Vehicle and Equipment Policy & Procedure Manual Effective Date June 1, 2014 Revision 0 May1, 2014
Vehicle and Equipment Policy & Procedure Manual Table of Contents Vehicle and Equipment Policy & Procedure Manual Table of Contents... 2 Statement of Vehicle/Equipment Policy... 3 Section A: Operations in an Interstate Environment... 4 A.1 Local Laws... 4 A.2 Speed Limit... 4 Section B: Maintenance of Vehicles and Equipment... 5 B.1 Responsibility... 5 1. Operation44 2. Preventive Maintenance... 5 3. Reporting of Discrepancies... 5 B.2 Maintenance Procedures Policy...5 1. Routine Maintenance... 5 2. Maintenance by Local Repair Shop... 5 B.3 Condition of Vehicles...6 1. New Vehicles.... 6 B.4 Inspection of Vehicles...6 1. Minimum... 6 2. Inspections... 6 Section C: Repair Procedures of Vehicles and Equipment... 8 C.1 Vehicles... 8 C.2 Equipment... 8 Section D: Fueling of Vehicles and Equipment... 10 D.1 Fuel Card... 10 D.2 Key Fob... 10 Section E: Idling Policy of Vehicles and Equipment... 11 E.1 Idling Policy... 11 Section F: Company Vehicle Use... 12 F.1 Equipment... 12 F.2 Construction Crew Trucks, Bore Crew Trucks and Qualified Crewman Trucks... 12 F.3 Supervisor Trucks... 12 F.4 Vehicle Use After Work... 12 Section G: Accident / Incident... 13 G.1 When an Accident Occurs... 13 G.2 When an Incident Occurs... 13 G.3 What to Do In Case of a Vehicle Accident... 13 Attachment: RCL Vehicle Accident Report... 15 2
Statement of Vehicle/Equipment Policy Of primary concern to RCL is the efficient operation of its vehicles and equipment. While the greatest asset of RCL is its people, RCL needs to provide those people with the right tools to successfully accomplish their objectives in a safe manner. This document is intended to address the maximization of the life of RCL Vehicles and Equipment. For RCL to accomplish this goal there needs to be a one source document/policy which addresses the maximum utilization of the RCL Vehicles and Equipment. It is imperative that RCL at all times have the greatest amount of Vehicles and Equipment in a ready to use state of condition. This RCL Vehicle Policy will address those expectations. The systematic maintenance of RCL equipment is an essential element of a successful operation. In the RCL Fleet Department there are federal laws that must be followed. Part 396 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) requires motor carriers to inspect, repair and maintain all motor vehicles under their control. Even if there were no federal regulations in place it makes excellent business sense to have an organized maintenance program in operation. At RCL, the required policy is to keep all company equipment well maintained and in safe, efficient operating condition at all times. In addition to RCL s policy stated above, RCL will use the preventative maintenance approach with its vehicles and equipment using periodic inspections to document compliance. To operate the vehicle safely, it must be functioning in the manner in which the manufacturer intended, i.e. tires, brakes, lights etc. Also, the operator must be functioning in an alert manner i.e. adequate rest, proper nutrition etc. To ensure the above mentioned requirements are met, the remaining portion of this Policy will address in more detail the expected methodology of keeping both operators and Vehicles/Equipment in proper operating condition. 3
SECTION A: Operations in an Interstate Environment A.1 Local Laws As RCL employees virtually work in every state of the United States, the local laws regarding the use of vehicles/equipment change by state. RCL employees are expected to educate themselves to the Local Laws of the area in which the vehicles/equipment are operated. In short - obey all LOCAL laws and more particularly MOTOR VEHICLE laws. A.2 Speed Limits RCL has a zero tolerance of exceeding posted speed limits by any amount. Also, RCL employees should take into account any other factors that may affect the safe speed of the vehicles/equipment i.e. inclement weather, carrying heavy loads down steep roads etc. 4
