Staples, MN (July 21, 2015) – The National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) recently re-awarded Mohawk Lifts a nationwide 4 year contract to supply government agencies across the U.S. with Mohawk vehicle lifts. In addition to Mohawk Lifts, the contract also offers Hunter Engineering wheel service equipment, Westmatic vehicle washes, Samson lubrication equipment, Gray Manufacturing jacks, Trans Tool automotive transmission repair tools, John Dow Eurovent vehicle exhaust extraction systems and Vidmar/Lista (Stanley Company) who provides heavy duty storage solutions.

Steve Perlstein, Government Sales Manager of Mohawk Lifts, spoke of Mohawk’s second awarded contract stating, “We’re proud of the efforts put forth to both again become the awarded vendor for garage equipment to NJPA members and to support members in their garage equipment needs.”

About NJPA:
NJPA’s cooperative contract purchasing leverages the national purchasing power of more than 50,000 member agencies while also streamlining the required purchasing process.

By Kenny Smith

As a Service Manager and Service Director in new car dealerships for many years, I can remember, on occasion, looking forward to a profitable month in the Service Department and then being disappointed because a major shop expense changed everything. I’m sure many of you have had a similar experience. If your pay plan was or is tied to net profit, then it really stands out in your memory. Service on vehicle lifts can be a major part of those expenses. However, while necessary at times, it can be detrimental to both Service Department profit and productivity.

Many two post lift companies in the industry use slide/friction blocks between the carriage and column of the lift. This is the point of contact when the lift goes up or down. The blocks wear, not unlike a set of brake pads, and they must be replaced periodically. This service requires that the lift column be disassembled, resulting in a major expense and lost productivity because of Service bay down time. Many Service Departments have a shop labor rate of over $100.00 per hour and several hours of productivity are lost during this type of service. When you multiply the repair costs, lost revenue due to a down Service bay times the number of lifts in your Service Department (maybe 20-30?), you can quickly see how costly this can become. There are also other factors that are difficult to measure, such as the potential for poor customer satisfaction because a promised vehicle completion time could not be met.

Instead of slide/friction blocks, some vehicle lift manufacturers utilize a forklift mast design with dual sealed, self lubricating roller bearings. Forklifts are designed to go up and down continuously, with a heavy load, and not wear out. A perfect design for a vehicle lift!

To put this into perspective, consider the service / replacement intervals for a set of front brake pads on a vehicle versus a front wheel / hub bearing. Brake pads get replaced on a regular basis and are considered a maintenance item not unlike a friction / slide block on a lift. Front wheel/hub bearings rarely get replaced and if they do, it’s usually after the vehicle has well over 100,000 miles on it.

Additionally, plastic rollers and cables can also create unwanted service needs. The plastic rollers break and cables stretch and fray and must be replaced on a frequent basis. Engineering out these weak points results in a much stronger lift with fewer overall service needs.

At one point several years ago, the majority of vehicle lifts were built much heavier and used the forklift mast roller bearing design. You may still have some older lifts in your shop from various manufacturers with this type of construction. In many cases, these older lifts continue to remain in service when lifts that were purchased more recently end up getting replaced.

The perceived need for a cheaper lift, competition and the introduction of Asian made lifts into the marketplace caused many lift companies to seek lower production costs, which resulted in a lower quality lift that now requires additional service. Because the lift is initially less expensive, it gives the perception to the customer that they are saving money. However, when you figure in additional service costs, bay downtime, lost productivity, etc., the total cost of ownership is the same or more than what you would have paid initially for a higher quality lift.

You should also keep in mind that a higher quality lift normally carries a longer warranty because the manufacturer is aware that it will require less service and fewer repair needs. For example, a heavily constructed lift with heavy gauge welded steel (not lighter gauge bent steel) and a forklift mast roller bearing design can carry a structural warranty as high as 25 years and a mechanical warranty as high as 10 years. Larger hydraulic cylinders and rods, commonly seen in higher quality lifts, are able to operate at a lower pressure, which results in fewer seal, pump and motor repairs and replacements.

There are many commonly used lift components that do not require a lot of attention. For example, leaf chains, unlike cables, do not stretch and fray and do not require frequent replacement. Mechanical locks are heavily construct ed and typically not a high wear item. However, routine inspections and maintenance should still be performed on all of these components.

