Fleet Assessments:
A Key Step in
Planning for the Future By Daniel Lang
A fl eet assessment should be conducted on every
vehicle type when it reaches its midlife to help identify
hidden issues with the vehicles, increase effi ciency
and reliability, and allow agency planning eff orts to
proceed with confi dence.
26 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | JUNE 2017
NOW MORE THAN EVER,
fl eet assessments are smart
business because transit
agencies are asked to do
more with less and budget
constraints force agencies to
run cars well past their 30-
year design life. An undiagnosed
fl eet-wide component failure
on an aging vehicle can singlehandedly
cripple a transportation
system, but a midlife assessment is
a process that can detect problems
before they become crises.
Over the past decade, total capital
investments in light rail systems
have nearly doubled, but new vehicle
procurement expenditures have
remained fl at. As a result, transit
agencies are being
forced to support
their new
infrastructure
investments with
a combination of
new and aging
rolling stock,
FLEET
ASSESSMENT
is an
essential step
to help fleets’
lifespans.
ultimately resulting in a doubling
of vehicle maintenance costs over
the same decade.
Predicting the ability of a vehicle
fl eet to operate to its expected life
expectancy and beyond requires
inspection of critical vehicle components
and systems. A thorough
fl eet assessment provides the data
needed to determine the remaining
life of vehicle components. Th is will
clarify whether overhaul is worth
the investment, or if new cars are
the better choice. Th ese 5 steps form
the basis of an assessment:
Typical Steps in a
Fleet Assessment
1. Gather Information
First, evaluate reliability data,
maintenance logs and vehicle
documentation to identify potential
problems. Next, consult
the maintenance staff to discuss
troublesome systems and fl eetwide
problems, as these are oft en
symptoms of greater issues.
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