Over the last few years, a new craze has popped up in cities all over North America – the food truck. Once just a hallmark of places like New York and Los Angeles, the food truck phenomenon has now spread to every corner of the continent, including right here in Calgary.
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Food trucks are the ultimate win for a sole proprietor that loves the business: portable, efficient, and on a small scale, they can quickly be moved to a new location as needed. But what happens when the “truck” part of the business starts to show more than the “food” side?

After all, a food truck still needs to be maintained and fixed every so often – perhaps even more so, since they’re running equipment like fridges, freezers, and stoves. And if your truck shows up to an event smelling like burning oil, leaking coolant, or shrieking with bad brakes, that will create an association with every customer – not for good food, but for low quality of care. That’s extremely detrimental to any solo business!

The solution to this is to keep up on your truck’s preventative maintenance – if you wait until you notice the problem, then chances are that potential customers have noticed it too, and steered clear. There’s no law about food trucks requiring commercial inspections (for now), but ignoring what’s under the hood won’t do you any favours in the long run. At least twice a year, bring your vehicle to West Tech’s shop (or we can come to you), and get all the fluids, belts, brakes, and other systems checked, so that you can take care of any problems before they get big enough to scare away sales. On top of the increased marketability, you’ll also have the better peace of mind, knowing that you – and your supplies in the back – are safe during transport to local hot spots.

The best times to do this maintenance are the spring and fall, when business isn’t overwhelming yet, and you won’t feel rushed through the process. This way, you won’t lose any money by bringing your truck in, and you know you’ll be ready for the summer slam of event-hopping that comprises the majority of income for most food truck operators. And afterward, as things slow down again in the autumn, any problems that may have started to form during the rush can be identified and fixed before they cause a headache during the next busy season.
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While it’s a different business model from many others, food trucks are still a business – and as with any major personal investment in one, it’s best to ensure it operates safely, efficiently, and to the quality that its client base expects. Don’t be stuck in the shop during a big festival or busy long weekend crowd because you forgot to top up your coolant, or replace your brake pads. A little preparation, and preventative maintenance, goes a long way toward keeping your truck where it belongs, out where the action is. And then you can focus on doing what you do best – creating great food for the people who want to support you!

Cooling system performance test, checking all fins, checking coolant strength, a/c performance test (hookup manifold gauge kit, check static pressures, etc), check vent temperatures, check cycle times on your compressors, check condition of drive belts, a visual inspection of condenser and fins, checking fan hub operation,  pressure washing dirt and bugs found in fins, check the blower fan for functioning, check for any winter damages.

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There’s a misconception that being a trucker is easy – that you just get comfy and drive around in the sunshine, with your favourite music playing and the wide open road ahead. And while it has moments like that, it’s still a job. A job that’s done in all conditions, rain or shine, with long stretches away from home and your family. A job with rules, laws, safety protocols, and plenty of paperwork that follows you everywhere you go.
 
Government regulation of the trucking industry varies across provinces and states, with some being stricter than others on things like maintenance, scheduling, and emission standards. California is well known for being among the strictest places in North America when it comes to these laws, and has been for many years.
 
Starting in 2008, the California government began mandating that trucks had to systematically upgrade their engines and equipment, and install new tech in order to increase aerodynamics and lessen friction – at the truckers’ own cost, naturally. While such modifications may end up saving money in the long run, and are not a bad idea in theory, it is a lot of money to invest up front into a fleet of vehicles all at once. From 2012 to 2020, all trucks have to periodically swap out older parts for newer ones that would meet the ever-higher standards from the government.
 
One of the biggest changes, though, was the mandatory installation of diesel particulate filters. These after-market filters scrub out some particulates from the exhaust vents of the engine, keeping the worst of the soot pollutants out of the air – but they can be very expensive (into the thousands of dollars), unmodifiable (once it’s on, it cannot legally be removed or tampered with), and if not properly maintained can hamper the performance of your vehicle. Again, this is not a bad policy per se – but just this step, retrofitting a fleet with these devices, can rack up six-figure price tags.
 
Which brings us to the main point: starting next year, any truck built before 2010 that does not have an upgraded engine – yes, the whole engine – will be denied registration in California. And not only that, as technology changes over time, this consistent upgrade will be an ongoing process that doesn’t stop, costing truck owners time, money, and stress every year for the foreseeable future.
 
We’re not against environmental regulations here at West Tech Mobile, but we are against a system that unduly punishes the hardworking truck drivers and equipment operators that make our economy run. Just when it seems like they’re catching up to the “way things are”, that way changes and they have to shell out again to avoid costly fines and penalties.
 
The onus should be on the governing body to do the research into this technology they’re introducing, and making sure that it’s long-lasting enough to make the transitions and installations worth the effort. Beyond that, it seems unfair to pin the entire cost on the industry – since their whole business model depends on being able to drive their trucks, and they have literally no choice but to pay up or go out of business. Framed that way, it doesn’t seem like a very helpful move, does it?
 