SECTION B: Maintenance of Vehicles and Equipment B.1 Responsibility 1. Operation Drivers and operators are responsible for knowing the mechanical condition of their equipment at all times, and for operating said vehicles and equipment safely, correctly, and efficiently. 2. Preventive Maintenance The RCL Fleet Manager will work with supervisors, drivers, operators and Enterprise Fleet Management to ensure maintenance and repairs are completed as needed and in line with standard preventative maintenance practices for individual types of vehicles and equipment. A record of vehicle preventive maintenance and repairs should be kept in all vehicles and produced upon inspections. 3. Reporting of Discrepancies Drivers and operators have the responsibility of reporting all discrepancies in a timely manner to their immediate supervisor and the RCL Fleet Department. In the situations where vehicles and or equipment must be shared (bore rigs, trenchers, etc.) the incoming crew should have equipment that has been properly maintained and in good repair. Any damage or repairs to equipment and or vehicles to include any specialized tools specific to them should be reported immediately to the corresponding immediate supervisor and RCL Fleet Manager. If damage or repairs stem from neglect or improper use of equipment, the person responsible will be held accountable. B.2 Maintenance Procedures Policy 1. Routine Maintenance RCL requires that all vehicles/equipment on an assigned project have routine maintenance performed on a regular basis. This preventative maintenance policy needs to include, in addition to the aforementioned routine maintenance, particular maintenance that if missed can be very costly to RCL. As an example, timely lubing and other preventative maintenance on equipment such as boom trucks, trenchers, vacuums, boring rigs, etc., some of which should be performed daily. 2. Maintenance by Local Repair Shop Any maintenance or repairs that must be performed by a local repair facility should be reported to the RCL Fleet Manager prior to the commencement of work. 5
B.3 Condition of Vehicles 1. New Vehicles Virtually every vehicle and piece of equipment that RCL owns was purchased NEW. They had no dents, scratches, stickers on the glass or bumper etc. This is the condition RCL wishes to keep the vehicles. RCL understands that equipment and vehicles used in a construction environment will get some scratches. RCL requests that all drivers treat these vehicles as if they were purchased by the drivers. Take the time to look around and miss striking that piece of rail or backhoe with the vehicle to keep RCL s vehicles in top condition. The Operators of RCL vehicles are not authorized to make ANY modifications to any RCL vehicle without approval from the RCL Fleet Manager. B.4 Inspection of Vehicles 1. Minimum Every vehicle will be inspected a MINIMUM of once per quarter. The vehicles are expected to remain clean as much as possible (pick-up and dispose trash at least once a day). If the Vehicle is working in muddy conditions, the vehicle is still expected to be cleaned/washed once a week. 2. Inspections RCL vehicles and equipment are beginning to age making it more important than ever to ensure they are properly and timely maintained and kept in the best condition possible. Field Management is needed to help ensure this is done. In addition to the daily equipment and vehicle condition and maintenance inspections currently being performed in the field, Field Management will begin performing the inspections randomly on all RCL owned vehicles and equipment at a rate that ensures every vehicle and piece of equipment is inspected at least once per quarter. To ensure compliance with this policy, Directors of each project are responsible for all vehicles/equipment to be inspected a minimum of once per quarter either by themselves, a Construction General, or Supervisor (please note supervisors should not inspect their own vehicles) to ensure vehicles/equipment are kept clean and well maintained. Send a copy of all completed inspections (pictures included) within two weeks of the inspection being performed to the RCL Fleet Manager where they will be recorded. In addition to the project management, random inspections will be conducted by Officers and Safety Directors of RCL. These inspections are to be conducted by all field supervision and reported to the RCL Fleet Manager office by the end of the hitch in which the inspection was completed. The expectation is that a minimum of one random inspection be conducted on all vehicles and equipment utilizing all field management every 30 days (i.e. do not wait until the end of the quarter to get the inspections completed) as outlined below: 6
