Motor Auto, Medium & Heavy Truck Labor Time Estimating Guides & Books

Motor Heavy Truck Labor Guides are used by many trucking fleets around the USA & Canada.  Heavy truck labor guides detail the labor hours required to do the repair for any repair made on the truck. Due to tighter budgets trucking companies may require repair estimates and work approvals up front, before the repair is initiated at the shop. The only way to create a repair estimate is with a Heavy Truck Labor Time Guide sold by Motor Information Systems.   These labor guides provide specific labor time estimates for many repairs that can be made on medium- and heavy-duty trucks and equipment. The Motor heavy Truck labor Guide is a hard cover manual that is about 3 inches thick and weighs about eight or nine pounds.  We carry these heavy truck labor time estimating guides going on up to 2008.  Many of these heavy truck labor time guide manuals are used in very good condition.  

Medium & Truck Labor Guides help technicians estimate hours required for a truck repair in the shortest amount of time. The customers tend to trust the published industry standard labor times because they know they are not being overcharged for a particular repair task.  The medium & Heavy truck Labor Guide eliminates the guesswork in calculating a truck repair estimate.  

Standardized Labor Times are developed by the publisher in conjunction with the manufacturer recommendations.  Standardization of the truck labor time guide  provides consistent and accurate estimates to customers every time. In addition, technician productivity can be monitored to identify repair procedures that take more time than they should, according to the heavy truck labor guide.  Monitoring hours required for each heavy truck repair completed by your shop and comparing these times to the Motor truck labor guide estimates, you can see how productivity can be improved, or how workflow can be changed by routing certain repair jobs to certain technicians.  The shop manager will also understand which technicians need additional tools or training, and in which areas.  

The Motor Medium & Heavy Truck Labor Guide covers all makes and models of Class 4-8 trucks.  Different editions of this manual cover a different chunk of year ranges.   Just go to the Motor Medium & Heavy Truck Labor Guide page our website to view the current list of editions we sell.

The good labor guide guides you through the repair steps needed to quickly generate an estimate. First, you need to select the right vehicle by selecting the appropriate  year, make and model. Next, select the system you are working on.  The systems are broken down as follows:

• Engine
• Brake
• Electrical
• HVAC
• Steering
• Suspension
• Transmission
• Driveline/Axles
• Accessories

Motor provides mechanical labor estimating times to the aftermarket heavy truck repair industry.  This expertise covers the Class 4-8 heavy over-the-road trucks and semi trucks.  The labor times published in the labor guide were developed using a thorough methodology developed over time. The Motor Medium & Heavy Truck Labor Estimating Guide is a great tool for commercial vehicles repair shops, owners, government agencies, insurance companies and owner operators.

GENERAL ESTIMATING INFORMATION SHOP TIME

In June 1997, MOTOR Information Systems purchased certain assets of the Chilton Company and Chilton Professional Inc. Among those assets squired, were the copyrights in the Chilton's Labor Guides developed and published by Chilton's Professional Automotive Division. Except for minor changes, the shop times in this manual for model years through 1997, and for certain applications that did not change for model years after 1997, are the labor times developed by Chilton's Professional Automotive Division. The database used to produce the Chilton's Labor Guides is now owned and published by MOTOR Information Systems only. These labor times are now published in the MOTOR Labor Guide Manual. All other shop times for model years after 1997 have been devel­oped by MOTOR.

USE OF GUIDE

Shop times listed in this Motor Labor Guide Manual are published in an attempt to provide meaningful data to automotive service professionals and their customers. Shop times herein, are not intended for use as the actual time required to perform all operations in all instances. Actual times will vary, of course, due to such factors as the skill and/or motivation of the technician, working conditions, tools available and the condition of the vehicle. Care must be taken to avoid misunderstanding the information published. Accordingly, read carefully the indications of which operations are and are not included in the time listed in this Guide.

The recommended times for the repairs described in this publication with respect to Ford and Lincoln-Mercury branded products are not solely based upon time studies conducted by Ford Motor Company. The repair times it recommends to its franchised dealers for warranty repairs are based on time studies of the diagnostic and repair procedures it conducts and publishes in Ford Motor Company service manuals. Accordingly, the recommended repair times specified in this publication are designed for after-market repairs only.

SAFETY NOTICE

Proper service and repair procedures are vital to the safe, reliable operation of all motor vehicles as well as the personal safety of those performing repairs. It is important to note that the repair proce­dures and techniques, tools and parts for servicing motor vehicles, as well as the skill and experience of the individual performing the work vary widely. It is not possible to anticipate all of the conceivable ways or conditions under which vehicles may be serviced, or to provide cautions as to all of the possi­ble hazards that may result. Standard and accepted safety precautions and equipment should be used when handling toxic or flammable fluids, and safety glasses or other protections should be used during cutting, grinding, chiseling, or any other process that can cause material removal or projectiles. 

MECHANIC SKILL LEVEL CODES

Each labor operation is preceded by a skill level code for that operation. It is suggested that the assignment of mechanics be made on the basis of the skill listed for that operation. Definitions of the code shown for each operation are as follows.
(P) PRECISION
Requires a person highly skilled-wherever precision measuring devices are used for repair (micrometer, dial ndicator, etc.). This person must have a thorough technical understanding of the function of complex components.
EXAMPLES
Automatic Transmission overhaul Engine overhaul
Valve reface
Axle overhaul
G) GENERAL
Requires a person with limited skills-wherever simpler measuring devices are needed; such as a feeler gauge or tack-dwell meter to obtain proper fit or adjustment. This person must have a thorough working knowledge of .he component.
EXAMPLES
Automatic Transmission linkage adjustments Fuel/Ignition system adjustments
Axle shaft replacement
Brake overhaul
Door opening area body adjustments Front end alignment
Air conditioning air flow adjustments
(M) MAINTENANCE
Requires a person with basic knowledge-replacing parts generally not requiring any adjustments or operations 'frequently performed as listed in the labor groups.
EXAMPLES
Oil/Filter change
Belt check
Body or Chassis lubrication
DEFINITIONS
RECONDITION means to remove an assembly from the vehicle, inspect, disassemble, repair, re-assemble, install and adjust.
R & R means to remove and replace the same part.
RENEW means to remove the old part and install a new one.
REMOVE & INSTALL means to remove and replace the same part.
OPERATION TIME SECTION
Operations times reported herein are compiled from available manufacturer data, as well as our own evaluation of shop data, and are published only as an estimating guide.

The times shown apply only to standard stock models and do not apply to vehicles with equipment other than -nat supplied by the manufacturer as standard production options. If other equipment is used, the time may be adjusted for the variables. Also additional time may be encountered when difficulties arise due to corrosion, rust, carbon build-up, varnish, broken studs, etc. The time is listed in hours and tenths of an hour.