Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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56 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2014 technology Bring your own device Some electronic DVIR applications are hardware-agnostic, meaning the software is cloud-based and compatible with a variety of devices. When using a connected device such as a smart- phone, inspection data can be sent to the office instantly while drivers are walking around the vehicle. XRS has an electronic DVIR process in its all-mobile fleet man- agement application. With XRS deployed on a driver's personal smartphone or company-owned mobile device, drivers can complete a checklist of inspection items that meet the 396.11 requirement. If any defects are checked, XRS sends alerts to notify maintenance personnel of incoming vehicles with failed inspections. From the e-mail alert, maintenance personnel can click a link to the XRS Cloud soft- ware where they can view inspections and certify completed repairs. Innovative Software Engineering's electronic DVIR application runs on Intermec and other Windows devices, and an Android version is planned. Several fleet management platforms also use the ISE application. Platform-dependent Most mobile fleet management platforms bundle electronic DVIR forms within a suite of applications that also includes electronic logs, messaging and tracking, making the inspection process part of the driver's workflow. But an electronic inspection is only an improvement over paper forms if drivers get out of the cab to inspect the vehicle. Zonar's 2020 rugged Android tab- let – which serves as the display for its fleet management platform – has an integrated wireless RFID reader used to identify tags placed in differ- ent zones around the vehicle. Zonar's Electronic Vehicle Inspec- tion Report application uses these tags – roughly the size of a half-dol- lar – to verify that drivers actually in- spect the vehicle's components. With simple touches and swipes, drivers use the 2020 application to select the condition of vehicle components at each zone. They also can attach pic- tures using the 2020's camera. Maintenance personnel can review the EVIR reports online and schedule repair work through Zonar's Web- based Ground Traffic Control system. The reports can be set to direct to a fleet's maintenance software system to automate the repair workflow. PeopleNet's touchscreen mobile devices – either its Blu or Tablet plat- forms – have a daily workflow menu that includes an icon for drivers to initiate an inspection form. The form can be set to open automatically in the driver's workflow when starting the day and when logging out, with completion required before drivers can go to the next screen. PeopleNet's eDVIR application is integrated with major third-party fleet maintenance systems to auto- mate the repair scheduling process. Inspection forms with noted defects go directly to a repair queue for me- chanics to review and initiate repair orders. Once repairs are complete, the maintenance software sends an acknowledgement to drivers via Peo- pleNet's in-cab device. Service event management Electronic DVIRs aren't the only av- enue for gathering vehicle inspection data and initiating a repair. Decisiv's cloud-based platform is designed for fleets to manage their maintenance service events both inside and out- side their own facilities. Technicians can use any Web-enabled device to fill out a vehicle inspection form and initiate a "check-in" process. As part of this workflow, the Deci- siv platform uses QR codes affixed to commercial assets, allowing techni- cians to use any computing device with a QR code reader to access cloud servers and obtain instant information about the vehicle, such as the VIN number and maintenance records, to speed data entry. The custom inspection forms are set up to automatically match each defect noted to a VMRS code to help simplify maintenance reporting. Using the platform, fleets can track repair progress from the initial esti- mate to completion and reimburse- ment for parts and labor covered by warranty, Decisiv said. PeopleNet's eDVIR application is designed to integrate with fleet maintenance software systems to automate the repair scheduling process. Electronic DVIRs are a popular way to improve CSA scores.