Directors/Generals will conduct a minimum of 2 random vehicle and 2 random equipment inspections per month. Safety Directors will conduct a minimum of 5 random vehicle and 5 random equipment inspections per month. These inspections will not be included with the project s quarterly count requirements. Supervisors will conduct random vehicle and equipment inspections with shared responsibility to ensure all vehicles and equipment on projects are inspected a minimum of once per quarter, as assigned by Director or General. Equipment and Inspection books will be provided. Additional inspection books may be ordered from the RCL Fleet Manager as needed. On the form in the remarks section, place the name, if applicable, of the person to whom the vehicle is assigned or is currently responsible for the equipment being inspected. Perform a walk around noting exceptions such as any damage, cleanliness of vehicle, last maintenance performed, and visual check of tires. Take pictures of any noted remarks, if applicable, and send with inspection. Document should be signed by both the inspector and the responsible party. Scan and email or mail forms to the RCL Fleet Manager s office for tracking purposes. Examples: Example 1: Vehicle 1234, assigned to Nasty McTruck has excessive trash strewn about, door compartments have sticky liquid inside, right fender has dent. No IFTA sticker on passenger side door (pictures included). Oil life is exhausted and no record of oil change. Example 2: Trencher 1234, oil level is at half of recommended fill level and should be kept at full, operating very rough needs to be serviced. Example 3: Vehicle 4567 assigned to Steve McClean looks good and maintenance is up to date. 7
SECTION C: Repair Procedures of Vehicles and Equipment C.1 Vehicles RCL uses Enterprise Fleet Management as its exclusive vehicle repair, maintenance consulting, and maintenance tracking service and as such, the following procedures for repairs/maintenance should be followed: Prior to taking a vehicle in for repair: a. Call Enterprise (the phone number is located on the Enterprise Card in the vehicle) for the preferred repair facility. At the repair facility the Enterprise fleet card should be turned over to the service manager who will call Enterprise Fleet Management at the number on the back of the card. Enterprise will instruct the repair facility as to what is necessary for payment. Enterprise will have the repair facility fax a repair estimate to them. Upon receipt of the estimate they will review repair and costs including both parts and labor to ensure they are reasonable and customary. If purchase is under a certain dollar amount, Enterprise will approve or decline depending on review. If the estimate is over a pre-determined dollar amount they will call/email the repair estimate to the RCL Fleet Manager with their recommendations on pricing for the related work request for management s will review and approve or decline. b. Send an email (no phone call necessary) to the RCL Fleet Manager stating why the vehicle is in for repair, where the repair facility is located, and a point of contact at the repair facility with phone number. Please note: Normal maintenance should be done at places other than dealerships. Many Goodyear, Firestone, Pep Boys, and similar locations have extended operating hours as well as discounted pricing for using Enterprise. For routine maintenance, it is recommended that appointments be set prior to end of hitch and where possible, vehicles are dropped off at facility prior to going home and picked back up upon return to work. C.2. Equipment After finding the appropriate repair facility, get a diagnosis and email the RCL Fleet Manager describing the repair issue as well as name, city, state, contact-name, and phone number of repair facility. Routine maintenance and repairs in excess of $500 require an estimate to be forwarded to the RCL Fleet Manager prior to any work being performed. Once received, the request will be reviewed for warranty coverage, and then either a PO will be issued, repair will be declined with reason, or more information may be necessary. In cases where RCL does not have a direct bill account with the merchant/repair facility, it may be necessary to determine an alternative payment method or initiate a credit line request. Estimates with PO requests often come directly from the 8
vendor; however, a new vendor will need to be given the RCL procedure for payment with the RCL Fleet Manager Contact information. Copies of receipts for all maintenance and repairs need to be forwarded to the RCL Fleet Manager for the recording of maintenance history. 9
SECTION D: Fueling of Vehicles and Equipment: D.1 Fuel Card Each vehicle is issued a fuel card (for fuel and related fluids only) for that assigned vehicle. Do not carry the card home etc. it should stay with the vehicle for which it was issued. The vehicle may have a second card for the purpose of refueling equipment. Do not use them interchangeably as they are used with the RCL GPS System to calculate road use taxes that must be paid on a regular basis. Since there is no tax for equipment fuel, the second fuel card is used for tracking the non-taxed fuel. Plastic fuel containers are not allowed, check with the Safety Directors as to what the various regulations are that specify fuel containers. D.2 Key Fob In addition to fuel cards ALL RCL field employees are issued a Key Fob. The Key Fob allows the RCL GPS tracking system to know who the driver is when an RCL vehicle is running. The GPS unit will beep loudly reminding the driver to swipe his Key Fob against the sensor. The beeping will then cease. 10
