Do you refer to your trailers as a forgotten asset? We hope not! They form the backbone of your operation. The problem is that trailers are often not the highest priority for fleet maintenance operations. Far too often shop technicians are more focused on the tractors than the trailers. The problem is that operating this way will generate problems down the road, both literally and figuratively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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By keeping a trailer in optimal shape, fleet operations can\nsignificantly reduce maintenance costs and maximize uptime, which are two\ncrucial elements to keeping a fleet\u2019s vehicles on the road, productive, and not\ncreating a drag on the bottom line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s About the Trailer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, fleets are more likely to worry about their big rigs.\nA new tractor can cost up to $200,000, so it\u2019s in the best interest of the\ncompany to keep this asset in peak condition. But a tractor by itself doesn\u2019t\nbring home the bacon. No, it requires a trailer. More numerous than tractors\nand costing significantly less, trailers often become trailers are still\ncritical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why letting them turn into \u201cforgotten assets\u201d can\nrepresent a big problem for your trucking company. This oversight can be costly\nfor a fleet. Inconsistent trailer maintenance can lead to unnecessary downtime,\ndelays in deliveries and potential accidents \u2014 with the possibility of huge\nliability payments \u2014 all of which go right to the bottom line, never mind\npotential death or injury that could result from an accident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As it is for your company\u2019s big rigs, preventive maintenance\nis crucial in keeping a trailer up and running and prepared to haul the goods.\nHowever, because trailers far outnumber tractors and are spread across many\nmore locations maintenance is harder to schedule on a regular basis. Smart shop\ntechnicians and fleet managers collaborate on technology and tools to help them\nkeep track of trailer maintenance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To accomplish setting up a solid trailer maintenance\nprogram, you want to take a three-step approach. First, ensure you are\ncompleting trailer maintenance to keep these overlooked assets up and running,\nFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) compliant, and generating\nprofit for the company. It is really quite simple. Consider the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fleets must look at trailer maintenance by itself, but there\nare other pieces of equipment associated with your trailer, such as its tires.\nAre you benefiting from tire maintenance best practices?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep Your Trailer Tires in Mind<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Trailer tires are subject to carrying varying loads over a\nvariety of road and through various types of yard conditions. Just consider the\nstresses that trailer tires must undergo. Their job is actually quite varied. Often parked in remote trailer yards and\nwarehouse locations and pulled by a variety of tractors operated by different\ntruck drivers, the trailer wheel position is fraught with equipment danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even more, trailer tires and wheels are often subject to less\nregular and thorough maintenance than their brother and sister wheels and tires\nin the steer and drive axle wheel positions. Fleets would do themselves a favor\npaying more attention to these fleet equipment workhorses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To keep trailers up and running, motor carriers should make sure they are following tire maintenance best practices. What does this look like in real-time? Well, first it is important that you select the right tire for the application, then ensure and maintain proper cold tire inflation pressure. Always take time to inspect the tires and check tire pressure at regular intervals. And obviously never go over a tire\u2019s stated speed and weight rating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also consider investing in a technological solution. Tire\npressure monitoring systems (TPMS) for tractors have been available for several\nyears, but did you know that they are available for trailers as well? Truck\ndrivers and fleet staff can be notified when a tire is under or overinflated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An automatic tire inflation system (ATIS) automatically adds\nair to underinflated tires. It is important to note that having an ATIS on a\ntrailer, does not mean fleets should just forget about those factors during\nservicing, maintenance, and repair programs. Truck drivers should still be\nchecking tire pressure at the valve stem at regular intervals. Failure to\nregularly check and make necessary adjustments can be a large contributor to\nirregular tire wear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What do the Numbers Say?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The data does not lie when it comes to ensuring proper and\npreventative maintenance on your fleet trailers. In fact, According to FMCSA Safety Measurement System data<\/a>\nfor the rolling 24-month period of September 2017 \u2013 August 2019, 62.4% of\nout-of-service violations were attributed to trailers. Those are big numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to preventive tire maintenance, there are other\nareas of the trailer that benefit from attention before a problem occurs. These\ninclude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The positive impact of avoiding costly breakdowns that\naffect a fleet\u2019s ability to meet customer commitments should be very obvious. Even\nmore, your truck drivers will appreciate extra attention on the trailer before\nthey head out to haul their load. Remember, they are the ones on the line to\nreceive CSA violations if they are cited for a problem. These violations affect\ntheir driving record and, ultimately, their livelihood. They are the last\npeople who you want to have as an unhappy customer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While trailer maintenance is important from a safety and\nfinancial perspective, you also need consider it from a regulatory perspective.\nTrucking companies must operate in compliance. The question is: Are your\ntrailers compliant?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are You in Compliance?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In today\u2019s hyper-regulated environment, staying in\ncompliance is crucial to an efficient and productive trucking operation. Far\ntoo many trucking companies find themselves out of business because they were\nnot paying attention to regulatory compliance. While the value of keeping tabs\non a truck\u2019s maintenance needs is well understood, fleets tend to overlook the\ncompliance value as it extends to trailers. They get caught up in that\nall-pervasive forgotten asset syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But you have got to pay attention to FMCSA regulations.\nSpecifically, Section 396.11 of the FMCSA regulations require that truck\ndrivers inspect both their tractor and their trailer prior to operating the power\nunit and they must be satisfied that everything is safe for operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Compliance dictates that truck drivers must keep DVIRs\nupdated. Truck drivers are required to complete a DVIR daily pre- and post-trip\nfor the power unit and the trailer. Among the required items that must be\nchecked are lights, tires, wheels, and other visual elements. Failure to\ncomplete a daily DVIR is a violation of the regulations, which could see the\ntruck driver and fleet cited, and the vehicle pulled out of service. Problems\nusually cascade from there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many do not take trailer maintenance seriously, but the fact\nis, not maintaining them could create big problems for your trucking company.\nConsider this is about your reputation. Being compliant with all rules and\nregulations is a way to demonstrate that both the fleet manager and the company\ntake well-maintained vehicles and safety seriously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only will you keep your reputation intact by operating this way, but you will reap the financial benefits. This commitment is a strong sign to potential customers and the public at large that this is a safe, conscientious company that is both a good business partner and corporate citizen. Can you say that for your trucking company<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prove it by refocusing your maintenance efforts on trailers.\nThis way you are not only reclaiming what may otherwise be considered a\n\u201cforgotten asset\u201d, but you are also directly impacting your bottom line. How\ncan fleets get ahead? By following a combination of preventive maintenance best\npractices and improved regulatory compliance. This way fleets will be able to\navoid costly, unproductive downtime \u2014 both due to unnecessary breakdowns and unnecessary\nCSA violations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"