Welcome to the introduction to what will be a long-running series here at the QuickTSI blog. We want to take a comprehensive look at preventative maintenance. Because in order for a safe and efficient operation to exist, fleet vehicles must be inspected and maintained on a regular basis.
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As a professional truck driver, a successful preventative maintenance program requires your involvement. In fact, your participation is key. It is you who is often the first one to spot a problem or notice in issue. You are, after all, working with the vehicle day-in and day-out.
So let’s dig a little deeper into what constitutes preventative maintenance. There are primarily three kinds of preventative maintenance:
- Routine servicing;
- Scheduled preventative maintenance, and;
- Unscheduled maintenance and/or repairs.
Routine, Scheduled Preventative Maintenance and Unscheduled Maintenance
Routine servicing is described as times when you may need to add oil or coolant to the system, or perhaps drain moisture from the fuel or air systems. You don’t want to overlook routine maintenance items, lest you run into larger problems down the road.
Scheduled preventative maintenance (PM) is governed by Section 396.3 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and requires a fleet to carefully and systematically inspect, repair and maintain all of the vehicles within its stable of operations. In other words, if you operate as a commercial motor carrier, you are required to have a preventative maintenance program in place.
You can arrange PM schedules in various ways, depending on your scope of operation. Mileage, engine hours, and time are all factors in the timing and frequency of your PM schedule.
Since worn, failed or incorrectly adjusted components can lead to major problems, including accidents and other safety issues, you need a PM program in place to prevent your CSA scores from taking a hit. Preventative maintenance combined with periodic inspections helps to prevent failures from happening while your rubber is on the road.
Unscheduled maintenance is anything that pops up as an unexpected expense. Some examples would include items noted on your driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR), or incidents otherwise noted as accidents or breakdowns.
What Are You Responsible For?
When it comes to keeping your vehicle in safe operating condition, you are ultimately responsible. You are a professional truck driver, and as so, it is incumbent upon you to ensure your vehicle’s operating components are in good working order.
The best way to stay in compliance and ensure safe operation is to:
- Detect maintenance and repair needs as you travel.
- Immediately refer maintenance and repair needs to the correct place for handling.
- Always conduct a thorough pre- and post-trip inspection.
- Never take shortcuts when inspecting pertinent components.
- Ensure your annual vehicle inspection is always conducted on time.
- If you think there may be a potential problem with your vehicle, immediately stop and check it out.
If you ever do discover problems on the road, remember to never get back behind the wheel if you aren’t satisfied with the results of your inspection. Both federal and state regulations mandate that you do not drive your vehicle if you are not satisfied it is in 100 percent safe operating condition.
What You Risk
If you don’t immediately report defects and deficiencies as soon as they are discovered can result in serious consequences, from a simple violation to a terrible accident. Do you want to risk it?
Breakdown costs encompass more than the mere repair. Every minute the truck is out of service, it isn’t being used to generate revenue for the fleet.
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Here are just some of the costs associated with unnecessary breakdowns:
- Towing costs;
- Operator wages, meals, and lodging;
- Rental vehicle costs;
- Late delivery costs;
- Lost customers, and;
- Potential cargo transfer fees.
All of these impact your profitability. If a defective part winds up causing an accident, you can add insurance rates and potential litigation to those costs. Perhaps even citations and medical costs are a part of the equation. Could your operation survive it? Best not to take the chance and ensure you have a preventative maintenance program firmly in place.