June 2020 - 20

"The best defense is a good offense," Anderson
says. "Specifying the most secure harness-to-lamp
connection possible, which we believe to be an
AMP connection, and keeping moisture out of
the system are the best things to do. Routing and
clipping of wiring harnesses is also important."
Anderson points to one other essential best
practice: Technicians must avoid probing wires
with a test light.
"Even those small intrusions through wire
insulation can allow moisture into the harness
and start the corrosion process," Anderson says.

Tires

Tire issues are also high on the list of common
roadside inspection violations.
"Most of the time, tires are the first component a law enforcement officer will look at when
inspecting a vehicle," says Paul Tatarchuk, business-to-business network special services coordinator at Michelin North America, a leading
tire manufacturer.
Low tread depth and damaged sidewalls can be
prevented by good pre-trip inspections. "It is pretty
rare for tires to wear out on one trip," Pagesy relates.
As important as the pre-trip inspection is, do not
overlook the importance of the post-trip inspection.
"When drivers can finish their routes and immediately report any service issues, technicians have
time to get that vehicle ready to go out the next
morning," says Tony Popple, senior director of maintenance vision, Penske Truck Leasing, a provider of
leasing and maintenance services to fleets.
According to Michelin's Tatarchuk, fleets that
are on top of things have a tire policy that is clearly
communicated to drivers.
"The driver is the focal point," Tatarchuk says.
"The driver is responsible to perform a walkaround inspection before the unit leaves on a
trip, so preventive maintenance really starts
with the driver. Additionally, drivers should be
expected to know minimum fleet tread depth
and recommended steer, drive, and trailer inflation pressure."
Drivers should feel comfortable reporting "bad
news" with their vehicles.
"Drivers must be assured that they are not going
to be chastised for stopping a unit from leaving
that needs attention," Tatarchuk says.
Successful fleets have technicians who periodically walk the yard to look at tires. They also
take advantage of new tools that improve their
tire management skills.
For example, Rhombus TireAnalytics from
Dana is a cloud-based platform that provides
insights into tire condition.
"Customers are reporting up to a 49 percent
reduction in unscheduled tire repairs by using
Rhombus," says Chuck Avery, national sales
manager of applications for Dana, a leading drivetrain and propulsion systems provider. "Real-time
alerts as a truck is being inspected allow for proactive responses to issues. Feedback from customers
has shown that these notifications have definitely
helped with regulatory compliance."
Rhombus TireAnalytics is a mobile app that
allows technicians to ditch pen and paper when
inspecting tires, recording measurements, and

20 Fleet Maintenance | June 2020

»Newer vehicles with LED lighting must have an
adequate harness-to-light connection to help
prevent corrosion from entering the harness.
Photo courtesy of Peterson Manufacturing

Analyzing past
failures is a big
part of creating a
safety culture.

downtime. For instance, utilizing a fleet's actual
historical tire data, Rhombus can automatically
calculate miles per 1/32" of tread, which could
help the fleet predict when other assets could see
tire failures.
Whatever the case, Rhombus TireAnalytics can
be another tool in a fleet's tire management toolbox.
"I was skeptical when told we would probably
trigger alerts on 25 percent of our units," says
Bryan Larkin, director of Idealease at RWC Group, a
truck lease and rental company with a fleet of more
than 45,000 trucks, tractors, and trailers. "But on
our first day [using Rhombus], we triggered alerts
for half the units we'd inspected. That confirmed
we had more extensive issues than we realized."
Tire issues themselves can be just the tip of the
iceberg at a roadside inspection.
"Out-of-service violations that pertain to tires
are so easy to spot that they can be considered the
low-hanging fruit when a vehicle is inspected,"
Tatarchuk says. "Authorities then know there are
undoubtedly other things that are not acceptable
with the tractor-trailer that warrant a closer look."

Stellar communication
solidifies the safety culture
»Michelin Tire Care offers various program
solutions to help fleets identify and address
tire issues before they lead to safety risks.
Tire inspections include the six critical
factors that lead to poor tire performance,
including mismatched tread depths. The
2020 North American standard out-ofservice criteria from the CVSA says tires on
the front steering axle must have 4/32" tread
when measured in any two adjacent major
tread grooves at any location on the tire.
Photo courtesy of Michelin

capturing notes. And since everything is done on
a smartphone, technicians can also take photos.
The result is faster, more accurate data that allows
fleets to make more timely decisions.
Additionally, by analyzing historical data and
failure patterns, Rhombus can help fleets adopt
more of a "predictive maintenance" approach that
can help thwart roadside inspection violations and

In the unfortunate event of being issued a CSA
warning or fine, SAF-Holland's Ryan says a fleet
can turn it into something positive.
"Obviously, the source of the warning or fine has
to be rectified," he says. "But it should also serve
as a learning opportunity for fleet managers. They
need to ask: Does this affect other vehicles in my
fleet? What did we miss? What can we do better?"
A safety culture results in a mindset change.
"We don't train fleets to just pass safety inspections," Ryan says. "We train fleets to make their
vehicles safe, allowing technicians to sleep at night,
knowing there won't be a critical safety issue after
one leaves. This includes functionality checks of
components such as caliper slides and adjusters,
rather than just basic visual inspections."
Penske's Popple says it is important to develop
PM programs around the specific vehicles in the
fleet. Yes, the common DOT items are essential.
Beyond that, the vehicle's specific make and

June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2020