GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ARNOLD SAFETY CONSULTING A by Eric Arnold, Arnold Safety Consulting
safety area commonly overlooked by private fleets who do not use their commercial vehicles every day is main- tenance. The main business of a private fleet is not the use of trucks. The trucks are simply pieces of equipment which support the main business, whether it be well drilling, pipeline building, home construction, or in our case, putting on a show to entertain the public. Sometimes the condition of the trucks is not top priority. It should be.
Lack of a good maintenance program costs money. Repairs, downtime, road calls, tow trucks and DOT citations are expensive. In fact, they are more expensive than simply paying to maintain the vehicles in the first place. Furthermore, DOT tracks which DOT numbers get the most citations compared to other companies of the same size. Lots of citations for broken trucks means a high CSA score, which eventually leads to an audit. As part of your business planning, you should have money in your budget for inspecting, fixing, and ultimately, replacing your vehicles. You should have the vehicles inspected according to a set schedule. Usually, the manufacturer of a vehicle provides some type of operating manual which recommends a service schedule of the various parts and accessories of the vehicle. Whatever sched- ule you use is required by regulation to be in writing.
Any work done on the vehicles needs to be recorded. This could be a paper-based system or an electronic one, but it should be able to track the date of each repair or maintenance task, the cost, and who performed it. Having a complete record of maintenance and repairs can help identify patterns and an- ticipate future problems, as well as provide evidence of compli- ance with regulations and warranty requirements. It is also important to have a plan in place for dealing with breakdowns and unexpected repairs. Many OABA members retrace their steps throughout their territory year after year. You should have a list of trusted mechanics or repair shops that can be called upon in an emergency, as well as having a supply of spare parts on hand. Having a plan in place can help mini- mize downtime and get trucks back on the road as quickly as possible. Finally, you should be in the habit of inspecting your ve- hicles prior to use. Either have an employee of the show do a good inspection of all equipment before moving it, or ensure your drivers do good pre-trip inspections. One way or the other, you are going to pay for maintenance. With a little planning and forethought, you can pay as you go, which is much cheaper than waiting for something to break, and then paying.
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16 OABA ShowT OABA Sh Tiime Magazine | MARCH 2023 M i MARCH 2023
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