Was Admiral William H. McRaven really talking about DVIR?
“If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.”
-Admiral William H. McRaven
What has this got to do with DVIRs? DVIRs — or driver vehicle inspection reports — are an essential part of keeping a fleet compliant. The intention is to ensure that the vehicle is safe to head out on the road each day. They are ESSENTIAL to the safety of other road users, other drivers, and the value of the asset and cargo.
We hear about companies every day that aren’t doing their DVIRs properly. For many, the drivers are simply ‘pencil whipping’ the paper forms without a thorough inspection of critical aspects of the vehicle.
If we think back to the analogy above, inspecting your vehicle each day is like making your bed: It sets a behavior that promotes future success. The vehicles, if properly inspected, will stay in better condition, spend less time off the road for repair and be far less likely to be involved in an accident or incur fines or violations.
Pencil whipping a DVIR is like leaving your bed a tangled, dirty mess — you’ll regret it later.
Technology’s role in the DVIR
By using technology to ensure that inspections are taking place when they should and how they should is critically important. Customizable forms allow you to guarantee that photos are taken of key parts of the vehicle — while also capturing time, date and location data that can prove indispensable for compliance and audit purposes.
We have learned that this added accountability around DVIRs leads to better behavior from drivers who know they cannot game the system, leading to genuine inspections, earlier identification of important issues and a more engaged and professional attitude when out on the road.
Essentially, they begin to make the bed each day and set themselves, and the business up for future success. Tomorrow will always be better if you are ensuring your fleet is well maintained and ready for the task at hand.
So don’t pull the covers up on your most valuable assets, ensure it is compliant, well maintained and looked after. To learn more about how Whip Around can help revolutionize your DVIR process, contact us.
