Rogers Group Tackles Tier 4 Head On with Proactive Technician Training
Rogers Group, Oak Ridge, Tenn., the 2018 large-fleet Fleet Masters runner-up, is a crushed stone, sand and gravel, asphalt, and highway construction contractor that implemented a technician training program around Tier 4 engine technology.
“With the influx of Tier 4-F machines hitting our operations, introducing all the new technology and terms like CCV, DPF, VGT, EPC, DEF, DOC, and ARC, keeping our technicians trained and educated is critical to maintain lower operating cost, improved availabilities, and the overall success of our business,” says Phil Gosnell, operations improvement/corporate equipment manager for Rogers Group.
One of the company’s initiatives involved sending technicians to Komatsu Technician Training at Komatsu’s Georgia training facility. Rogers organized the training in concert with Komatsu, and brought in 22 technicians from eight different states.
“Although this training was specific to Komatsu, the overall concepts learned are very much transferable to other manufacturers’ Tier 4 solutions,” Gosnell says.
The week-long intensive course included classroom time and hands-on shop time. Last year’s training focused on a Komatsu haul truck and a loader that are two of Rogers’ most popular quarry machines.
Technicians learned hydraulic schematics, troubleshooting emissions systems, and root-cause analysis.
“They reviewed real-life operator complaints, which forced the techs to follow proper troubleshooting steps with very limited information,” Gosnell says.
The techs learned to research, diagnose, test, discover the root cause, and repair the issues.
“Knowledge is power, and giving our technicians the knowledge to tackle issues internally is saving our company money,” Gosnell says.
Rogers says it has been able to maintain its operating costs at a steady level despite the increase in emissions-related parts.
Its overall fleet availability is over 90 percent, and has been steadily increasing since the first technician training started in 2011.
Also, Rogers Group technicians have been able to communicate proper operating procedures and basic troubleshooting to managers and operators.
“Our goal is to continue these training efforts in conjunction with our partnering manufacturers, expanding to different models and covering more topics,” Gosnell says.
