Last Updated on October 11, 2019 by SogouAuto
Customers that have a time class vehicle maintenance program, share 6 common crucial elements: Operational planning, personnel and training, compliance management, parts management, recordkeeping, and preventative maintenance.
Is the best maintenance program “The world class mattress?” See below to learn.
1. Operational Planning
Get a business plan in the are the major objectives within the department.
Include exactly what are the major tasks that have to be completed.
Set goals which were specific, measureable, achievable, and realistic in a very time frame.
What gets measured gets done.
Identify all who are responsible.
Discover the financial impact (pros and cons) that this dept. and operational plan will make for the company?
Use a FMCSA’a Safety Management Cycle an additional lean principle model.
2. Personnel and Training
Recruit and retain qualified certified technicians for annual/periodic, brake inspections and A/C repairs.
Provide initial training and retraining for mechanics and drivers.
Drivers ought to know who to call when there is a challenge and how so when to submit documentation.
Allow drivers to “red tag” equipment to alert other drivers and also the maintenance team of needed repairs.
Celebrate success and share the savings. This must be a “bonus” program; it might simply take the sort of gas cards and other certificates that recognize when part contributes to dangerous objectives by executing their role well.
3. Compliance Management
Stay abreast of DOT, OSHA, and EPA regulation requirements and follow them.
Track every roadside violation and repair request. Watching these 2 data sets can often mean a problem with the upkeep program or possibly a problem with specific equipment.
Post CSA Scores in multiple visible areas of the company.
4. Parts Management
Know sources for parts, new, used and rebuilt, remanufactured, counterfeit parts, and warranties.
Track parts and supplies inventory, costs and reorder points.
Report cost by vehicle, work performed or cost per mile.
Compare repair expenses to revenues generated and employ this information to discover replacement benchmarks each piece of equipment.
5. Recordkeeping
Provide an electronic system in place to set up automatic preventative maintenance alerts, annual inspections, track repairs, inventory and expenses.
Maintain DVIR records for many post-trip inspections, not merely when a defect is found.
Consider eDVIRS for drivers with the aid of an Electronic Logging Device.
Track mechanic hours.
6. Preventative Maintenance
Consider quarterly PM’s. It pays to have a qualified mechanic create a deeper look multiple times a year. This will be an investment in “peace of mind” and supply lower overall operational expenses.
Dependant upon the needs within the company, determine PMs by time, miles or engine hours.
Offer an established an agenda for trailers, lift gates in addition to special equipment together with power units.
Have “Inspection Lanes”; a designated lane or shop where vehicles entering or exiting the power, drivers is able to bring up complaints and now have them checked in an instant.
An Inspection Lane may just be too expensive or cumbersome per fleet so in place they may use Yard Checks. Have specified times throughout the day, have technicians that will “cruise” the yard and check the equipment that’s newly came to the yard.
Conduct random “stakeouts” at customers, carrier’s lots, or fuel locations. Track what number drivers carry out required inspections.
Conduct pre-service inspections to new equipment or equipment that has been inactive for a short time.
Contact the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) that built the vehicles. Most OEMs experience an inspection and preventative maintenance (PM) schedule accessible for the vehicles they build.
Establish “pull points” or “unavailable points”. This is a pre-determined “wear and tear” threshold that after reached, often is the trigger for that part or part of be removed and replaced.
