A feature on Dot Foods’ Garage team

Written by Melanie Geisendorfer, Retail Key Account Representative and Emery Gronewold, E-Commerce Analyst

There are a lot of parts and tools used to keep our trucks moving—but what about the people and teams who are behind those parts and tools? For this “Under the Hood” feature, we took an inside look at just a few of the Dot Transportation, Inc. (DTI) departments that help keep Dot trucks moving. Whether the department touches the trucks directly or they help provide employees with safe and organized work environments, all of the teams play an imperative role in supporting our company.

From coast to coast, we see our trucks and trailers on the road every day serving our customers. But how does such a large and never-stopping fleet like ours stay in tip-top shape?

Tire Maintenance

What keeps Dot trucks moving more than the tires? Doug Underwood, the head of Tire Maintenance at Dot, gave us some insight on what it takes to keep our fleet rolling. 

Underwood’s team of eight employees currently has a combined 131 years of Dot experience. Their daily roles include completing tire rotations and truck alignments, fixing write-ups by drivers, and keeping track of tire inventory. 

Number of Tires Mounted & Dismounted in Mt. Sterling in 2018

Number of Truck Alignments in Mt. Sterling in 2018

Truck Maintenance

With over 150 technicians and administrative employees companywide, maintaining our trucks is a big task. According to Truck Maintenance Manager Mike Jones, “The technicians have tasks as simple as changing a lightbulb to as in-depth as an engine rebuild. Much of the activity revolves around preventive maintenance, diagnostics, and repairs.” 

Number of preventative truck maintenance jobs on our fleet in 2018

Trailer Maintenance

With 24 employees located in Mt. Sterling alone, our Trailer Maintenance team keeps our fleet of 2,000 trailers ready for the next trip. Trailer Maintenance Manager Alan Shoopma summarizes, “We do all repairs outside of major body damage in-house. With over 16,000 trailer tires on the ground, it stands to reason that we see our fair share of tire-related issues.” 

Number of trailer preventative maintenance jobs performed in 2018

Parts & Warranty

With just three people on the Mt. Sterling team, the Parts & Warranty department helps Truck and Trailer Maintenance get the parts they need to do their jobs efficiently and keep our equipment road-ready. Between ordering parts and submitting warranty claims, they are always on the move. 

Parts & Warranty Manager Dave Hamilton shares, “We spend a lot of money to keep the equipment going down the road.” 

But those equipment dollars have a high return. Last year over 32,500 parts were ordered, and 564 warranties were claimed in Illinois alone.

Number of parts ordered in Illinois in 2018

One thing all four teams want you to know? 

Mike Jones sums it up, “The tires never quit turning—therefore, the garage never closes.”

Our maintenance crews are crucial to ensuring our drivers and warehouse teams can get their jobs done efficiently. Ready to join Dot’s Garage team?

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