Editor’s note: Each quarter, ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council partners with FleetNet America in providing a Vertical Benchmarking Executive Summary. This peer-to-peer benchmarking survey for Truckload, Less-than-load and Tank Industry companies is created to help the industry understand the causes of unscheduled repairs and implement cost-saving maintenance solutions. In our website news section each quarter, Peterson Manufacturing will provide updates on these findings.
Results from the Q1 2021 Vertical Benchmarking Program are in from the partnership between ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) and FleetNet America. The results indicate that the top five systems account for 66% of all unscheduled roadside repairs, with lighting being the 4th most frequent system repair among the three verticals.
With roadside repairs costing up to four times as much as shop repairs, the key for cost savings is to spend on maintenance, not repairs. That’s the goal of the TMC/FleetNet partnership, says Jim Buell of FleetNet.
“Most truck companies in America are having more breakdowns than they should. They are spending more on maintenance than they should. They are having more customer service issues than they should. Data is a wonderful tool these companies can use to quickly pull costs out of their systems,” Buell says.
Based on Q1 findings in the report, Lighting Systems were the 5th most frequently repaired system in the truckload vertical and No. 4 in the LTL and tank verticals.
Understanding the frequency of roadside failures, and how one’s fleet experience compares to similar operations, can help maintenance leaders identify opportunities to improve their operations and reduce their maintenance expense.
Inoperable lights are the #1 violation with corrosion being the #1 reason for lighting system failure. Peterson’s family of corrosion resistant harness and lighting systems help stop corrosion before it starts.
Peterson is working to help the industry address this Lighting System expense, highlighted by the recent introduction of their newest product, the PetersonPATRIOTTM Modular Harness System. With a 5-year warranty against defects and corrosions, PetersonPATRIOT is the best solution for fleets in the following categories:
- Fleets that want advanced corrosion protection and a flexible, modular solution
- Fleets that turn their trailers over every 5-7 years
- Fleets with standard configurations or limited add-on electrical accessories
“With lighting systems being a top cause of both roadside repairs and CSA violations, we’ve designed the PetersonPATRIOT to provide a very strong defense against moisture intrusion and corrosion,” says Jeff Geoffroy, Director of Marketing & Business Development at Peterson. “That minimizes damage to the system and helps reduce costs and expensive trailer downtime.”
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