20th CMS Propulsion Trailer section is...Saving money safely Published June 2, 2006 By Tarsha Storey 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Attention to detail and a desire to be more efficient have helped one 20th Component Maintenance Squadron section to save money, work smarter and work safer. They recently devised a plan for replacing unserviceable spindles and saved $72,000 in trailer replacement costs. The 20th CMS Propulsion Flight trailers section is responsible for all non-engine powered aerospace ground equipment used to support the jet engines and their physical maintenance, said Staff Sgt. Robert Rogish, 20th CMS trailers section NCO in charge. During a normal week, the section has scheduled maintenance inspections on each piece of non-engine powered AG equipment. These inspections are managed by a system called the Tool Accountability System. Each trailer is assigned a TAS label with an accountability number on it, Sgt. Rogish said. In this way, at any time, members of the trailers section can access the TAS and track exactly where a trailer is and what condition it is in. Even though it may not seem that difficult, maintaining trailers and non-powered AG equipment is surprisingly detailed. Each process the section completes is guided by a technical order, Sgt. Rogish said. Recently, Sgt. Rogish and his team noticed the trailers’ spindles, which allow the wheel to spin, were showing excessive wear, pitting, gouges and insufficient lubrication. The trailers team then wrote an entirely new TO for the replacement of a spindle. If approved, it will become a standard TO for all trailer sections, said Master Sgt. Ryan Gillman, 20th CMS Propulsion NCO in charge. This new procedure resulted in the savings of $72,000 in replacement costs, Sgt. Gillman said. The new procedure not only caused the section to save money, it also increased the trailer’s safety. “(The changes) have probably increased the transportation safety by 50 percent,” Sgt. Gillman said. The team worked with a contractor and designed a hydraulic press to safely remove the spindle in the shop so it can be repaired and serviced, Sgt. Rogish said. During the 20th Fighter Wing’s recent logistics standardization and evaluation inspection, the trailers section received an honorable mention, Sgt. Gillman said.