

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  • 06
  • Sep2019

What You Need To Know About Diesel Particulate Filters?

What You Need To Know About Diesel Particulate Filters?

There have been changes made by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), which is increasing its enforcement powers for truckers who have tampered with their emission systems.  This updated legislation allows plates from any Canadian province to be seized when driving on Ontario roads.  Previously officers could only pull plates and permits […]

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  • 09
  • Nov2018

Why is There a Variance in Shop Labour Rates?

Why is There a Variance in Shop Labour Rates?

When comparing labour rates at a repair facility, many people believe that a cheaper hourly rate equates to a lower cost.  This is equivalent to the idea that a cooked burger made with regular ground beef will weigh the same as one made with lean ground beef. A pound is not a pound.  One contains […]

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