With truck technology constantly changing, how do you know which diagnostic tools to choose?
Technology advances used to happen gradually. Think how long televisions were broadcasting in black and white until color TV came along: or how long it took to go from the traditional dial phone to cordless models. With the advent of digital technology, changes are occurring constantly leading to faster obsolescence.
Today’s trucks technology makes having the right tools more important than ever. Jane Clark, Vice President of Member Services for NationaLease addresses this issue in her recent IdeaXchange blog. She acknowledges that fleet managers and owners have a wide variety of diagnostic tools to choose from, but certain factors need to be answered before a choice is made. After all, as Jane notes, these tools can be quite expensive, up to $3,100 each with annual fees that range from $300 to $2,200.
Price shouldn’t be the first priority. Paying less for a diagnostic tool that doesn’t do its job is a greater waste of money than paying for the appropriate, more expensive tool upfront. The factors you should consider, according to Jane are:
- Initial cost
- Ongoing costs
- Coverage
- Available training
- Technical support
- What the device reads
Today’s trucks are very costly. They need to be in good condition and road-worthy as much as possible; therefore, the right diagnostic tools that can identify any issues can make the difference between an asset that adds to a fleet’s revenue or one that detracts from it.
Read Jane’s full blog for greater details on each of the factors listed above.
