TMC Releases Updated Manuals for Technicians
“By following each manual’s quality PMI program, fleets are provided a road map to follow for maximum return on assets and optimal component life of major vehicle systems,” said Carl Kirk, TMC executive director and an ATA vice president.
The Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations says it’s releasing updates for three maintenance manuals to help train technicians in conducting timely, thorough and efficient preventive maintenance inspections.
Updated under the guidance of TMC’s Educators Committee, the manuals are written specifically for technicians, with inspection checkpoints, work accomplished documentation, management approval and installation of the preventive maintenance inspection label after the vehicle passes U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines.
The three manuals are Preventive Maintenance Inspection Guidelines for Class 7 & 8 Diesel-Powered Tractors; Preventive Maintenance Inspection Guidelines for Trailers & Material Handling Equipment; and Preventive Maintenance Inspection Guidelines for Light- & Medium-Duty Vehicles.
“These latest PMI Guidelines cover critical areas for fleet operators to be able to prevent costly vehicle breakdowns,” said Carl Kirk, TMC's executive director and vice president of maintenance, information technology & logistics for ATA. “By following each manual’s quality PMI program, fleets are provided a road map to follow for maximum return on assets and optimal component life of major vehicle systems.”
The updated PMI Guidelines, researched and tested by TMC-member companies, provide procedures and guidance for following the Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (better known as BASICs) of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) program. The guidelines assign more than 120 checkpoints while referencing TMC recommended practices.
The manuals guide technicians toward compliance with CSA standards and help them participate in TMC's SuperTech competition, held during the group's fall meeting. Photo: Tom Berg
In addition, the updated PMI Guidelines follow the testing protocols established by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence as well as PMI station objectives for the group’s National Technician Skills Competition, called TMC SuperTech. Competition is next month during TMC's fall meeting in Raleigh, N.C.
More information about the PMI Guidelines is available from Ross Froat at (703) 838-7980 or rfroat@trucking.org. For purchasing PMI Guidelines at large order discounts, contact ATA’s Market Place at (866) 821-3468, or purchase online at http://www.atabusinesssolutions.com.
More information about TMC, its 2016 Fall Meeting and National Technician Skills Competitions is online at http://tmc.trucking.org.
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