In-ground lifts have experienced renewed popularity in recent years be cause of the aesthetically pleasing view they provide across the Service Department and the perceived bay space savings. Although, some things to consider are that you must still have a bay of the same width to be able to accommodate the vehicle itself, open doors and to have room for equipment to pass between adjoining bays. There’s also additional expense and effort for excavation. And what happens to that custom shop floor if the lift has to be removed or replaced?

Since many vehicle services require the vehicle to be in the raised position, an inoperable lift equals lost productivity. Keeping your vehicle lifts in good working condition is key to high productivity in your Service Department. Regular lift inspections will identify needed areas of service and parts replacement and will result in less bay downtime due to a major lift failure. It’s a well known fact that a Service Department customer that has routine inspections and re pairs performed has fewer breakdowns and experiences longer vehicle life. Unfortunately, this same philosophy is not always applied to the equipment in the shop. Be sure to practice what you preach.

Regular lift inspections create a much safer work environment and are becoming a more prominent focus in regard to shop safety. While annual lift inspections have been a requirement, it was only recently that a National Certification Program for lift inspectors was implemented.

(Visit www.AutoLift.org for more information on vehicle lift inspections and the Certified Inspector Program. Click on the inspector locator, under the “Certified Inspector Tab,” to locate a “Certified Inspector” in your area. The section on purchasing a vehicle lift is also very helpful if you are in the market for new lifts along with information regarding OSHA and other topics of interest. This site provides a wealth of information and is a great reference tool for vehicle lifts.)

Some key points to remember:

• When considering lift purchases, be sure to look at the total cost of ownership and not just the initial purchase price. While the lower priced lift may look attractive on the surface, it may end up costing you more in the long run.
• The equipment will be in use for years to come and is a tool to help you generate profit in the Service Department. Your technicians buy the best tools available and take good care of them because they know their livelihood depends on them. That’s a good example to follow.
• Major equipment purchases normally get depreciated over several years. A price difference that may seem like a large dollar amount gets much smaller when it’s spread over seven years.
• Equipment service and repairs normally get billed to your Department the following month and for the entire amount.
• Someone once said, “If you’re going to spend less money on some of the equipment in the shop, spend less on the equipment you stand beside instead of the equipment you stand under.”

In summary, higher quality lifts provide increased productivity, less overall expense and more money in your pocket. They may cost a little more up front, but will be the least expensive lifts you’ll ever own.

Kenny Smith has spent the past 30 years in the automotive industry and is the National Distribution & Key Account Manager for Mohawk Lifts based in Amsterdam, New York.

Cooperative procurement can drive efficiencies during the equipment acquisition process

Cooperative procurement makes better use of an organization’s time and resources by reducing the number of administrative processes and sharing the procurement and contract management process work-load. Efficiencies may be derived from conducting one procurement process and maintaining one contract in lieu of many.

With cooperative procurement, participants are usually also able to leverage better prices and service arrangements when they consolidate their procurement needs.

Cooperative procurement us used most often by governmental entities since they are required to follow laws mandating competitive bidding for purchases above certain thresholds.

Once called “piggybacking”, cooperative procurement has progressed over the past few years to the point that virtually every state, county, city or transit shop uses it. Basically, cooperative procurement enables the use of a procurement contract by more than one government agency. This allows local government entities to secure a greater return for the expenditure of public funds by securing the price advantage of larger volume purchasing.

Cooperative procurement can be achieved through either a joint approach to the market and/or where an agency or agencies establish a contract or standing offer arrangement that allows other agencies access.

TCP

For those agencies that use a request for proposal (RFP) or bid process to acquire products and services, a best practice is to think about the total cost of procurement (TCP). TCP includes not only the purchase price but the time and costs from dealing with many vendors, tracking orders, reconciling invoices, monitoring costs by department, fixing mistakes, etc.

The TCP can be lowered by taking advantage of procurement contracts that have already been established by other government agencies or organizations.

Going out to bid can end up costing more than was planned. A particular transit agency, instead of using its state contract, chose to go out for a public bid. The reasoning was that the agency always saves money over the prices available on the state contract.

