The goal of a PMI is to meet or exceed DOT standards, ensure the equipment not in the shop between scheduled maintenance inspections and to have the equipment ready to deliver freight on time. The process to for the PMI needs to be efficient to help reduce maintenance costs, accurate to keep the equipment on the road safely and consistent so no steps are missed. The proper PMI will increase the life span of the equipment and reduce road service calls for maintenance.
An efficient PM process will allow technicians to reduce the amount of time it takes to inspect the equipment. The less steps a tech has to take, the less time overall. Having the proper tools ready and available reduces the amount of trips back and forth. An efficient process will flow smoothly and reduce the amount of trips back and forth.
I have had the opportunity to help with the PMI station at SuperTech competitions. There were multiple times that I saw a technician running back and forth to inspect a 28 foot trailer. I really got my steps in those days. This process of multiple trips going back and forth took much more time, when there is only 23 minutes, every minute counts.
One way to reduce the amount of steps and increase the efficiency is the preparation. Techs know what tools they will need for the inspection. Having these tools readily available will reduce the amount of steps and time it takes to gather them from all corners of the shop. Some tools can be placed along the trailer as the technicians start the PM as well.
When starting a PM inspection, the tech should familiarize themselves with the PM sheet. There are many points to check during a PM. A quick glance at the PM sheet will remind the tech what needs to be inspected and when. It will also ensure they have the right tools at the right time. Bouncing around the trailer reduces the accuracy of the inspection. Faults get missed when techs start bouncing all around the equipment.
TMC’s PMI Manual guides a technician around the equipment. It references RP’s that can be useful for identifying out of service criteria, wear patterns and what they mean. A tech should get familiar with the contents and what is expected in the inspection.
A consistent process will help technicians accurately inspect the equipment. Whether you have multiple shops, multiple technicians, or even one technician, the process should be repeatable. If the process changes with every inspection, steps will get missed.
I go into shops that will have one technician doing things his way, and the next tech has a completely different way to test brakes. One case was that a tech used a pry bar to check the brakes, the next technician applied air to the service side. Consistency between technicians will also ensure the inspections is done correctly every time.
The accuracy of any PMI is what makes or breaks the process. The process for the PMI may only take 10 minutes, but if the accuracy of inspecting every aspect of the equipment is missed, the PM isn’t doing anything for the equipment. Techs may inspect one side of the equipment perfectly on one side. When they get to the other side, especially if there are multiple trips involved, techs may miss the actual fault on the other.
The education never stops. PMI training will help your techs continue to improve the process and understand what defective components look like. Technicians can review the RP’s that are covered in the PMI Manuals. These offer guidance in what bad components look like, but also what causes them in the first place. Continued training will benefit the company as well as the technicians. There may be other ways to improve the process and become more efficient during the inspection.
The PMI is used to keep equipment on the road and ensure the full life cycle is reached. An efficient process will reduce the costs in maintenance. Accurate inspections will increase the uptime of the vehicle. A process that is consistent will improve the quality of the inspections and repairs by any technician. Implementing an effective preventive maintenance process your equipment will be able to meet or exceed the DOT standards. This keeps your equipment on the road and can help reduce maintenance costs.
