Our ATIS system starts filling your tires the moment you hook up to the trailer, which can also help you on the side of the road during a roadside inspection. Some systems require you to be moving and drive for hours on a compromised tire to activate their system.
Kevin Linger from Fleet Equipment learned this and more at our annual Fleet Technology Event in San Antonio last week. His article is below and here.
Kerri Wirachowsky, director of inspection programs for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), gave a presentation during a recent Pressure Systems International (P.S.I.) fleet technology event in San Antonio, Texas, which focused on the impacts that fleets using new technologies can have on CVSA out-of-service (OOS) criteria.
“CVSA aims to make state and federal regulations make sense. We want to ensure that the 37 point inspection drivers undergo is the same no matter where in North America you get inspected,” said Wirachowsky. She explained that the guidelines in the CVSA OOS Criteria Manual stem from fleets who submit an issue or request for action when they notice something is amiss. Here’s the example she gave, which was submitted by Jim Sharkey, president of P.S.I.
Trust the process
Sharkey submitted a request for action, noting that trucks were being placed OOS due to audible air leaks in tires, despite being equipped with trailer Automatic Tire Inflation Systems (ATIS). In the report for this entry, you can see the evidence presented shows that for many smaller leaks; even though inspectors can hear air rushing out, an active ATIS system can keep up and ensure the tire stays inflated to a usable pressure.
The request was reviewed by Wirachowsky, and then sent to an appropriate CVSA committee. From here, she said the process can slow down, with some proposals taking months or even years to completely iron out. The committee has to thoroughly review the submissions, technology, evidence and legislation before moving on, and Wirachowsky said this process can be lengthy for many reasons, including:
The depth and complexity of regulations being looked at;
Differences needed due to legislation in any states/provinces that don’t match federal regulations;
How the the criteria should be worded so inspectors, drivers and fleet managers across North America interpret the same way; and
Ensuring that the language doesn’t leave room for loopholes.
Now for the hard part. After this is settled, the committee takes their findings to the CVSA board of directors. “The board then reviews your hard work and has final say of whether or not it gets approved or denied—which I’ve seen happen,” said Wirachowsky.
In this case, the hard work paid off, and the board approved the criteria for CVSA guides and sent issued in an inspection bulletin. The results of this particular request from P.S.I. allowed ATIS-equipped trailers with a small leak to continue operation without a violation. In his or her report, the inspector may make a note of the leak and that the driver was informed, but a truck should not be placed OOS. However, it would be a violation if the tire is already at 50% or less of the maximum PSI, or if the leak is on a tire on the front steering axle(s).
The importance of education
As our readers know, the CVSA doesn’t just cover ATIS and TPMS technology. Wirachowsky noted that from headlamps to tail lights, power-take off to powertrain, almost every system on a truck comes with regulations to keep roads safe. That’s a lot of information to keep up with, and the Alliance is working to help. CVSA keeps criteria in its online database, and Wirachosky advised drivers to download relevant inspection bulletins before an inspection is carried out, as the inspector may not be up to date on the latest updates.
For the benefit of fleet managers and owner-operators, CVSA has a host of bite-sized videos going over individual aspects of OOS criteria. Wirachowsky said she’s been told by customers that short format content is easy to digest and well-received by drivers, who can now see these codes demonstrated in a practical application.
Additionally, for those looking to go above and beyond, Wirachowsky said CVSA offers roadside inspection courses, where attendees can learn the same course material as inspectors. The only difference is that attendees won’t be carrying out the 32 roadside inspections necessary to get a certification, but all of the knowledge can give drivers the upper hand in avoiding unplanned downtime.
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