Read along below to learn about common mistakes it’ll certainly behoove you to avoid during a truck inspection.
Your commercial truck inspection isn’t just some routine task, but rather, a crucial aspect of ensuring the longevity of your vehicles and the safety of your clients, your fleet, and your business. Neglecting proper truck inspections can lead to catastrophic repercussions—financial losses, client dissatisfaction, and worst of all, auto accidents.
Read along below to learn about common mistakes it’ll certainly behoove you to avoid during a truck inspection.
Mindless Inspections and the Import of Digital Inspection Forms
One common mistake during truck inspections is performing them mindlessly, leading to careless assessments of vehicle parts’ conditions. For example, braking systems require exhaustive scrutiny, including checking slack adjusters, inspecting for air leaks, and more. To avoid this mistake, using digital truck inspection forms can greatly improve the process. These forms allow technicians to capture all the needed inspection data in a standard format, making checklists and reports clean and easy to read. By using mobile devices, technicians can carry the inspection checklists with them, leading to precise inspections and optimal vehicle performance.
Inefficient Documentation Methods
Another mistake to avoid is using inefficient methods to document pre- and post-rental conditions, especially when defects are present. Manual methods such as narrative descriptions and hand-drawn illustrations may fail to accurately capture the extent of damages, leading to disputes with clients. To avoid this mistake, using photo and video documentation can streamline the documentation workflow and provide solid evidence in case of disputes. Instant email and SMS alerts can also be used to promptly report damages and notify the team for corrective action.
Inadequate Monitoring of Inspection Activities
Trucking companies with multiple branches often struggle with efficiently monitoring inspection activities from different locations, leading to inaccurate fleet overviews and low responsiveness to issues. To avoid this mistake, harmonizing inspection activities from various locations using truck fleet management apps can provide instant access to data and enable immediate response to damages or other issues, ensuring better business performance.
Internal Inefficiencies in Inspection Workflow
Conventional inspection systems that rely on hand-drawn descriptions, printed reports, and other manual processes can be inefficient and result in delays and lagging schedules. Streamlining inspection workflow management by digitizing processes, forms, and assignments can save time and boost productivity. Customized in-app checklists and real-time field completion can simplify and accelerate the team’s work, leading to better service delivery and customer experience.
The “Roadway Safety” State-of-Mind
The ultimate goal of truck inspections, of course, is to promote roadway safety, so it’s imperative to instill this as a general mindset/culture among your team. Going beyond minimum requirements and routine checklists to ensure comprehensive inspections can contribute to safer roads and better outcomes for all involved parties.
Closing Thoughts
As a truck rental company, compromising on truck inspections just isn’t an option. There’s far too much at stake, both for your business and your people. But, by prioritizing thorough truck inspections and implementing efficient inspection processes preemptively, you can effectively safeguard your business (and your people!), concordantly ensuring a consistently optimal collective performance from your fleet. -Life is, after all, a highway.
Baltimore Freightliner-Western Star for All Your Trucking Needs!
Whether you are looking to upgrade your fleet to tow trucks or are simply interested in the latest trucking technology, you can rely on Baltimore Freightliner-Western Star. We have provided top-notch service for the trucking industry for 30 years and would love to assist you in buying a new top-of-the-line truck, finding the specialty parts you need, or repairing your truck. Give us a call toll-free at 800-832-7278 or locally at 410-685-4474, or contact us online. To find out more about what we are up to, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Tags: tips, truck safety, trucking