The tie-in between maintenance and drivers cannot be overstated. Vehicle uptime directly relates to the quality of vehicle service and maintenance performed, and directly impacts drivers operating a commercial vehicle. In other words, if a vehicle is in the shop it’s not on the road.
In general, it’s important to establish and continually assess training methods to ensure drivers understand the various aspects of the vehicle, and how to conduct thorough inspections of the vehicle in order to report issues. In particular, there are some key areas of the vehicle drivers should be reviewing during these inspections.
Along with the common issues most fleets face, advancements in vehicle technology have introduced new challenges to driver training and understanding the requirements of vehicle operation and service.
Approaches to driver training
Training isn’t a one-and-done deal. In order to continually improve operations, it is critical to provide a thorough onboarding process that covers proper procedures of the company, as well as ongoing training for drivers.
Training for new drivers should involve a general overview of the equipment, details on vehicle systems and an introduction to the maintenance and service processes of the company.
“Maintenance is always one of the key components of driver training, to keep drivers aware of potential issues that may arise or trends that the [Old Dominion] maintenance team is seeing during truck service,” says Bob Christie, director of safety and driver training, Old Dominion Freight Line.
Old Dominion Freight Line provides regional, inter-regional and national less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping services. Headquartered in Thomasville, North Carolina, Old Dominion has 9,000 drivers and a service network that includes 235 service centers with 40 maintenance shops, employing more than 600 technicians who maintain more than 45,500 assets.
In addition to new driver training, Tom DiSalvi, vice president of safety and loss prevention for Schneider National, says his organization conducts what the company calls “sustainment training events.” Four of these annual training events are computer-based modules for drivers.
Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Schneider National is a transportation and logistics service provider. The company employs more than 15,000 drivers, with an in-house team of more than 700 maintenance personnel.
“These are modules made just in advance of the quarter with information we want to share with the drivers, what’s important to them, and maintenance is always a component of that,” says DiSalvi. “Where it’s really a big component is especially heading into the fourth quarter and preparing for winter to make sure we’re checking the equipment, and how to maintain the equipment in cold weather.”
In addition to the online training, DiSalvi says every driver also completes annual one-on-one training with an instructor.
“We go on a ridealong to assess what our drivers and owner-operators are looking at, and making sure they’re actively engaged in looking at blind spots and looking for vehicles, use of mirrors, etc.,” he explains. “And part of that also includes the pre-trip inspection. Even on an annual basis, we’re still evaluating the thoroughness and giving coaching on proper pre-trip inspections.”
Penske Logistics also conducts regular assessments of drivers to ensure proper vehicle operation and inspections. “We have reinforcements of what ‘right’ looks like through associate observations,” Jason Herr, vice president of safety at Penske Logistics, explains. “We observe 15 percent of our associates each month, that breaks down by location. If you have 100 associates at a location, you’re doing 15 per month. We observe those associates, and we inspect what we expect to see.”
Penske Logistics provides supply chain management and logistics services through transporting, warehousing and distribution, and freight brokerage. The organization employs more than 5,000 drivers.
Like many operations, Penske Logistics takes a multi-platform approach to teaching drivers, with classroom, video and hands-on training.
“Teach me and I might remember, but show me and I get my hands on it, I’m bound to remember that and apply that,” says Herr. “We try to integrate that to have the three-pronged approach of the classroom, hands-on and some video, particularly around the pre-trip. We’ll do an overview in the classroom during our driver training. Then we get the driver group or a single driver out and walk through some pertinent issues of a pre-trip with them.”
When it comes to developing and refining a training curriculum, there are a number of training options available to fleets. Most create their own training curriculum, built with in-house resources as well as educational organizations such as J.J. Keller & Associates.
Penske Logistics also trains every driver with the Smith System, a training program focused on defensive driver operation. “The Smith System teaches about space, visibility and time, and that helps us back off the vehicle in front and ultimately use less brakes,” says Herr.
“We are constantly evaluating the driver training process,” says Chris Warren, vice president of operations for Griffin Paint Striping. “One-on-one training with DVIRs (driver vehicle inspection reports), over-the-road mentoring and vocational vehicle training are a must due to the nature of the vehicles’ unique size, complexity and value.”
