Maintaining Your Co-op's Fleet

By Keith Keltner, Senior Mechanic

MVEC’s mission is to provide reliable, safe and affordable electricity and fiber internet. A big part of fulfilling that mission is the vehicles and equipment that help our electric and fiber line crews do their jobs. This month, we hear from Keith Keltner, Senior Mechanic at MVEC. 

My job here at MVEC is never dull. I currently maintain a fleet of 53 vehicles, 24 trailers, 3 chippers, a mini hoe, a few skid loaders and a trencher. While my day may begin one way or by working on a particular project, it’s a phone call away from changing. For instance, I could be doing an oil change and get a call that one of the linemen has a flat tire - so then, I’m off to fix it. You never know what will come up, so I try to address any paperwork or reporting in the morning before things get hectic.

I’ve been an employee at MVEC for 18 years but have been turning wrenches since I was in 8th grade. I went to NICC for Diesel Mechanic School and then worked for my dad at his repair shop. I bought out his business and came to work at MVEC in the same year. I was introduced to MVEC and the co-op world by now retired Director of Operations, Kenny Smith, when he stopped by my garage.

While the work in MVEC’s shop is pretty steady, one of the busiest times of the year is during boom inspections in November and December. Also, safety meeting day each month generates a lot of work with all the guys in from the field for a few hours trying to get things addressed when their truck or piece of equipment is not being used. In the 18 years I’ve been here, MVEC’s fleet has grown quite a bit, particularly with our expansion into fiber internet - which brought a whole new batch of trucks to the fleet and will only continue to grow. Over the years, emissions has changed, wiring has changed and operating systems have changed--everything now has a computer. I appreciate that the co-op and our IT department have invested in quality repair software and do a good job of keeping the software up to date.

The most challenging part of my job is diagnosing and resolving emissions problems as they can be misleading and tricky to solve. We deal with emissions issues because the trucks sit and are run for the hydraulics, which gums them up as they don’t generate the heat needed to burn off the particulates.

Another challenge, at least since 2020, has been procuring parts. The pandemic created a mess. We used to be loyal to certain brands of oil filters or other parts but for a while you had to take what you could get. Lately, it has been better, but occasionally, we will still have a part that takes 4 to 5 months to arrive.

Even with its challenges, I really like my job at MVEC. It’s busy which makes the day go fast and with technology changing, I am always learning. I also appreciate the people I work with and being part of the co-op family. I work closely with Dan Schulte in Operations to prioritize and schedule maintenance and repairs to keep our line crews productive. The linemen are great about letting me know when they will be on vacation so that I can work on their trucks.

MVEC’s fleet is a significant investment for our cooperative and I take pride in providing maintenance that allows us to continue to meet the needs of our electric and fiber members.