June 2020 - 23

model, as well as componentry, need to be examined with respect to recommended maintenance
intervals, as well as historical failure data the fleet
has experienced with similar vehicles.
With any sound PM program, the key continues
to be people.
"Technicians need the proper training, the proper tooling, and the proper time to complete the
service," Popple says.
Penske started utilizing
a voice-directed PM process
in 2017. Leveraging technology from Honeywell, this
process vocally guides a technician through the inspection process. The process is
designed to improve accuracy and consistency while
eliminating paperwork. Over
the past few years, Penske
Truck Leasing technicians
have conducted 3.7 million
voice-guided inspections.
"This process has enabled
us to provide the right maintenance on the right vehicle
at the right time," Popple
says. "For the longest time in
this industry, the PM forms
were all the same, whether
you had a brand-new vehicle or a vehicle that was five
years old. Our voice-guided
process allows us to create
what we call a dynamic PM.
For example, on a new vehicle, we might want to look at
things like wire routing and
hose clamps.
"For an older truck, our
analytics might point to a
propensity for rollers to start
failing at the 32-month mark,"
Popple adds. "We could build
that into our inspection
process at the 28-month mark.
If the technician answers the
voice-guided inspection in a
certain way, a job to replace
those rollers could be triggered so we remain on a proactive footing."
Like any aspect in life,
communication is key.
"Sometimes you can do that
electronically, and sometimes
you can still use paper if you
have people who are intimidated by technology," Penske's
Pagesy relates. "But technology
has helped us foster communication between the drivers and
our shops. If a driver notices
a problem with his truck, he
can go to his onboard device,
input that note which is sent to
our system, and our system
then sends a note to our
customer [fleet]."

Ryder's Olson says the most critical items in
establishing a safety culture are communication
and expectation.
"Anytime a fleet is hit with a safety violation,
the service team must look at the inspection and
preventive maintenance processes and fine tune
them accordingly," Olson says.
Every fleet is different in terms of makes,

models, and operating environment, as well as
all of the idiosyncrasies that go with that.
"The only way to keep on top of things is to
maintain open communication between drivers
and the repair facilities," he adds.
For related, visit
VehicleServicePros.com/in-the-bay.

We know how hard
you work and we're
there for you.
275+ BRANCHES NATIONWIDE IN 46 STATES
40+ DRIVE-IN SERVICE CENTERS
260,000+ PARTS

We ARE the Heavy-Duty Experts™
Find a branch: www.fleetpride.com

VehicleServicePros.com/10120810

June 2020 | VehicleServicePros.com

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com/in-the-bay http://www.fleetpride.com http://www.VehicleServicePros.com/10120810

June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2020