Columbus, Ohio-based Griffin Paint Striping provides pavement marking services, manages a fleet of 45 vehicles, ranging from Class 8 trucks to half-ton pickups, along with more than 100 pieces of equipment such as trailers, compressed air systems and hydraulic powerplants.
Due to the nature of the Griffin Paint Striping operation and different vehicles within the fleet, drivers are evaluated on their skill and comfort with different vehicles, ranging from pick-ups to medium duty, and then heavy duty equipment.
“After several seasons learning our trade, drivers can be introduced to Class 7 and 8 vehicles that are used during the striping processes,” says Warren. “Our foremen and operations manager instruct and evaluate each driver’s performance.”
Reference materials play a large role in helping drivers understand the vehicle as well. Schneider provides a number of manuals, including the Schneider Training Academy Study Guide and a comprehensive training manual called Your Highway to Success.
“This is a booklet that has full-page pictures of the engine, a wheel, a tire, of various components of the truck, and then it has the components within those pictures identified and labeled so that our new drivers can see what the components are and what they should be looking for, where some of the issues might be as they’re going through this pre-trip inspection process,” DiSalvi says of the study guide.
The comprehensive training manual includes numerous chapters for vehicle operation and maintenance, including full chapters on pre-trip, equipment and emergency maintenance, and air brakes operation.
In addition, Schneider also designs and updates an annual winter guide for drivers.
“It talks about updated chain laws in various states, it talks about how to protect the equipment when it’s cold. What to do if the truck won’t start in the cold. It provides maintenance tips for our drivers on how to contend with weather,” DiSalvi explains.
Improvements to inspections
“Drivers are our first line of defense in making sure that the smaller issues in a truck don’t become larger issues,” explains Jeffrey Kiel, a professional truck driving instructor for Waukesha County Technical College. “If we can catch those issues at the beginning of the day, we can ensure that our driving throughout that day will not become a major issue, and possibly cause an accident.”
A member of the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS), the Waukesha County Technical College professional truck driver training program offers students a comprehensive curriculum to earn a Class A commercial driver’s license.
It is not enough to encourage pre-trip inspections. It is important that fleets provide a clear and thorough process for drivers to complete them.
A maintenance department can provide insights and guidance on the areas of the vehicle that should be inspected during every pre- and post-trip inspection. With a standardized checklist or sheet that drivers can reference, this ensures all areas of the vehicle are reviewed on a regular basis.
“We start [drivers] on the first day with what’s referred to as a Schneider quick reference card, which covers pre-trip, en route, post-trip and TIV, or trailer integrity verification,” DiSalvi explains. “By handing that to them, they then have that for the duration of their career.”
A pre-trip inspection should consist of a thorough review under the hood, including fluid checks on engine oil, coolant, power steering fluid and windshield washer fluid. Drivers should also be looking for any loose, frayed or corroded wiring and hoses, and any loose nuts or bolts for all components. Anything “shiny” (e.g. a bolt broken away exposing clean metal) may indicate there was a recent change in the structure of a component. In addition, drivers should complete a full review of the wheels and tires, coupling components – including the air lines – and a light check. In the cab, they should be conducting an air brake test and confirming all gauges and systems are operating correctly on the vehicle.
In reference to what DiSalvi calls the TIV, U.S. Customs and Border Protection security program called Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) provides a truck and trailer conveyance inspection process for drivers. This inspection process is designed as a security measure to ensure the integrity of a vehicle – in particular, a trailer that might be picked up from a yard – to mitigate in the introduction of unauthorized materials into the U.S.
“It’s a 17-point checklist where you should be looking for anything that [might look] suspicious. Is there a structural change to your truck? Has something been added to your truck? Has the seal on your trailer been compromised? It’s an enhancement to the inspections that are already taking place,” he explains.
This type of inspection may also be incorporated into a fleet’s driver inspection guidelines.
While a checklist can provide guidance to drivers, fleets should also promote company buy-in to encourage inspections are completed on a regular basis.
A lot of times you’ll find that the more the company believes it’s important, the more that driver will feel it’s important,” explains Kiel.
He suggests two key areas that can help ensure pre-trip inspections are completed by drivers:
- The driver should be compensated accordingly for conducting a pre-trip inspection. “It’s extremely important the driver doesn’t feel they’re losing money when they do a pre-trip inspection,” Kiel says.
