Let\u2019s face it: Trailers are often the ugly ducklings in a fleet. And when it comes to trailer maintenance, few can argue that it is often the last thing on a technician\u2019s mind. When they have big rigs that need to be serviced, those will always take priority. And then what happens? They end up forgetting about it when the next rig comes in. But this is the wrong way of thinking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Trucking companies would not exist without trailers. They\ncarry the very items that keep the trucking company going. Yet all too often\nthey go overlooked. Perhaps it\u2019s because a fleet\u2019s investment in a trailer\nrepresents only 25% of its investment in a tractor. There are also usually way\nmore trailers in the yard than there are rigs. Many fleet managers expect that\na percentage of their trailers will spend time gathering dust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Why is It Important?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Motor carriers can gain great insight into what is going on\nin their fleet, as well as avoid unfortunate downtime, by ensuring their\ntrailers are properly maintained. Not only does this mean truck drivers are\nhappier, but so is the company\u2019s bottom line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For those trucking companies that do pay close attention to\ntrailer maintenance, amassing critical maintenance information about their\ntrailers is a rewarding endeavor. Still, the problem for these fleets lies in\nmaking sure the information they do gather about their trailers makes it to the\nright people or is used in the right system. Far to often fleets are trying to\ncombine antiquated systems with outdated processes. This usually ends up in\nfailure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When motor carriers rely on outdated means of communicating\nand are not properly keeping an eye on their maintenance needs, can lead to\nbreakdowns in the maintenance chain, leaving even the most well-prepared fleets\nat risk for broken down vehicles or costly regulatory violations. The best\ntrucking companies know that updating technology is critical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If a trucking companies wants to ensure long life and fast\nprofits, there are two things they must do. \nFirst, they must put together insightful data from their trailers and use\nadvanced systems to provide an integrated system to manage trailer maintenance.\nThe health of a motor carrier\u2019s trailers is critical. Taking these things into\naccount will ensure a company gets long life out of its trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s All About the Money<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Trailers are more than just boxes on wheels. These are\nexpensive fleet assets that provide a necessary service to the fleet. And if\nthey are not properly maintained, they wind up being way more expensive then a\nfleet may initially realize. When unscheduled repairs happen costs can rapidly\nspiral out of control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take as one example, a trailer that has an underinflated\ntire. If you aren\u2019t staying on top of those types of things you wind up with\nlower fuel efficiency. Even worse, it can lead to a major safety issue out on\nthe road if the tire blows. The last thing any trucking company needs is more\ndowntime. Here is another example for you to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t monitor, fix, or maintain tire pressure, a\ntruck driver may arrive to pick up a trailer and find it has a flat tire. Will\nhe or she be prepared for that delay? It\u2019s an unproductive use of the truck\ndriver and trailer\u2019s time \u2014 not to mention frustrating for the driver\nthemselves. The same goes for dead batteries, fading brakes, broken lights,\nliftgate problems, or other parts on the trailer, devices or equipment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your CSA Scores Are at Stake<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you don\u2019t pay close attention to trailer maintenance, you\nmay wind up with more than financial losses. You could see major hits to your\nCSA scores. For smaller trucking companies, this can be crippling. There are\nmany examples of this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While out on the road, trailer lighting is the most oft-cited\nviolation. Just a few years ago, lighting-related violations were the number one\ntype of CSA violation, making up more than 25% of the total violations. There\nreally is no excuse when it comes to trailer lighting. If a light is out, it\nwon\u2019t take long for a patrol car or inspector to notice it. From there, the\ntruck driver can expect a full-on trailer inspection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While a malfunctioning light may only be a three-point violation, you could find yourself in a situation one wise man called, \u201cdeath by a thousand cuts.\u201d \u00a0Once pulled over, the ensuing inspection can often yield serious nonrelated violations. From there the problem could snowball. Might you find yourself on the receiving end of an onsite audit as a result?<\/p>\n\n\n\n [wp_ad_camp_2] <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are not properly maintaining your trailers, the CSA\ninspections can lead to them being taken out of service. Trailers that sit in\nthe weeds are not producing any benefits for the trucking company in question.\nEven worse, CSA violations can have a ripple effect of negative consequences:\nHigher CSA scores can lead to higher insurance premiums, deductibles, or even\ndenial of coverage. They could cripple your company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Never look at trailer maintenance as a minor thing you don\u2019t\nhave to worry about. Maintenance may seem minor, but when a simple flat tire\nleads to lost revenue, that\u2019s a major problem. Furthermore, safety issues and truck\ndriver frustration pay a big part in how satisfied your employees are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, a damaged reefer door results in useless product\nand unhappy clients; furthermore, a malfunctioning light cold trigger an\ninspection that result in high CSA scores. It should be easy to see how\nimportant it is to stay on top of keeping your trailers properly maintained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Trailer Telematics to the Rescue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: What can you do? When it comes to\nunscheduled repairs, unnecessary downtime, and rising CSA scores associated\nwith overlooking maintenance, you can actually do quite a lot! The key is to\nfocus on emerging technologies and new methods for managing trailer\nmaintenance. Consider adopting trailer telematics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may be surprised, but trailer telematics have actually\nbeen around for some time. They have existed for decades. After all, a lot has\nchanged over time. Are you still using paper or other outdated methods?\nUpgrading to trailer telematics might be just what you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Originally, this technology focused on helping fleet\nmanagers locate equipment. But as technology has advanced, as it always does,\nthe way trailer telematics are used has changed dramatically. The evolution of\nthis technology allows fleets to monitor and report on a variety of things beyond\nlocation, such as tire pressure, box temperature, reefer condition, and battery\nlevels. Even more, the data provided can be accessed in real-time, providing a\nclear window into what is going on with the trailer. When fleet managers have a\nwindow into what is going on while the truck driver is out on the road, they\ncan react faster. They get the most out of their vital assets and avoid\nunnecessary costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Evolution of Telematics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are some interesting examples of just how this\ntechnology is meant to work. Fleets typically utilize tire pressure monitoring\nto make sure their tires are properly inflated. But are they getting any\nhistorical data out of the exercise? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider that modern telematic systems can do a lot more.\nToday\u2019s systems can tell you if that tire pressure problem is a onetime event\nor a constant problem. This helps fleets understand if there\u2019s a specific issue\nwith a specific tire. When you are proactive about maintenance and know whether\na tire should be replaced before causing significant problems, you\u2019ll be a lot\nhappier about the state of your fleet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Advanced telematics on trailers is about more than just\ntires. Did you know that you can also monitor wheel-end condition, bearings,\nand wheel temperature? Modern trailer technology can also inform fleet\nmanagement about wheel-end condition, including bearings and wheelend\ntemperature. If heat is increasing on the wheel end, the home office can\ncontact the truck driver and have them pull over before something bad happens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Telematics systems can also proactively provide a projection on when a bearing might wear out. So instead of a bearing wearing out while on the road or having to replacing it before it needs to be replaced, telematics allows fleet technicians to use predictive maintenance to prevent these problems from happening in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n [wp_ad_camp_2] <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact is, there are far too many advanced technologies at\na fleet\u2019s disposal. Today, you can purchase and install integrated systems for\njust about any piece of equipment you own. And what piece of equipment is just\nas important as your rigs? Your trailers. Treat them well. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"