Interview with Jason Klatt, Maintainer Corporation
Fleets are increasingly looking for quick, reliable, and accessible solutions to engine starting when out in the field. See what Jason has to say about how the Start-All® Jump-Pack 12/24V and how it serves his company and its customers for truck upfitting.
Question: How did you find a reliable solution to engine starting on your service trucks?
Answer: We had, in the past, built our own 12/24V charging system, but it required a lot of labor hours and man hours to install and maintain it. And so, we reached out to Vanair® – and they have a solution – and we’ve been providing this [Start-All® Jump-Pack] for the last year to our customers.
Q: What do you find unique about the Start-All® Jump-Pack?
A: The unique thing about it is it’s a compact unit. The technician or mechanic can take it with him right to the machine. We have had some customers that have been able to jump-start large [diesel] equipment – two to three machines on one charge.
Q: What are some of the most beneficial features of the Start-All® Jump-Pack?
A: The power of the unit itself – just the life of the battery – and the amount of machines that it will actually start on one charge. The second thing is the compact size of it and the ease of use for the customer. So, one of the things that we added, along with the Start-All® Jump-Pack, is we offer a mounting station for the Jump-Pack for the customer to be able to keep it in a secure place. It also has a sensor on it that also is connected to a light in the cab so that when the technician leaves the job site and he forgets to reinstall the Jump-Pack in the holder, the light in the cab will tell him that he forgot to put it in its proper spot for charging and storage.
Q: How has your team implemented the Start-All® Jump-Pack?
A: As we started to promote this product with Vanair®, we took one of our larger fleet customers and gave them this Start-All® Jump-Pack to have, and we wanted a technician to try it. So, we gave him the Jump-Pack – went back down three to four months later to visit that same technician to see what his thoughts were on the Jump-Pack. And the first thing out of his mouth was, “you’re not getting it back.” That’s how impressed he was with this Jump-Pack. Again, he said, “I can start two, three machines off a single charge that are completely dead.” He said it’s the best thing he has ever had in his career of being a mechanic as far as jump-starting vehicles. So, very impressive.
Q: What other ways has your team benefited from this system?
A: We own, I would say, somewhere around five to six of these Start-All® Jump Packs, as we have a lot of chassis on the ground waiting for bodies to be built. Of course, we’re in the Midwest, and the wintertime is very hard on chassis when you’re not running a vehicle daily or weekly. And we have found that this 12/24V Start-All® Jump-Pack from Vanair® has been a lifesaver for us. We can have a truck that sits on the ground for six months through the winter go out – batteries are dead, put the jump pack on it, and it starts right up. So, it is a very, very impressive machine.
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The lightweight and compact Start-All® Jump-Pack 12/24V was designed with the largest and most challenging engine starts in mind. The Start-All® Jump-Pack 12/24V offers over 10,000A of starting power and 166500 joules5s of power, making it capable of jump-starting every type of vehicle and equipment, including: semi-trucks, motorhomes, coaches, buses, mining, agricultural, construction, and vocational equipment. The Start-All® Jump-Pack features portable power charging for all your smartphones, laptops, or other electronic needs.
