A closer look at Schneider's tire program, training for technicians

All Schneider diesel technicians, from Maintenance Team Leaders to Diesel Technicians l, are trained to make the correct decision when inspecting tires on a unit.

All associates in Diesel Technician positions receive extensive training on the RIST (Remove, Install, Snug, Torque) process. Schneider Technicians are required to take one live audit and one online refresher course a year. This ensures that all technicians are up to date on current stances within the company.

When a truck comes into the shop, we want to make sure each of our unit’s tires are within proper inflation, tread depth and matchup between duals.

Schneider also does over 120 yard checks throughout the different yards and drop lots. If a driver has found a problem with tires on his pre- or post-trip inspection and is not near a Schneider facility, he has 200-plus tire banks located through the U.S. to have tires replaced and checked. The stances we run and inspections we do play a vital role within the tire life span.

Safety tooling used

Schneider carries all tooling needed for proper RIST procedures to be carried out at all locations that replace tires. Some of the tooling includes torque guns, torque wrenches, cleaning tools and safety equipment to help protect diesel technicians.

All tooling is sent in once a year for inspection and verification. This ensures that impacts, torque guns and wrenches are all working within stance. Once the RIST procedure is complete and the tire has been installed, a torque validation is done to ensure there are no issues. We do this to ensure our work and to make sure we are taking all safety precautions.

Schneider uses state-of-the-art alignment tooling to help align steer, front and rear drive axles. We ensure all axles are set within our standards to help with wear on tires in different positions.

Tire inventory

Tires that Schneider holds in its inventory are all mounted on wheels and aired to spec. When tires are removed from a unit, they remain mounted. All repairs, dis-mounting, mounting and airing are handled by our supplier. We do not break down any tires! We do this to help ensure safety for our diesel technicians.

Online training

All the stance information for Schneider is online for the diesel technicians. This information is easily accessible for all associates, providing everything needed for all applications that we run. In addition, all Schneider diesel technicians receive hands-on training — for all applications that we run.

Shop Tire Specialist

Each shop has a Tire Specialist who oversees tire training, tire inventory and relations with vendors, and can answer any questions needed in all tire applications. Tire Specialists also help train new associates as they enter the shop.