SECTION E: Idling Policy of Vehicles and Equipment: E.1 Idling Policy The idling of vehicles wastes fuel and decreases the useful life of the engine. Common sense must prevail vehicles on track must keep the engine running regardless of activity and there are other legitimate times vehicles must idle to get the task done (boom truck working the crane etc.). The RCL GPS system records idling time to help reduce fuel wastage. The system does not count stopping and starting due to traffic. 11
Section F: Company Vehicle Use Policy F.1 Equipment: Boom trucks, dump trucks and bore rig trucks: Personal use is prohibited. F.2 Construction Crew Trucks, Bore Crew Trucks and Qualified Crewman Trucks: Personal use is permitted on a limited basis for occasional trips not to exceed a distance of 25 miles from home. For example, an employee may drive a company vehicle from his/her residence to the grocery store or drug store for personal reasons within a 25 mile radius. Trucks are prohibited from personal use when the trip distance exceeds 25 miles F.3 Supervisor Trucks: Personal use is permitted for occasional trips within the local area of the employee residence. Employee will be required to pay fuel costs for trips exceeding 25 miles. Personal use for the purposes of vacations or long distance trips is prohibited. F.4 Vehicle Use After Work All RCL vehicles are authorized to be used after work each day for work related purposes only. The vehicle may also be used for obtaining food, groceries, etc. 12
SECTION G: Accident / Incident G.1 When an Accident Occurs: On the rare occasion that an accident or incident occurs with an RCL vehicle immediately notify RCL Management as explained in G.3 below. Attached are the forms and Policy to be used for accident reporting. All accidents and incidents require who, what, when where, with accompanying pictures which show the extent of property damage. Please keep in mind the people reviewing these pictures are not at the scene and need a couple of camera shots taken some distance back to give the viewer a sense of perspective. Additional photos may be taken moving in closer to the damage keeping everything in perspective. G.2 When an Incident Occurs: An incident is defined as an event that occurs with ONLY damage to RCL vehicles and/or RCL equipment with no RCL driver involved. I.e. Crew Truck dented by an unknown vehicle while parked. If an RCL employee is involved with the movement of the damaged vehicle or equipment, then the event is considered an accident. In the case of an Incident, the RCL Vehicle Accident Report must be completed with the second box checked. As much information as can be gathered must be documented within the form. Make sure to include pictures of the damage. As with an accident, immediately notify RCL Management as explained in G.3 below. G.3 What to Do In Case of a Vehicle Accident 1. Check to see if you or anyone is injured, if YES call 911. 2. Call your Supervisor. 3. The Supervisor will then immediately send an email to the group Vehicle Accidents. The email should include the following information: Name of employee who was involved in the accident. Where accident took place (include city, state, road) A brief description of accident and if there were any injuries. 4. The Supervisor will need to contact RCL Human Resources. The Supervisor may call or text message Lisa McDougal at 817-304-3216 or Vicki Scribner at 817-307-6803. 13
5. Check damages to the RCL vehicle and surroundings. Take photographs of all damage to the RCL vehicle and any other vehicles or property that has sustained damaged. 6. Determine if there are any witnesses and obtain their: Full name Phone number(s) Address 7. Exchange information with the other driver. Make sure to obtain their: Full name Phone number(s) Driver s License # and state License Plate # Insurance information 8. Within 48 hours of the accident, the Supervisor will complete the full accident report and email it to the group Vehicle Accidents. Please copy the appropriate project Director and General Supervisor. 9. In the event this incident did not involve any RCL Employee, RCL considers this an Incident, not an accident. Check the appropriate box on the RCL Vehicle Accident Report indicating Incident and complete all applicable information. 14