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Importance of a good fleet inspection
Improved Fleet Safety – Using inspections as a way to ensure the continued operating condition of your vehicle means it is less likely to experience major problems on the road, keeping your drivers and other motorists safe.
Reduce Costs – Inspections allow you to keep tabs on the day-to-day condition of a vehicle, so that when things start to go wrong, you can intervene before there is a breakdown down the road, saving you money and downtime.
Extend Vehicle Life - With a good preventive maintenance program, inspections are one of the best tools for detecting early problems with a property before they become larger and a vehicle is taken out of service sooner than expected.
Maintaining Compliance – Daily Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports, or DVIRs, are required for most fleets to stay in compliance with state and federal regulations. Failure to do so can result in hefty fines and mandatory downtime, which can have a significant impact on your projects and operations.
Avoid Unplanned Downtime – When you perform regular inspections, it is unlikely that a problem with a vehicle will take you completely by surprise.
Who is responsible for fleet inspections?
It can be tempting to place the responsibility for inspections on drivers alone, but while it is their responsibility to ensure that they are carried out, it is the responsibility of the entire fleet organization to ensure that inspections are valued and maintained. When you create a culture that prioritizes the inspection process, you can improve how drivers perceive inspections and encourage full adherence to inspection policies.
It is realistic to think that a large part of the responsibility falls on fleet managers to ensure that inspections are carried out on a daily basis. The fleet manager is responsible for:
Set the standard for carrying out inspections and enforce it.
Choose the content of a checklist and how it is presented.
Keep an inspection log
Create a system for logging inspection issues and generating work orders.
Run a fleet maintenance program that can quickly follow up on failed inspection items.
Much of what fleet managers dictate in their inspection process can set their fleet on the path to success – or it can create a ton of obstacles that encourage pencil-slapping and lack of action on what could become costly issues with vehicles.
In addition to daily DVIRs, regular inspections should be performed throughout the life of the vehicle by technicians or maintenance teams, especially for heavy machinery.
How often should fleet inspections be carried out?
There are different levels of inspection, depending on their frequency and depth. Here are our recommendations regarding inspection times
Pre- and post-trip inspection
A daily inspection must be carried out by drivers for each day a vehicle is used, before it hits the road and after it returns to the depot. These inspections must include checks regarding
visible damage to the bodywork
the proper functioning of lights, steering, mirrors and brakes
the condition of the tires
fixing pipes and plugs
fluid leaks
Damage inside the cabin
Monthly inspection
Once a month, vehicles must be checked by someone other than the drivers to check
The proper functioning of lights, steering, mirrors and brakes.
problems reported by drivers during the month
Apparent problems such as leaks or excessive wear.
problems that require immediate attention or scheduled repair.
Quarterly inspection
Once every three months, vehicles must be inspected as they are every month, with the addition of examining components to be replaced or repaired such as:
Flexible
Brackets
Filters
Brakes
Greases and lubricants
Any other issues reported in daily or monthly reports
Semi-annual
Every six months, vehicles should be closely evaluated and any previously reported issues addressed. This is a great opportunity to gauge the overall condition of your fleet assets and consider the vehicle replacement schedule.
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