- “The driver has to feel that what they’re doing with that pre-trip is a part of the overall goal of not just the industry, but that company itself,” he adds.
DiSalvi stresses the importance of training drivers from the beginning of their tenure at an organization on how to conduct a pre-trip inspection. That begins with a hands-on review of the truck during every day of new driver training.
For new drivers, DiSalvi says Schneider puts a great emphasis on educating drivers on the vehicle inspection process. “We have a demonstration of the inspection, where the instructor will go through every facet of the pre-trip inspection with the group. Then, as they go out to their truck each day during the course of their training, we have them conduct the pre-trip inspection. They can use the quick reference guide if they would like to. But we get them into the habit of knowing what they should be checking for, what’s the rotation, what’s the routine, so they get comfortable with what should be expected each time they’re conducting that pre-trip.”
When it comes to post-trip inspections, also consider a standardized checklist. Due to the customized nature of vehicles in Griffin Paint Striping’s fleet, Warren says the company has a tailored DVIR form and process. This DVIR is tied in with the company’s daily tool inspection report (DTIR) utilized by the shop foreman for services assigned that day.
“Each inspection category is clearly defined with detailed areas to review,” Warren explains. “This allows us to cover DOT requirements in addition to inspecting items unique to each piece of equipment, as well as insuring the functionality of the warning systems critical to the safety of our personnel and the traveling public. We place emphasis on working lights, strobes, signage, and the directional arrow boards utilized in daily operations.”
To ensure inspections are completed accurately and thoroughly, Warren says the company has an employee incentive program with goals for each driver to attain during inspections. “Thorough and accurate inspections are rewarded with annual bonuses,” he says. In addition, he says the company also incentivizes driver performance.
John Miller, fleet maintenance manager, JX Enterprises, agrees that pre- and post-trip inspection reports are a good tool for communicating between drivers and the service department.
JX Enterprises operates 23 full-service truck dealership and support services in the Midwest, specializing in the sale, leasing and service of Paccar equipment, including Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks.
One challenge Miller says has been more difficult with the implementation of ELDs is access to pre-trip and post-trip records from different customers. Because only the fleet has access, and must grant access to an outside source to review this information, it has proved difficult to gather this information for use from a service perspective.
“Pre-trip and post-trip inspections used to be very standardized,” he says. “There’s still certain criteria that has to be met with those inspections, but now there’s so many different service providers with the ELDs, that each one has their own version of how that looks, how that takes place, who sees it, who doesn’t. Everything is electronic. Nobody writes in a logbook anymore.”
Adding to that, there is no completed checklist when it comes to pre- and post-trip inspections for a third-party service department.
“Technically the law has changed a little bit where if there isn’t anything wrong with your truck, it doesn’t have to be documented. You don’t have to go through your checklist and check everything off. You just have to note that the inspection took place and there were no defects found,” Miller adds.
Added challenges with certain vehicle systems
When it comes to inspections, brakes, lights and tires are the primary concerns for over-the-road fleets. This aligns with compliance, safety, accountability (CSA) scores for roadside and weigh station violations during safety inspections by state troopers.
“Those always seem to be the big items, particularly at the scales and the inspections,” says Schneider’s DiSalvi. “Those are the items we really put a lot of emphasis on both with our sustainment training events, and during these annual training events.”
Herr confirms Penske Logistics also reviews information from these roadside incidents through analysis of the organization’s CSA scores, to address concerns during follow-up training for drivers.
“We mine the data from our roadside inspections to identify areas where we may have gaps in our training,” he explains.
Herr says the data can be used to address the three areas of focus for Penske Logistics: training, communication and continued improvement. He points to a recent spike with brake system violations, determined by the data. As part of the communication on these violations, Penske Logistics initiated a safety alert sent out to team leaders at all locations. The team leader is responsible for conveying this information to drivers and maintenance personnel.
“We distribute a safety alert to our team about those top violations and what can be done to prevent them,” Herr explains. “In particular, we had a rash of violations around brake tubing and hoses. We educated our team [by stressing] that the air lines shouldn’t be on the cat walk, and the air lines shouldn’t be exhibiting any chafing, they should be protected at all times.”
Every Penske Logistics location provides these alerts on a visible board to drivers as well, to advise the same concerns the technicians are handling. “Every site leader gets an email, and they become familiar with it, they acknowledge it, then they post it on the driver communications board.”
