How VMRS works in modern fleet maintenance

Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards (VMRS) codes cover everything from repair information to parts and component categorization, serving to standardize and simplify the massive amounts of data commercial vehicle repair shops deal with on a daily basis.

Developed 55 years ago by American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council, the routinely updated tool was created to help fleets operating in multiple locations and regions filter data more effectively.

Jack Poster, VMRS services manager at TMC, describes it as “a universal language” that allows you to track the components, assemblies, and systems affected by a repair.

“It also helps with benchmarking and comparing,” Poster said. “If [a fleet] has one shop in Pittsburgh and another shop in Cincinnati, it’s a level playing field, and they can compare the technicians’ productivity, the reliability of the parts they were using, cost differences, and how things were working as far as buying from one manufacturer to another.”

But how is VMRS currently being used and what benefits are being realized? We asked around at TMCSuperTech this past September to find out. Of about 30 technicians we spoke with, only a handful were familiar with the tool and used it daily.

This might seem like many fleets are missing out on a good thing or that VMRS isn’t as helpful as TMC says. But Poster believes there is another reason: the seamless integration of VMRS into maintenance systems in recent years.

Technicians aren’t always aware of the tool’s existence because “if they are using a fleet maintenance software in their shop, nine times out of 10, they are using VMRS and don’t even realize it because it’s built into the system,” Poster explained.

Our experience is that technicians like to tear things apart and see how they work, so in that spirit, let’s unravel the mysteries of VMRS.

Efficiency decoded

How VMRS works is fairly straightforward once you understand the basics.

“When creating the work order for whatever job needs to be performed depending on the complaint or the defect, we title the work order, and then in the operations, we’ll use a VMRS code to designate what repairs need to be done,” explained Kevin DaCosta, lead fleet technician at Publix Supermarkets. “In the case of a tire that needs to be changed, we use VMRS code 17 for tires, and then as we’re performing the repair, we actually log on to that VMRS code to perform the repair.”

While DaCosta was able to pull the correct code on the spot, this level of familiarity with the system isn’t always necessary. The gradual integration of VMRS with software already used in the shop has eliminated a major aspect of the learning curve with the tool, in that technicians won’t need to keep track of the codes by memory.

“We’ve been using VMRS codes for several years and last year were able to integrate them into our new point-of-sale system,” said Chuck Ralston, senior manager of Truck Care Academy and mechanical services at Love’s. This makes it “quick and easy to find the proper repair service for that specific truck. When selecting a repair service in our point-of-sale system, it auto assigns the correct VMRS code.”

Jessica McAllister, lead technician at Hogan Truck Leasing, also pointed out this ease of use with a similar process at her shop.

“Our work order lines are based on VMRS, however, our system is set up so that you don’t have to know the VMRS code,” she said. “When adding a line, we can either type in the component code if we know it, or we can just search by keyword. We then pick the work accomplished code such as ‘adjust’ or ‘replace,’ and then the line is generated to the work order.”

This means that instead of spending time memorizing codes for certain repairs or components, technicians can focus on the actual job at hand while the categorization remains almost an afterthought.

And the time and efficiency benefits from this process speak for themselves.

“Before I came to Publix, I worked for an independent company, and we didn’t use any VMRS codes,” DaCosta explained. “There was no standardization on what processes were being used for any individual repair, so using the VMRS codes and having a standard has made it much more efficient.”

With these codes, when he comes into the shop and is faced with an unfamiliar repair, DaCosta can quickly pull up a history of the vehicle or specific issue and have a starting point.

Tips for implementation

When it comes to implementing VMRS in the shop, if it isn’t already being used in the chosen diagnostic or fleet maintenance software, there are a few things to keep in mind.

The first step is training, as it can take some instruction and practice just like any other skill. As Poster pointed out, much of the system is self-explanatory and doesn’t require the memorization of codes when used with much of the software available on the market today.

