(PDF, 101 mb) - USAID

8.0 VISIT TO EAGLE GROVES IOWA.
This is the first week with Edith Gorham as my supervisor
after Dale Bonde left for Uganda. Monday August, 30th, I left for
a study visit to Umthun Trucking Comapny at Eagle Groves Iowa.
Umthun Trucking Company is a family owned common carrier type
trucking company, presently with a fleet size of over 200 trucks,
and about 240 trailers of various types. The main department within
Umthun Trucking Company are billing department, personnel department
(handles safety on roads and workshop) Operations department
(handles dispatching and turns the computer department) and then
maintenance department.
The first day to Eagle Grove was not a busy one as I arrived
later. However I got a chance to meet the President of the Company
Mr. Virgil Umthun who introduced me to the various department heads
and briefed me on the background and history of the organisation.
August 31st - 8.1 MAINTEHANCE DEPARTMENT.
This day I spent in the maintenance department where I covered the
following within the department.
Briefing by maintenance head on how the department and the
necessary system of reporting faults, inspection of vehicle
and the rationale for selecting a period for servicing the
vehicles. Later on, I visited the other sections:
8.1 (a) Engine department section: There I saw participated in
the overhauling of an engine, checking for crack-s within
rear transmission shaft and others. Then later I went on
to the area where testing of engines is done on the
dynamometer. The basic aim of testing of engines on the
dynamometer is to test whether the engine is giving the
necessary power as rated by the manufacturer and then
consequently not using too much fuel for a given pulling
power. In effect its aim is to control or time the engine
to a required flow of fuel for maximum power out put or
check how efficiently a truck is using fuel under operating
conditions and helps to correct and adjust engine to ensure
•.../28