Federal DOT regulations require that trucking company owners have a program to inspect and maintain every truck in their fleet, whether they have one or 1,000. Understanding what’s expected is an important part of running a successful business. Here’s what the DOT says you must do:
- Keep records of all inspections, repairs, and maintenance
- Keep on top of DVIRs from all your drivers
- Periodically inspect all vehicles in your fleet
- Make sure that the drivers and safety technicians are doing their part in inspecting and maintaining the trucks
3 Steps to Successful Preventative Maintenance
There are three things a fleet owner and/or manager must know to ensure proper maintenance of his or her rigs:
1. Exactly what must be lubricated, checked, and adjusted
2. How often this must be done to comply with regulations
3. When truck components must be either rebuilt or replaced
Truck and tire manufacturers will provide you with the information you need to know for these three steps. But it’s up to you to make sure that the work is done right and on time. For example, keeping an eye on tires is crucial. Non-steering axle tires generally need replacing when or before they are down to 6/32” of tread. Failing to stay on top of these issues can not only get you in trouble with the DOT, it can also compromise the safety of other drivers and make you a target of attorneys looking to cash in on accidents involving big rigs.
TruckingOffice Can Help
Our easy-to-use software can help you to make sure that roadside inspections, regular maintenance, and parts replacement tasks are performed on time before equipment failure occurs. We invite you to try TruckingOffice for free, and find out for yourself how much easier it can make running your business. Click here to start your free trial!
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