Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/100783
ALL HANDS ON DECK T he Compliance Accountability Safety program continues to propel ���eets toward technology that can improve their scores. Under CSA, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration deposits vehicle inspection violations into seven Behavior Analysis & Safety Improvement Categories. Each month, the violations in each BASIC are scored by Safety Management System formulas to quantify carriers��� on-road safety performance; the higher the SMS score, the more likely trucks are pulled over for inspections. Carriers with high scores also are targeted for interventions and onsite audits. The Vehicle Maintenance BASIC includes more than 200 violations that an of���cer can identify in a roadside inspection. Last month, the agency moved many more violations to Vehicle Maintenance from the Cargo-Related BASIC, which it replaced with a HM (Hazmat) BASIC. Because of this added Vehicle Maintenance exposure, maintenance software can be one of the most effective safeguards from vehicle defects that harm SMS scores. Tra- We focus on zero tolerance.��� ��� John Reed, chief information officer, AIM NationaLease 34 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JANUARY 2013 CARRIERS EMPLOY MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE TO IMPROVE CSA SCORES BY AARON HUFF ditionally, ���eets have used maintenance management systems to reduce costs and maximize equipment uptime. Under CSA, the technology also has taken on the critical role of helping to improve safety and compliance. SCHEDULING Scheduling preventive maintenance always has been a core feature of ���eet maintenance software systems. As a rule, ���eet managers try to schedule 80 percent of their repairs and direct resources toward the exceptions ��� such as breakdowns and component failures ��� that drive up costs and drive down asset utilization. When used effectively, PM scheduling features also are essential for identifying defects early and striking down the root causes. This technology makes scheduling an automated process by capturing mileages, hours and engine fault codes through integration with vehicle telemetry systems, fuel cards and other electronic sources. Following its recent acquisition by Pilot Flying J, Maxum Petroleum became one of the largest transportation companies in the energy sector. As a hauler of ���ammable products, the Greenwich, Conn.-based company has more than 1,400 vehicles and a complex set of maintenance schedules.