The following vehicle maintenance guidelines should be followed to help ensure that agency vehicles are properly maintained and safe to operate.
1. Preventive Maintenance
- FASTER is the agency’s fleet maintenance and reporting system. The preventative maintenance schedules established in the FASTER fleet system represents the minimum standards to reduce moisture buildup and premature wear. Employees assigned responsibilities for vehicle maintenance should ensure these schedules are followed. If manufacturer specifications require more stringent maintenance or if conditions merit, maintenance may be required more frequently.
- Have tires rotated at the same time as oil changes.
- Operate and work vehicles and equipment on a regular basis. Vehicles should be operated a minimum of 50 miles/month. Dozers should be operated a minimum of 1 hour/week. Pony motors and pumps should be operated a minimum of 15 minutes/week.
- Refill fuel tanks to ensure readiness for use.
- Don’t purchase/maintain more than 6-month supply of diesel exhaust fluid.
- Periodically use diesel fuel additives, especially for vehicles that may sit a while between uses.
2. Vehicle Inspections
- Vehicle operators should conduct a pre-trip walk around using the Pre-Trip Walk Around guide when:
- driving a pool vehicle;
- driving a vehicle that hasn’t been driven in a while; or
- pulling a trailer.
- The assigned employee must conduct a monthly inspection using the Basic Vehicle Inspection Form for sedans, SUVs and pickups, and attach it to the Vehicle/Fuel Card Log. All other vehicles should use the Detailed Vehicle Inspection Form. When on emergency response assignments, the Detailed Vehicle Inspection Form should be used for all vehicles.
- All monthly inspection reports must be entered into FASTER per the FASTER vehicle operators’ instructions as they are completed.
- All vehicles should receive a thorough multipoint inspection by an agency mechanic or manufacturer certified mechanic (at nearest dealership) annually.