april2022 - 24

» Using software for as many
administrative tasks as
possible frees up technicians
to get the repairs completed.
Photos: Fleetio
" It helps me manage my business,
because I can keep my
eye on the ball out there and
what's going on, " said Bowers,
who has used Decisiv for about
two decades. " Anything problematic
that happens out there, I'm involved in;
I'm copied on all the case notes flying back and
forth within service departments. "
Through Decisiv's Builder app, TranSource has
made nine custom inspection procedures totally
paperless, including for lease/rental and usedtruck
turn-in, trailers, and maintenance programs.
This type of technology is no longer just for
the larger companies, though. Smaller fleets and
shops can also leverage these tools if they drop the
pen and paper and connect to the cloud.
Inspection gadgets
For a dealer like TranSource, a service request is needed to start a job. This
can be kicked off typically with a Department of Transportation pre-trip
inspection or DVIR. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association requires
this inspection at the end of each workday, with the report submitted to the
fleet when reaching the home terminal. The compliance and safety measure
is the first line of detection for defective equipment, ideally ensuring a fleet
does not put a truck with underinflated tires or bad brakes on the road.
Using an electronic DVIR is the first step toward speeding up the repair
process; Werner does this through the EDGE system.
" Werner's
" [Drivers] can take a
picture and attach it to
the EVIR, and now there's
no confusion of what
that defect is or what
needs to be replaced. "
Fred Fakkema, VP of safety and
compliance for Zonar Systems
professional
drivers
conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections
every time they get in the truck
or finish up a delivery, " Nolan said. " In
addition, Werner Maintenance places a
high emphasis on regular inspections
by technicians. "
TranSource does not
itself offer
eDVIRs but integrates with many other
telematics and fleet-management platforms that offer the tool, which can be
accessed from a driver's smart device.
Going paperless circumvents the " protracted " manual route, explained
Richard Clark, product manager for Chevin FleetWave, a fleet-maintenance
management provider. Before helping develop the latest iteration of the
FleetWave platform, he was an avid user of the technology as a technician
and later as a fleet manager at a large U.K.-based fleet.
" When I was training as an apprentice, the driver would fill in the paper
document and have to walk across the massive yard to the transport office, "
he recalled. From there, the shop was contacted, and a technician would have
to grab the truck keys to bring it in.
FleetWave Forms, the platform's eDVIR, alleviates this process. " If there
is something wrong, the workshop gets a notification, and they can already
go and pre-plan, pick parts, and be organized before the driver has even
arrived, " Clark explained. " You realize how inefficient that way of working is
compared to now, and the savings of time and improvement in efficiencies. "
Using a tablet or other smart device to check off inspection boxes also
guides the driver through the process to ensure nothing is missed.
" Typically, drivers have pencil-whipped, " relayed Fred Fakkema, VP of safety
and compliance for Zonar Systems, a fleet management provider. " They
just check the box-they don't actually get out and walk around the vehicle
to see what's going on. "
Fakkema saw this often in his 25 years at the Washington State Patrol,
where he also led the Commercial Vehicle Division. And even though the
driver may miss a loose mudflap or broken marker light, the Commercial
Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspector won't, and visible issues will likely
initiate a more thorough, time-consuming 37-point inspection. The CVSA
officer will put the truck out of service until the defects are fixed, and the
driver will sit and wait. And not make any money.
Zonar developed the EVIR (electronic verified inspection reporting) system,
which guides the driver to inspect specific zones by scanning RFID tags
stuck to the truck.
" If there's a defect, once the driver does the complete walkaround and
docks the tablet, [the data] immediately go to the back office for the mechanics
to see, " Fakkema explained. " They can take a picture and attach it to the
EVIR, and now there's no confusion of what that defect is or what needs to
be replaced. "
The configurable EVIR has been used for OTR trucks, buses, forklifts, and
even a roller coaster, Fakkema said.
Expect the shop to be a little busier at first because new users' defect reports
» Digitizing the inspection process can ensure and expedite its completion.
Photo: Zonar
show " hockey stick " growth, as drivers are catching defects that were previously
overlooked. " That levels out to a normal plane once fleets get used to
it, " Fakkema said.
24 Fleet Maintenance | April 2022
april2022

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