So you know what West Tech thinks – but what do you think? Are regulatory bodies like the ones in California overstepping their bounds and costing truck drivers thousands in unnecessary costs? Or is all of this a step in the right direction for the industry, with no alternative way to subsidize the rising prices of being a trucker? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

In recent years, a new trend of anti-idling laws has cropped up in many places around the world, and Alberta could be next in line. These laws are meant to reduce waste and emissions from vehicles that are idling for long periods of time – affecting everything from long-haul trucks at rest stops to the huge cargo ships waiting in a port. The laws are for a good reason, but they often fail to account for the reason why the vehicles are idling in the first place: the weather outside can be extreme, and it’s often quite literally unsafe to be in a vehicle without heating or cooling for several hours.
 
In the winter, temperatures down to -40º C can only be kept at bay by running a heater in the cab. And in the summer months, when outside temperatures can reach +40º C or higher, a truck’s interior can heat up 10-15 degrees beyond that in just an hour – an absolutely fatal temperature for anyone inside. The conventional way of cooling the cab of a truck is usually with the truck running and using the diesel and electrical system of the truck. Getting the cold air off of the truck systems is a more complex process and requires a compressor to compress your refrigerant; so what is the solution to this considering idling laws are against running trucks in this fashion? That’s where Autoclima comes in.

Designed to be a workaround for anti-idling laws, Autoclima is a battery-powered technology that uses your daytime driving to charge itself and allows you to run air conditioning without having to start your engine. With up to 8 hours of battery life, it’s the perfect way to save fuel while keeping your cab at the perfect climate, and it won’t drain your engine’s battery either. Whether you’re at a lonely rest stop along the Coquihalla highway, or pulled over at a busy gas station outside of a major southern city, you can be sure you’re following any regional anti-idling laws while also staying comfortable – at any time, and in any season.
 
The Autoclima units can even be adapted to units that were built without A/C – such as older vehicles or big heavy equipment like trackhoes or tractors. It’s simple and quick, and will keep drivers happy during long hot days spent on the road or in the field. And since they run off batteries instead of fuel, your fuel costs will go down since engines will no longer need to idle to keep you sitting comfortably in hot weather conditions.
 
If you want the freedom and potential that Autoclima provides, look no further than West Tech Mobile! We can install and set up everything for you, keeping you in line with the law so you are saving engine hours and diesel fuel while silently using the free cold air on the days and nights you need it. We’re located in southeast Calgary, near 52 St and Peigan Trail, and from there we can do service all across southern Alberta with our fleet of mobile service vehicles. Contact us today to find out more!

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We’ve already had a few blasts of winter weather here in Calgary, and as the season goes on, there’s bound to be days where you can’t avoid hitting the roads, even when they’re covered in ice. Modern vehicles have all kinds of safety systems built in to help you keep control on slick surfaces – but they rely on proper maintenance and upkeep in order to work their best and do what they’re meant to.

One of these systems is traction control, which is a real-time analysis of how your wheels are moving and whether they are getting any traction on road surfaces. The computers send power back and forth from one wheel to another to try and maximize friction and grip along the road surface, leaving you with (hopefully) better chances of not ending up stuck in a snowbank, or skidding out on the side of the road. Your heads-up display (HUD) on the dashboard should have lights or other indicators to show that the system is working, when your wheels are spinning on gravel, ice, dirt, etc. – and if not, then you know there’s an issue somewhere along the line.

Another system is your shock absorbers, which allow your tires to keep better contact with the ground while driving through rough or bumpy terrain. However, like all good things, they don’t last forever, and when they start to wear away, your driving experience can be significantly lessened: not only will your ride be bumpier and rougher, but factors like your stopping distance will be increased as well. Because bad shocks are less effective at keeping your tires down on the road surface, during a hard brake the rubber is likely to actually lift up off of it as the weight and momentum of the car builds up and releases again and again. From there, it’s simple math – less contact with the road, more time to stop. In fact, depending on speed, it can take an additional 15-20 feet to stop if your shocks are worn down, and in a potential crash situation, that can literally be the difference between life and death.

To know if your shocks are nearing the end of their usefulness, look for some common warning signs: besides the warning light on your HUD, listen for bumps or squeaks when you brake or drive over rough terrain; uneven wear on the tires; loose hardware at the connection points; or leaking fluid or increased wetness around the shield by the shock. A little bit of attention goes a long way!

As for anti-lock braking systems (ABS), they operate by preventing your wheels from locking up and skidding along a surface when the brake pedal is held. This allows for improved steering in a skid and less wear on the friction points when emergency brakes are held. In these systems, the computers track wheel speed, hydraulic pressure, air pressure, and other factors, and if they cross certain thresholds in combination – like when the hydraulic pressure increases while going highway speed – then the ABS system kicks in. It will input and remove pressure from the system, increasing and decreasing the braking ability, to allow for maximum control at the most efficient stopping speed.

There’s no doubt that these systems are great, and that their implementation has revolutionized the safety of the vehicles they are in. But they are all dependent on proper maintenance in order to function, and require systematic checks to make sure they are operating at their best potential. Don’t wait until the snow falls again, or an accident almost takes you out, before you think about what’s going on in your engine and throughout your vehicle. Be proactive, get everything looked at, and save yourself trouble and worry by knowing that you’re doing all you can in order to be safe on the road.

At West Tech Mobile, we are certified to inspect these systems and many others, and our knowledgeable technicians can make sure you’re roadworthy, even in our rough Alberta winters. With our fleet of service vehicles, we can even come to you for an added layer of convenience. Contact us today to find out more, and stay safe out there.