Fontana: Maintenance, KPIs, metrics, and safety inspection blitzes

In a recent blog, I talked about key performance indicators and metrics in a somewhat general manner. This time, I want to focus on maintenance metrics. I was prompted to do so after seeing a report on the results from an April unannounced Brake Safety Day. During that one-day safety blitz, 8.7% of the 4,569 vehicles inspected were taken out of service for brake-related violations.

I understand that this was a surprise inspection, so fleets did not take extra steps to ensure the brakes on their trucks were in top operating condition. However, the industry will have plenty of time to prepare for this year’s announced Brake Safety Week, which is set for August 24 to 30.

Perhaps you think that an 8.7% out-of-service rate is not that bad given that this was a surprise blitz. For me, when it comes to brakes, 8.7% out of service is rather significant. I am not naïve enough to think we will ever get to 0% because there can be unexpected failures, but I also believe that by setting some maintenance-specific KPIs and metrics, we can decrease the out-of-service rate.

One key maintenance metric is preventive maintenance compliance. This is the percentage of preventive maintenance services that are completed when scheduled. In a perfect world, 100% of scheduled PM service would take place when it is supposed to. The reality is that sometimes the truck is not near your shop or your maintenance provider network, so the scheduled PM gets deferred. But deferred should not mean skipped, and you should have a plan for getting those vehicles in the shop within days of when their PM was originally scheduled.

See also: How well do you know Interstate System history?

Another good maintenance metric is service between preventive maintenance appointments. The hope is that trucks don’t come into the shop between scheduled PM appointments, but that does not always happen. Before setting a KPI around this metric, understand where you currently stand with service between PM appointments, and then set a goal and a timeframe for achieving it. You’ll want to look at the reasons why trucks are back in the shop between PMs. Is there a pattern, such as an area of the truck that is consistently overlooked? If you spot a pattern, use it as an opportunity to retrain your technicians.

It's also important to set KPIs and metrics for on-road breakdowns. Set a specific goal as to what is an acceptable number of on-road breakdowns; zero is not realistic, especially since there can be road hazards that can damage tires. Review your on-road breakdown data to see if certain assets break down more frequently. Try to determine if the breakdown was the result of driver error or if something was missed during the PM service. If you are seeing a recurring cause for your roadside breakdowns, consider changing your maintenance schedule.

Consider setting a KPI and metric for vehicle downtime focusing on unscheduled downtime. Because in addition to the cost of the repair itself, you may also suffer damage to your relationship with your customers if you are unable to repower the load and ensure an on-time delivery.

Each fleet is going to set different KPIs around key metrics once it evaluates the effectiveness of its PM program. Reduce the number of vehicles being taken out of service during Brake Safety Week by using the inspection blitz as an impetus to adjust or set KPIs and metrics for vehicle maintenance.