failure will occur. Th e information can then be used to develop a maintenance strategy that will allow such issues to be addressed in advance. Th is means collecting data whenever there is a part or component failure. Th is data can then be aggregated and mined. An example would be seeing in the data that there is a high frequency of bearing failures, discovered either on the road or during maintenance. Also, the data indicates there is a certain time or mileage range during which the trailer bearings are failing. Th is information can then be used to modify the maintenance scheduling. At a specifi ed time or mileage, the bearings are to undergo a detailed inspection – such as at each quarterly inspection – or be replaced, regardless of condition. While not ideal, this can be eff ective at preventing on-road failures. It is not ideal because you may end up replacing components that still have some useful life, thereby increasing your maintenance costs in the long run. However, if the failures are frequent enough, and costly enough when they occur, this can justify the extra costs. CUT-OFF LIMITS Another part of your service needs to be comparing components to specifi c “wear limits,” and replacing them when they reach the limit. A starting point for some common components are the limits provided in the regulations. Th ese include, as examples, 2/32” tread depth on trailer tires, 1/4” thickness on brake linings – when viewed from the side – and brake drums not worn below the manufacturer’s declared minimums. While these numbers are directly from the regulations, they need to be adjusted. Th e reason for this is if you release a trailer from a maintenance inspection with tires that are at 3/32”, and you are not going to see it for three months, the odds are good that the tires will fall below the minimum before you see it again. You will need to establish an internal cut-off limit that is higher than the regulations require, such as 4/32” tread depth. Th e same principle applies to all of the items that wear on the trailer and have a regulatory limit. Th e internal cut-off limits will need to be set at a point where normal wear will not put Heavy Duty | them below the regulatory limit before the trailer will be back for its next scheduled maintenance. When establishing these internal cut-off limits, you need to consider your operating environment. If your trailers will be regularly operating in snow, you might want to consider a diff erent Continued Page 27 The Original Wireless Portable Lift System Improve productivity and flexibility: 8JSFMFTTGFBUVSFFOBCMFTUFDIOJDJBOTUP t(FUTFUVQFASTER... t(FUUIFWFIJDMFVQFASTER... t(FUUIFKPCEPOFFASTER... 641BUFOUTtt$BOBEJBO1BUFOU 800.821.7320 / www.grayusa.com VehicleServicePros.com/10094277
FleetMaintenance_October_2016
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