Relating back to a customized checklist for pre-trips and DVIRs, Griffin Paint Striping’s Warren provides one example that is a particular challenge. As a specialized fleet of vocational vehicles, Warren advises the cooling system requires extra attention during inspections. This is because the trucks require heat exchangers to keep the various systems from overheating on the vehicle. The compact nature of cab-over vehicles, coupled with proper weight distribution, expound the challenges drivers face with locating and inspecting these systems, not to mention access when servicing these systems.
“With all of the additional equipment mounted to the vehicles, drivers struggle to keep heat exchangers clean,” Warren explains. “For example, one of our vehicles has 10 radiators shared by three separate powerplants located below, above and in-frame. When you consider that the vehicles are being used in multiple shifts in dusty construction zones, encounter heat soak from the low speeds and high operating rpm, and even contend with overspray from the products used during application, we struggle to keep everything clean and cool. This is especially true in the summer months or during cottonwood season. Visual inspections performed by the drivers and operators don’t always indicate restrictions and the problem gets progressively worse.”
For vocational fleets, dependent on application, additional challenges may include increased idle times and communicating with drivers about the additional equipment that should be monitored on the vehicle.
“Many of our vehicles have PTO units that are utilized for heating and mixing of the different products that are specified for specific projects,” Warren explains. “Striping vehicles are routinely running for 10 or more hours per shift and idling for eight of those hours. Combine this with relatively low application speeds [between 3 mph and 15 mph depending on the product] and you can have issues with the EGR, DPF and SCR systems on the chassis.”
JX’s Miller echoes this with an example he found from a customer who had questions regarding the frequency of DPF regenerations for a municipal fleet with vehicles that idle often.
“They don’t do a ton of miles. The truck idles all day, every day,” Miller explains. “They were inquisitive on what should they do or how often should be doing regens. We actually looked into that a little bit. They were in pretty good shape, but they weren’t sure if they should be initiating these regens daily, weekly. They had no idea.” He confirmed with the customer that the truck will indicate when a regen is needed, and the truck will prompt the driver to complete the regen.
“From the service perspective, we can handle that a little bit more when they bring the truck in for maintenance,” Miller adds. “We could see how many regens they’ve done, how much fuel they’ve used, the idle percentage, and that’ll give us a little better idea of where they’re at with that truck. We don’t need to burden them with trying to figure that stuff out. That’s not their bread and butter, that’s our job.”
Seasonal work can also present challenges to some fleets. Griffin Paint Striping has a period during the year where drivers are laid off. Warren confirms this can make it more difficult to communicate issues with drivers, and get them back up to speed after being away for extended period of time.
Chris Potts, director of mobile maintenance, TA Truck Service, recommends drivers keep a running list of items that may require additional attention, but may not be urgent. This is especially true for issues that do not throw a code such as drivability concerns, abnormal road noises or minor leaks. Many of these concerns may be brought up during the preventive maintenance (PM), instead of scheduling unplanned service.
TA Truck Service provides a national network of 245 service locations for commercial vehicles, staffed with nearly 3,000 ASE and TIA certified technicians. TA Truck Service also offers an extensive roadside assistance network, called RoadSquad, as well as its OnSITE mobile maintenance network.
Providing drivers an understanding of the different fluids is another example of driver training integral to optimal maintenance. Potts sites the difference between engine oil versus coolant inspection as an example.
“Adding oil during a tour is normal,” Potts says. “If a driver notices that the amount of oil they are adding seems excessive, [he or she] should report it when the truck is dropped off for a PM. This way, technicians can look for leaks and perform pressure tests, which may lead to identifying a large issue before it becomes a real problem.”
Conversely, while incremental loss of engine oil is expected, engine coolant is not.
“Engines don't burn coolant,” Potts adds. “If a driver is adding coolant each time they are adding oil, they should look under the truck for any noticeable leaks. If none are seen, then the leak is internal. Internal coolant leaking is a serious issue that may lead to a de-rate or worse.”
Addressing increased vehicle complexity
A major challenge for many fleets has been teaching drivers about new vehicle technologies.
“As newer trucks and engines increase in complexity, it has become more challenging for the driver to get a total understanding of the vehicle,” says Tom Newby, vice president of equipment and maintenance, Old Dominion Freight Line.
