If there is an inconsistency coming from two different departments , then those two vehicles should be checked on the field to be sure that there is no service bulletin , campaign or recall guide .
Who is responsible for initiating a campaign ?
David Mailhot : Anything can drive or initiate a campaign . A failed parts report , an increase in failed components returned under warranty , complaints , or requests from customers are all considered triggers . Once the data is correlated and evaluated , there are varying levels of campaigns . We have a service information letter , like a product improvement , where we see that if you add a certain component then you might increase the vehicle ’ s lifespan . Then we have internal procedures which are what our field staff and service centers use to take care of certain issues . We also have Fleet Campaign Programs or non-safety related campaigns , as well as NHTSA campaigns .
How does the initiation of recall differ from that of a campaign ?
Michael Anstead : Typically , recalls are initiated from the manufacturer . They may notice a product issue that is related to safety or the environment and take it upon themselves to come up with and fill out the form that is required by NHTSA to initiate the campaign . They provide NHTSA with the necessary information regarding the complaint , what they intend to do with the complaint , and expected start date . From there we will report back to NHTSA , informing them that they have been completed every quarter , and the number of vehicles that have been completed . That can last up to two years . Customers can also file a complaint with NHTSA , and NHTSA would end up taking that back to the manufacturer and discussing it with the manufacturer , requesting information pertaining to the failures . Subsequently the manufacturer will then comply and supply NHTSA with that information , whether it is good , bad , or indifferent , as to what their findings are .
As an operator , how are you notified that you have vehicles in a campaign or in a recall ?
Ben Kopp : As a first step , the manufacturer is legally required to notify us of a NHTSA campaign . They will then send an official letter . We normally receive an email before the letter , with the affected bus list , and the manufacturer ’ s plan of action . From that point we load all the information by vehicle number into our maintenance software and automatically open work orders for every single one of those vehicles . We load the procedure in with the work orders as warranty procedures , so that we know we must follow up with the manufacturer to verify completion with proof of install . As we close work orders , we receive completion data and match it to the manufacturer specifications . We audit ourselves monthly based on that information . Being such a large company , we move our fleet around frequently . With this process it is much easier to track which buses have had work done .
If I sell or buy a new bus , how can I be sure that I am going to get notified when a campaign or recall occurs ?
Anstead : If we have the registration of the vehicle that the customer has purchased , that customer will be notified . We have gone out and pulled some of our customers that have several vehicles
28 | BUSRIDE . COM | AUG / SEPT 2021