In this case, the transit agency spent $35,000 for a vehicle lift that was available under the state contract at a price of more than $10,000 less. Think what a shop could buy with an extra $10,000?

PROCUREMENT OPTIONS

There are a number of options and opportunities available to participate in government-to-government procurement cooperative. They can be found at www.govlifts.com.

Choosing the appropriate cooperative to use will save purchasing time and budget dollars, plus allow equipment purchasers to focus more on the job of running their operation rather than writing bid specifications for the equipment their shop needs.

STATE CONTRACTS

With some products, such as vehicles, there is often a state contract in place because school buses, trucks and police vehicles have a set life cycle, and these fleets commonly turn over a certain percentage of their vehicles annually.

Take a state contract for police cars, for instance. Typically, the state police would be the agency that initiates a contract for police cars. Cumulatively, however, the county sheriff’s departments and local townships buy more police cars on a state’s contact than the state police.

There are also government cooperatives for a less frequently, non-cyclically purchased items, such as a truck lift or a tire changer. Check to see if there is a state contract for such equipment.

State contracts are competitively bid, with specific terms and conditions, such as lowest government pricing, prepaid freight and a vendor-managed website that provides technicians, fleet managers and buyers with complete information and details.

If there is no state contract, every state has procurement laws and codes that allow an agency (state, county, special districts or transit garages) to avail itself of another state’s conract.

NATIONWIDE PURCHASING PROGRAMS

The National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) is a government-to-government nationwide procurement cooperative that serves more than 50,000 members nationwide (www.njpacoop.org). It offers a multitude of contract purchasing solutions for products, equipment and services that are leveraged nationally to enable contracted suppliers and member agencies to work smarter and more efficiently as they do business with each other.

There is no cost for any government agency to become a member of NJPA. Once membership is established, it never expires.

HGACBuy (www.hgacbuy.org) is another nationwide government-to-government procurement service. As a unit of local government assisting other local governments, HGACBuy strives to make the governmental procurement process more efficient by establishing competitively priced contracts for goods and services, and by providing the customer service necessary to help its members achieve their procurement goals.

All contracts available to members of HGACBuy have been awarded by virtue of a public competitive procurement compliant with state statutes. It has 10,000 plus members in 48 states.

Another national option is the WSCA (Western States Contracting Alliance)- NASPO (National Association of State Procurement Officials) Cooperative Purchasing Organization. A subsidiary entity of NASPO, it manages the association’s unified, nationally-focused cooperative purchasing program, which leverages the collective expertise and experience of WSCA and NASPO and aggregates the demand of all 50 states and their political subdivisions.

Whether it is an automotive lift or any of the hundreds of other products and service needed to run a shop, chances are most of the items can be purchased for less using cooperative procurement.

Whether you’re using two-post lifts for cars and light trucks or in-ground lifts for medium to heavy-duty vehicles, follow these basic rules.

If there were an incident in your garage involving a vehicle lift, the OSHA investigator would have three broad questions: What did you know? When did you know? What did you do about it?

Complying with American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) requirements is the key to keeping vehicle lifts at the highest possible safety level, sending technicians home safely at the end of each shift, and avoiding write-ups or hefty noncompliance fines.

1. Buy certified equipment and options

There’s only one nationally recognized safety standard for vehicle lifts: ANSI-ALI/ALCTV, administered by the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI/ETL).

ALI/ETL’s testing procedure involves rigorous third-party testing to verify manufacturers comply with current ANSI requirements as well as the International Building Code, which almost every state requires local governments to follow. To verify equipment status, look for the gold ALI/ETL certification tag (shown here) next to the lift’s control functions.

Although certification is good for the life to lift, older models may not meet the most current standards, which typically change every five to seven years. Some lifts and options that were certified in 2000 wouldn’t pass the 2012 standard.

Beware that using an uncertified option or accesory voids the lift’s certification. ALI/ETL standards for Operation, Inspection, and Maintenance (ALOIM 8. Replacement Parts) and Installation and Service (ALIS 6.2.6 Repair Service Parts) require all accessories, such as rolling jacks, truck adaptors, lighting for runway lifts, and special lifting pads, to be certified.