When it comes to vehicle complexity, JX’s Miller encourages the service department to be part of the delivery for new fleet vehicles. This added step gives drivers a more in-depth understanding of that piece of equipment.
“We try and put somebody with a service-oriented mind in front of the customer at [the time of the vehicle delivery],” says Miller. “From a service perspective, it’s nice to be able to explain “Okay, that switch on the dash does this,” or “What’s actually happening to the truck when I hit that switch?” or “What should I do and what shouldn’t I do when this happens?”
While vehicles have become more complex, the ease of accessing some of that information has improved. It’s just a matter of understanding how, says Miller.
“The dashes in the new trucks nowadays are just as good, if not better than, the electronic dashes in the [center consoles] of your cars,” Miller says. “They’ll tell you what’s going on with the truck. They’ll explain all of that stuff to you.” He adds that the best way to understand how to access this information may seem obvious: refer to the truck’s manual to navigate the dash.
Miller stresses the importance of having service personnel, who are likely more familiar with the truck, walk drivers through this process of navigating the dash step-by-step. Giving drivers and fleets the knowledge of how to access this information allows for more efficient service when that vehicle will enter the shop in the future.
“When you call here with a problem, we’re going to start asking you questions,” Miller explains. “The more of those questions you can answer with accurate information, the better it’s going to be for both of us.”
TA Truck Service also works with a number of drivers, which can present challenges on standardizing service.
“We find that drivers can lack understanding when it comes to interfacing with truck technology such as telematics and sensors, and identifying which trouble codes require immediate action,” Potts explains.
It is important to note that dash indicator lights should not be ignored. The notification indicates some kind of action should be taken, but it’s up to the driver to relay this information to the service provider.
“Don't ignore ‘check engine’ lights,” Potts stresses. “Engine control modules can throw ‘nuisance’ codes, but a simple phone call can help determine the severity of the code. Not all codes require a driver to shut down and check into a service facility, but some do. Following fleet directives can help the driver to determine if a stop is necessary.”
Schneider’s DiSalvi echoes these concerns, confirming that with the latest vehicle technologies it can be more challenging for drivers to determine the severity of the issue and how to prioritize the need for service.
“The truck has become so technical – in a good way – but the number of alerts a driver gets when they’re behind the wheel [has increased],” says DiSalvi. “It alerts them when there’s something that needs to be checked, but it doesn’t always tell them the timing on which it needs to be taken care of. So, we want to make sure that when a driver gets an alert, does that alert mean ‘stop immediately?’ Very rarely should it mean ‘Stop immediately.’”
“How can we better inform our drivers what the nature of the problem is, and whether you can wait until your next preventive maintenance scheduled time, or whether you need to make an appointment to get into a shop, or whether you need to get off the road right away?” he adds.
To address this challenge, fleets like Schneider are working with OEs to convey these concerns and work toward a solution to clearly notify drivers of an issue, and help them determine the level of severity of the issue. “The technology is good, but a little more clarity will help us in the long-run as an industry,” DiSalvi says.
As technology advancements continue, remote diagnostics and over-the-air vehicle updates will play an ever-increasing role in assisting with vehicle assessment as well.
“There’s remote diagnostics now, and that is so nice to be able to look at that stuff and talk to a driver,” Miller says. “When a driver calls and says ‘My check engine light’s on,’ and 30 seconds later you can tell them what the code is, why it popped up, and when it popped up. That’s a crucial part of communication.”
Communicating with other departments
A separate safety and training department can provide guidelines for educating drivers on the importance of inspections and sharing vehicle information. This is especially true for drivers when communicating with the service department.
PMs are critical for mitigating issues, but fleets must also rely on the driver to provide real-time feedback of seemingly smaller issues before they become large problems.
“Professional drivers cannot assume that their fleet knows what is going on inside their truck,” TA Truck Service’s Potts says. “While fleets can see engine codes through telematics programs, the codes might not identify the root cause and many items aren't linked to a sensor. If something seems odd or out of the norm, always say something.”
“Constant communication between issues that the maintenance department is seeing and what the safety team communicates during regular driver training is critical to maintaining a fleet,” says Old Dominion’s Newby.
