Insights - July/August 2018 - 9

BENEFITS - from page 7
for improvement. To make sure the same repair isn't done several times a year, you need to make sure the repair is done right
the first time. That is a major benefit of the IRPs."
Gary Cornelius, vice president of business development for
motor carrier TCW, summed up the benefits this way.
"Too often, the repair solution [for] intermodal is more
cost-based than thought of [as] a long-term repair opportunity,"
he said. Cornelius believes the IRPs will result in both a safer
environment and a more dependable service product for the
customer as mechanical issues with the equipment are reduced.

Wide Range of Benefits
Other executives elaborated on repair quality and additional
benefits.

* The quality of repairs will be improved as mechanics use

the IRPs and become more proficient and professional for
all types of equipment. That should increase safety, which
will lead to more reliable service for motor carriers in the
form of fewer roadside breakdowns and improved customer
satisfaction.

* Incidence of roadside violations and the consequences in the
form of poorer Compliance Safety Accountability scores that
affect insurance and liability expenses should be reduced.

* Expenses ultimately should also be reduced as there should
be fewer incidents of expensive rework to be completed on
substandard initial repairs.

* Deployment of the IRPs across the industry will aid in

company recruitment and retention efforts of chassis
mechanics as well as increase the professionalism and
visibility of this career.

* The IRPs and related competency documents can serve as

the basis for curriculum for maintenance and repair jobs at
junior colleges, trade schools and other companies that offer
training.

"IANA's leadership toward establishing a singular, industryadopted, approved inspector curriculum for IEP safety compliance inspections has been outstanding," said Jack Van
Steenburg, Chief Safety Officer and Assistant Administrator at
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. "The ultimate
goal is to further strengthen safety for dock and yard workers,
drayage and long-haul drivers - and for all travelers sharing the
nation's highways and roads."

IEP Buy-in Is Vital
"The success of the program will depend heavily on the
intermodal equipment providers," Summers said. "If an IEP is
willing to accept substandard repairs, we are going to have a
substandard program. If IEPs require superb repairs, we will have
a superb program."
"Until now, one of the things that has been lacking in intermodal is a consistent training program for mechanics that
addresses all of the specific tasks associated with the industry's
equipment," said Paul Tamburelli, principal at the Transportation
Compliance and Safety Group. "Very few maintenance companies had the resources - time and money - to do systematic
training." The release of the IRPs will be instrumental to the

development of industry training and
testing programs and will serve as
guidelines for these programs.
The IRPs are divided into nine
sections, or categories. They are:
general procedures/auxiliary equipment; electrical and lamps; tires,
wheels, lugs; axles; couplers and
hitches; chassis frames; suspensions; brakes; welding/fabrication.
"These categories can be used
Tamburelli
as measuring tools in training mechanics in a structured procedure that will enable the repair company
to evaluate the competency of individual mechanics," said Tom
Slattery, FlexiVan's director of maintenance and repair operations.
He also noted the benefit for mechanics who may be proficient in some repairs, but not others. "All mechanics should be
capable of changing tires and repairing lights but not all mechanics would be capable of performing wheel end work or resolve
[anti-lock braking system] malfunctions," he said.

Implementation Process
Several executives outlined the implementation process at
their companies, highlighting the variety of benefits.
Joey Frederick, vice president of P & B Intermodal,
emphasized the value of consistency that will result from
adopting the IRPs, including the ability to standardize its training
across all 50 P&B locations. He also stressed the benefits of
being able to tailor training to a journeyman mechanic's particular
needs, such as a worker who is more skilled in tire maintenance
than brakes.

The IRPs will result in both a safer
environment and a more dependable
service product for the customer as
mechanical issues with the equipment
are reduced.
- Gary Cornelius, vice president of business development,
TCW
Another benefit he noted was related to the future. "This will
be a good resource for folks who are doing something else now,
and haven't even heard of chassis," Frederick said.
"DCLI's practices are in line with the IRPs," said Jason Slegers,
vice president of maintenance and repair/procurement for Direct
ChassisLink. Having standardized practices within the industry
will help and in some cases streamline processes across multiple
repair locations and vendors.
Cornelius said that many companies like TCW, which already
have time-tested inspection and repair practices, can find
additional opportunities to improve by following the thorough
processes contained in the IRPs.
Benefits - continued on page 11
July/August 2018 | Intermodal Insights

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