2. No locks = liability

You’ve heard the phrase, “Never use a jack without a jack-stand.” The same is true for vehicle lifts. Always raise the vehicle and then lower it onto the lift’s mechanical locks as required by ANSI. Refer to ALI safety manual Lifting it Right or the manufacturer’s operating instructions for detailed information.

When you’re walking through the shop, make sure techs are using the proper procedure. The photo at right shows the mechanical lock fully engaged.

An easy way to be sure the locks are being used is to include a weight gauge (a pressure gauge calibrated to the manufacturer’s lift) in lift specifications. The weight gauge must be made by the same manufacturer to ensure it’s properly calibrated to the lift cylinder size.

When you walk by a two post lift with a Ford F-150 on it and the weight gauge reads 4,900 pounds, that’s a sign the tech in that bay hasn’t lowered the lift onto the mechanical locks. If the gauge reads “0” the tech is operating the lift properly.

If by chance you’re using a 40-year-old, in-ground lift that doesn’t have locks, it’s time for a new lift. Although some lifts can be retrofitted with locks, in most cases it’s not the most cost-effective option. Older lifts that aren’t ALI/ETL-certified can’t be certified post-installation.

3. It’s easy to overload

Safety is a major consideration when lifting and working under an object weighing several tons. Resources are available to shop managers on lift inspection, proper operation, lifting procedures, and mechanic training.

GovernmentFleet.com – WebXclusive

By Paul Dexler

No matter the vehicle or service/repair job, it’s almost a certainty that doing the job requires getting under the vehicle. Years ago, that task meant working in a service facility or garage with a pit in the floor, but today, electro-hydraulic lifts are used to raise vehicles for technician access.

Safety becomes a major consideration when lifting an object weighing several tons and working under it. Steve Perlstein, sales manager for Mohawk Lifts, a major player in the field, offered guidelines to protect workers and equipment when using hydraulic lifts.

“The everyday task of raising a vehicle for service in the shop is something that should never be taken for granted,” Perlstein began. “Vehicle lifts are safe and productive shop tools that help get jobs done faster and more efficiently; yet the safety of vehicle lifts and the vehicles being raised and the safety systems of the lifts themselves is something that should never be overlooked.”

He noted every type of lift, whether a two-post side-by-side, in-ground, fore-and-aft lift, parallelogram, mobile, or four post ramp-style lift, has specific safety procedures for safely lifting the vehicles. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and OSHA standards require annual vehicle lift inspections by experienced lift professionals. In addition, ANSI and OSHA require mechanics using vehicle lifts be properly re-certified annually on their knowledge of how to use lifts.

Sources of Knowledge

Perlstein said resources are available to shop managers on issues of lift inspection, proper operation, lifting procedures, and annual training.

“The primary source for this safety information,” he said, “is the Automotive Lift Institute or ALI (www.autolift.org), an association of vehicle lift manufacturers. The mission of the ALI is promoting safe design, construction, installation, and use of vehicle lifts.”

Lifting procedures vary depending upon the lift type being used, noted Perlstein. This article focuses on the most popular type of vehicle lift, the two-post, above-ground style. These lifts range in capacity from as small as 10,000 lbs. to as large as 30,000 lbs. and are used for servicing passenger cars, light-, medium-, and even some heavy-duty trucks.

Know the Lifting Points

A two-post lift engages the vehicle frame or lifting points. Perlstein said given this simple fact, it is critically important lift operators always know the specific lifting points for every vehicle. To help shop technicians determine manufacturer-specific lift points, ALI members include a copy of the book, Lifting Point Guide (LPG) with every lift they ship. Providing the book, which covers 20 years of vehicles from all passenger car and truck manufacturers, with every lift is an ANSI/ALCTV lift standard.

Vehicle Weight is Critical

“Another critical issue to consider is the weight of the vehicle and the capacity of the lift,” Perlstein said. “This equation isn’t as simple as you think. Every brand of two-post lifts has four telescoping swing arms that actually support the vehicle. So, it’s vital to know the per-arm capacity (determined by dividing the total capacity of the lift by the four swing arms) so the arms will never be overloaded.”