Fleets who manage service in-house can more readily create a standardized process for communication between drivers and the service department.
“Approximately 70 percent of our maintenance is done in-house in one of our 40 shops located throughout the country. We have strategically included our shops on the property of our service centers, therefore a conversation between drivers and technicians is natural,” Old Dominion’s Christie adds.
Schneider also conducts the bulk of their service and repairs in-house, with an extensive maintenance network that includes 26 service shops, 16 additional service sites and more than 40 on-call mobile service vehicles around the country. During the driver training process, instructors will coordinate meetings with the maintenance team in order to provide insights on the service and maintenance process.
“Even during a new driver’s training and orientation, every group hears directly from the maintenance personnel,” says Schneider’s DiSalvi. “They’ll spend between 45 minutes and an hour with the class or group of new drivers to talk to them about maintenance, about their truck, about the assistance that can be provided, how they can contact them, what they should be doing. We do try to have a lot of that maintenance-to-driver contact.”
This open line of communication with drivers can aid in limiting roadside breakdowns, because small issues can be discussed with the maintenance team before they become critical unplanned events.
Griffin Paint Striping’s approach to communication between departments allows drivers, and all other personnel, full access to the maintenance team. “Due to our shortened work season, drivers have complete access to our maintenance personnel 24 hours a day,” Warren says.
The company employs a rigorous approach to vehicle inspection. In addition to the driver completing a daily inspection at the start of the shift, the maintenance team will also conduct a vehicle-to-vehicle inspection to perform an additional visual, audible and tactile survey of the equipment,” Warren explains. “This gives them the chance to inform crews of upcoming maintenance needs while addressing any concerns the drivers may have. We enable any and all personnel to write up vehicle issues they find throughout the course of the day no matter the size or complexity.”
From a leasing perspective, communication becomes more complex since more staff are typically involved with the process. Plus, it’s not always standardized from customer to customer on who is sharing vehicle information when service is needed.
“Oftentimes you have several people involved with the operation and the maintenance of that truck,” JX’s Miller explains. “You may have a fleet manager or dispatcher making an appointment. Or, it could be the owner of the truck. You may have a dispatcher calling in with certain complaints that were relayed to him from a driver. Or, you may have the driver calling in telling you what’s going on with the truck. Or, not telling you what’s wrong with the truck and saying ‘Hey, my boss says I need to get this thing in for service.’”
In order to mitigate miscommunication, Miller says it is always in the best interest of their team to talk with the driver responsible for that vehicle whenever possible. When it comes to drivability issues in particular, he says an advisor or technician from the service department will attempt to coordinate a ridealong with the driver so he or she can point out specific issues on the vehicle.
Once the vehicle is in for service, JX utilizes the Decisiv web-based communication and service tracking tool to communicate with customers and other service personnel the status of vehicle service in real-time.
“If you’ve ever seen in hospitals they have a status board for patients – what room they’re in, did they go in for surgery, status – this is basically the same thing, but for your truck,” Miller explains. “Any time something changes or maybe they brought the truck in for a PM, and we found out it needed a brake job. We can plug that information into this program, and it’ll shoot an email off to the customer. All the information and all of the communication is in one place.”
Also with regards to driver and maintenance personnel interaction, consider having one point person to answer driver questions and assess the vehicle’s need for service. At each service center, Schneider has what DiSalvi refers to as an estimator, or service advisor. This individual is the connection between the driver and the rest of the maintenance team.
“When a driver comes in they can explain to the estimator their issues, so the estimator – who has a wide and deep knowledge of truck maintenance – can understand what it is, and help explain to the driver what the challenge may be, and then decide is that something that’s going to take some time and they’re going to have to drop the truck to be fixed, or can they steer them through the express bay (which is used for smaller or quick repairs),” DiSalvi explains.
DiSalvi adds that this individual is also available for drivers at any time, to answer simple mechanical questions about the truck to help them understand the equipment they’re operating.
Conclusion
Whether it’s implementing or updating training programs for drivers to better incorporate maintenance practices, or improvements to a more standardized inspection process, a thorough review of interactions between drivers and maintenance personnel is key to improving vehicle uptime.
It is important to note, reviewing unplanned maintenance events and keeping up with ever-changing vehicle technologies can also provide insights on how to improve the connection between the driver and the maintenance department.
