august2021 - 8

UPTIME FROM THE EDITORS
Lessons learned from
deferred maintenance
Events like the I-40 bridge closure and the Florida condominium
tower collapse remind us why maintenance is paramount.
Just like inspections and follow-up service
are critical to maintaining commercial vehicle
equipment, so it is for U.S. highways. And, in
both instances, postponing that service can
cost much more in the long run.
There is no more current applicable example
By Erica
Schueller
Editorial
Director
to highlight the negative impact of deferred
maintenance for infrastructure than that of
the I-40 bridge closure in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Hernando de Soto bridge was closed in
mid-May when inspectors found a significant
crack in a support beam that they determined
could compromise the structural integrity of
the bridge.
Along with the interstate being a main
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artery for commerce movement spanning
between California and North Carolina, the
bridge closure has impacted freight movement
and caused major traffic delays. It crosses the
Mississippi River, connecting Arkansas to
Tennessee. And Memphis is also the location
of FedEx headquarters.
At the larger level,
the country faces
trillions of dollars in
backlogged repairs,
with more than 45,000
bridges throughout the
U.S. in poor condition.
While the bridge is being repaired, some
50,000 vehicles that typically cross this bridge
per day have been diverted. According to the
Tennessee Department of Transportation,
while delays are now only about 15 minutes,
rerouted traffic initially created hour-long
delays. The I-40 bridge closure and subsequent
rerouting has cost the trucking industry
an additional $70 million in unanticipated
costs as of late June, according to the Arkansas
Trucking Association. And as this issue goes
to press, the TDOT confirmed the bridge will
not reopen until at least August.
At the larger level, the country faces trillions
of dollars in backlogged repairs, with more
than 45,000 bridges throughout the U.S. in
poor condition.
8 Fleet Maintenance | August 2021
Thankfully, inspectors found the fracture
on the I-40 bridge before any more significant
damage had occurred.
The Champlain Towers South condominium
collapse in mid-July is a more tragic recent
example of delaying maintenance even after
inspections indicated service was needed.
The collapse, which has claimed nearly 100
lives as of late July, occurred despite the documentation
of needed repairs three years prior
to the collapse of the Miami-area condo. " A
consultant found alarming evidence of 'major
structural damage' to the concrete slab below
the pool deck and 'abundant' cracking and
crumbling of the columns, beams, and walls
of the parking garage under the 13-story
building, " noted a recent report from The New
York Times.
While building inspections and vehicle
preventive maintenance inspections aren't
exactly the same process, they both still recognize
the importance of conducting the service
as soon as is feasible after a problem is found.
Maintenance involves both the necessary
regular inspections to catch defects early, as
well as the on-time service and repair of these
defects before they become major issues.
Takeaways for vehicle
maintenance
Managing proper maintenance schedules to
keep equipment operating is critical for two
» A maintenance department reduces
operational costs by optimizing uptime.
142886432 | Robert Carner | Dreamstime
reasons: It reduces overall maintenance costs
and improves safety.
An organization's maintenance department
aids in reducing operational costs by optimizing
vehicle uptime. Through that logic,
improved uptime translates to less money
spent on larger and more severe repairs later
on while also providing the that equipment
is utilized and does not sit idle and unable to
complete the job as intended.
All aspects of this industry are intertwined,
and maintenance is one part of the entire web
of a commercial fleet's operation. While maintenance
itself is an overhead cost that will not
directly generate revenue, deferring that maintenance
is a gamble. It can mean the difference
between adding an exorbitant amount to operational
expenses versus helping to improve a
fleet's bottom line.
As with all roles of each department within
an organization, to reduce operational costs and
improve safety requires vigilance and a focus
on ensuring these two needs are constantly
analyzed and met for respective businesses.
As someone who surely references this publication
regularly (thank you, faithful reader),
you are certainly aware of why it is critical
that equipment be inspected regularly. What's
more, it is imperative that the results of those
inspections are followed up with completing
the necessary service and repairs.
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august2021

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