Perstein explained further. “Let’s use the example of a 1-ton work truck with a standard load of tool boxes or service equipment. The lift we have is a 10,000-lb. capacity lift, meaning a maximum load of 2,500 lbs. per swing arm is the most we should try to lift. The truck we use in this example might only weigh 9,000 lbs. However, after putting the truck on a scale, we determine the rear axle has a weight of 6,000 lbs., while the front axle has a weight of 3,000 lbs. This means our 9,000-lb. truck is overloading our 10,000-lb. capacity lift because the 2,500-lb. rated rear arms are overloaded with 3,000 lbs. on them.”

Large work trucks are often much heavier at the rear than at the front. Lift capacity should be based on the actual weight of the truck.

Using Perlstein’s example, raising the vehicle safely requires a 12,000-lb. capacity lift to accommodate the 6,000-lb. (heavy) rear end vehicle.

“Try this same example with one of your 13,000-14,000-lb. loaded utility trucks,” Perlstein said. “You’ll soon find the required lift for these vehicles (based on the likely 8,000-lb. rear axle) is in the 16,000- to 20,000-lb. capacity range.”

To emphasize safety, one manufacturer offers a scale on its lifts. The scale serves to alert techs if the lift is loaded near capacity. Yet, even this safety device won’t help with the situation Perlstein described, given that almost all work trucks are rear heavy.

When the scale reads no weight, the operator is assured the lift is being used properly by lowering the vehicle onto the mechanical safety locks rather than leaving the load raised under hydraulic pressure.

The ALI booklet titled Lifting It Right is another ANSI safety standard lift manufacturers are required to meet. Lifting It Right covers the proper procedures for safely raising all vehicles on all types of lifts. For example, the two-post side-by-side lift should always be slightly raised a few inches, at which time the mechanics should also jounce the front or rear bumper to make sure the vehicle is securely resting on the proper lifting points. Taking this step for granted could be the difference between a technician going home safely at the end of the work day versus a potential accident if operator error causes the vehicle to fall.

“Lifts are safe pieces of equipment and necessary in your shop,” Perlstein concluded. “Just as you’d always follow certain shop safety procedures such as wearing shop glasses or work gloves, following rules, understanding lifts and their abilities, and following suggested safety protocols are always recommended. Your family wants you to come home at night.”

View original story on GovernmentFleet.com

by FLEET MAINTENANCE • May 2012 • www.VehicleServicePros.com

Shop productivity increases can be achieved by choosing the appropriate vehicle lift. Having the proper, most efficient lift for the intended application equates to helping a fleet have its vehicles spend more time on the street rather than in the shop.

“A higher percentage of usability of a fleet keeps more vehicles available, in use or making money for the company,” says Steve Perlstein, sales and marketing manager for Mohawk Lifts, a leader in lift technology (www.mohawklifts.com).

Regardless of what type lift a shop uses, there are increases in efficiencies to be had, he says. One specific example is the lifting speed of a mobile column lift.

MOBILE COLUMN LIFTS

“There are two types of mobile lifts: screw drive or hydraulic drive,” explains Perlstein. “A screw drive takes two to three minutes to reach full height and to drop down, while some hydraulic mobile lifts take just 60 seconds fort each operation.

“If a technician was to raise and lower a screw-driven lift four times a day, the efficiency difference is 20 minutes a day. Over a 200-day work year, the technician will have spent 26 hours raising and lowering a hydraulic mobile lift versus 80 hours operating a screw-drive mobile lift.

“If your internal overhead shop rate is $50 per hour, the efficiency difference in these two types of mobile lifts is $2,700 a year, every year, year after year.”

SIDE-BY-SIDE LIFTS

Two post side-by-side lifts, available in capacities from 10,000 to 30,000 pounds, are the most popular lift used, according to Perlstein. These lifts take up the least amount of shop space, give technicians the most under-vehicle access and leave tires hanging for wheel service.

If there is a single drawback, he notes, “It’s always the four to five minutes it takes to position the swing arms under the vehicle lifting points. Yet, there are some lifts that offer the convenience and access of a two post lift without the need to position all four swing arms.

“Essentially these optional accessories make the two post lift into an instant ‘on’ and instant ‘up.’”

FASTEST LIFT

The fastest lift to use is a drive-on lift, Perlstein says. Drive-on lifts range from the more popular four post type to parallelogram and scissor style lifts.

The speed of using drive-on lift, as the name infers, is that vehicles can be simply driven on the lift,” he says.

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