When fleet vehicles hit the roadways, it is imperative that they are in good condition to keep fleet drivers and others on the road safe.
Performing pre- and post-trip vehicle inspections on assets can help find defects on a fleet vehicle before it hits the road. While these inspections are recommended for all vehicles to increase drivers’ safety, they are also mandated by the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for heavy-duty vehicles exceeding the 10,001 gross vehicle weight range.
Performing these inspections can add time to drivers’ routes and to technicians’ jobs, especially when using paper inspection forms. Find out how electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (eDVIRs) can make inspections more efficient.
eDVIRs Reduce the Time it Takes Drivers to Complete Inspections
For your fleet operation to stay on-schedule, it is imperative for drivers to complete pre- and post-trip inspections as efficiently as possible. According to the FMCSA, drivers spend a combined 46.7 million hours each year completing DVIRs.
Using paper forms can increase the time needed to complete an inspection. These forms can be generic, leaving components special to your fleet vehicles off the report. For example, if you have a school bus fleet, the stop-arm might not be on the form. Drivers may need to add handwritten notes to the forms to state that those key safety features were inspected.
In contrast, electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports let your operation customize inspection forms so they are specific to your fleet. With these reports, you can also put the features in order that your drivers inspect the vehicles to eliminate wasted time skimming the form to find various parts.
eDVIR Apps Improve the Maintenance Process
When drivers use paper inspection forms, the shop cannot access the report until the driver hand delivers the form after his or her route. This can add time to the maintenance process. Work orders cannot be created for the repairs until the form is turned in, meaning technicians cannot prepare for the fixes or ensure the needed parts are in-stock.
With an eDVIR, drivers can submit their reports directly into the application. If the app is synched to the fleet management software system, then the information can be immediately accessed by the shop, eliminating the need to wait for the driver to return with his or her report. This lets the work orders get created, gets technicians assigned to the job, and lets the shop check the parts inventory to ensure the parts are available – all before the vehicle even arrives.
Electronic DVIRs Improve the Communication Between Drivers and Technicians
Drivers and technicians can struggle to communicate about defects found during vehicle inspections. This can result in wasted time – and finger-pointing. One issue that contributes to this is the drivers’ handwriting. It can be difficult for technicians to decipher drivers’ notes, requiring extra time for them to read the reports. If the notes are misinterpreted, it can lead to confusion and possibly even the wrong repairs. It can also be frustrating for the drivers when they are trying to get status updates on their vehicles’ repairs. Drivers might have to pester the technicians for information, which can take the techs away from their work.
Electronic DVIR apps can eliminate this confusion. Drivers can type notes into the report, making them easy to decipher. They can also submit images of defects to provide more details to the technicians. When the vehicle is being repaired, the technicians can update the status in the app so the drivers can see the progress.
eDVIRs Decrease the Amount of Data Entry
With paper forms, the vehicle inspection information must be manually entered into the fleet management software system to ensure the defects and needed repairs are captured. This can take time away from a staff member’s day to input this information.
eDVIR apps can synch with your FMIS, allowing the information to automatically flow into the vehicle’s file to ensure the data is captured. This eliminates extra work for your employees that they can instead dedicate to another task.
by Mary Gerard, RTA Fleet Management Software
Source: https://www.government-fleet.com
CUT COTS OF THE FLEET WITH OUR AUDIT PROGRAM
The audit is a key tool to know the overall status and provide the analysis, the assessment, the advice, the suggestions and the actions to take in order to cut costs and increase the efficiency and efficacy of the fleet. We propose the following fleet management audit.