“Over the past couple of years, the fleet maintenance software firms have really made it almost invisible to the user,” Poster said. “Most of the software systems, if you start typing in ‘B, R, A, K,’ by that time, you’re going to get the VMRS codes [for brakes] pulled right up. It’s seamless.”

In addition, Poster addressed the changing demographics of the incoming workforce. “I’m finding the younger techs coming in are so savvy when it comes to technology and these kinds of things that it’s almost second nature to them,” he noted.

Hogan’s McAllister said that she had a brief training period with provided charts to reference and that there was a bit of a learning curve but agreed that memorization wasn’t an issue.

“My supervisor initially showed me a chart of VMRS component codes that we have in our parts room to reference if we need help locating parts. I didn’t quite understand the concept at first, but I slowly learned more as I went,” she said. “Since we don’t have to input the codes themselves, I still don’t have very many at all memorized.”

TMC publishes a VMRS Implementation Handbook that covers the ins and outs of the system, and it also offers training via Zoom or Teams that should get new techs up to speed.

Poster’s main tip for implementation is to ensure that at least one employee at any given shop or fleet is experienced with VMRS and knows to communicate with TMC to ensure that everything stays up to date.

“I recommend that fleets use something I call a VMRS liaison,” he suggested. “You should have one person that’s a little more versed and works with TMC in getting the training and what’s new with VMRS out to the [shop].”

The bottom line is that it’s just like any other skill, and taking the time to get it down is an investment of sorts that will only save time in the long run.

“Don’t be afraid of it. It’s best to reach out to me or someone else in another fleet that might be using it just to get some information, to set the record straight,” Poster offered. “We’re willing to do training, it’s very easy, [it takes] an hour of their time, and it makes life a lot easier in that regard.

“I tell technicians, if you can do a rebuild of a transmission or an engine, you could certainly master VMRS,” Poster asserted.

Myth-busting

Poster explained that he serves as a sort of myth buster, clarifying misconceptions that technicians may have about the system and the difficulty of picking it up.

“A lot of people think it’s software; they’re not familiar with it,” he said. “They think, ‘My God, it’s like learning a foreign language.’ But there’s always an ‘aha’ moment after a little bit of time, where people get in to the logic of how it’s made and how it works.”

But while there are plenty of misconceptions regarding the tool, the system isn’t perfect, either.
DaCosta discussed one challenge with VMRS is that some repairs are a bit too niche or not so easily defined and categorized, making them harder to consistently locate in the system. For example, a mud flap repair might be too generalized compared to something like a brake or tire, which is “easily distinguished as far as what VMRS code needs to be used and how the process needs to be followed.”

This can leave the proper categorization of the repair up to the discretion of the technician performing it, which could make the recorded repair history difficult to locate for the next technician with the same issue.

McAllister had a similar take, noting that she was sometimes unable to find an accurate code for the situation at hand.

“The main issue that comes up for me is that it is not always as specific as I would like for it to be, so I sometimes have to pick the next closest thing,” she explained, “which may not actually be that close at all.”

Future-proofing

Luckily, as Poster explained, VMRS is not a static tool.

“VMRS is always changing. It’s always adapting,” he said. “Right now, we’re entering in EV codes. We’re constantly adding codes into the database, so it’s an ongoing process.”

This is especially important as the commercial vehicle repair industry is evolving at an exponential rate, with new vehicle technologies and repair methods being introduced more frequently than ever before.

Poster has previously described the tool as “the conduit that keeps the information moving in the right direction with precision and clarity,” and that remains true today.

With constant updates and additional codes being added, VMRS will continue to be a valuable asset for technicians in the shop, even as the sector around it changes.

Celine Young, a mobile technician with Peterbilt, can attest to this. She’s been a user of VMRS since the start of her career on the automotive side, where she studied code and categorization sheets as a junior in high school.

“I’ve seen the improvement from when I started to where we’re at now 11 years later. I have seen a lot more information being put into these codes,” she said, “and I can’t wait to see where we’re at an additional 11 years down the road.”