BURLINGTON, NJ – United Drilling of Plumsteadville, Pa., has significantly  improved its DOT Safe Stat rating using Arsenault’s Dossier fleet maintenance management software to direct and document vehicle maintenance. The company’s rating has gone from above 75 to near and often below 50, according to Tim Weaver, United Drilling’s fleet safety director.

“The rating is important when a unit is stopped by an officer who punches our DOT number into his computer. If the rating is above 75, the officer is urged to make a full inspection. A rating between 75 and 50 is regarded as good, but an inspection is optional. A rating below 50 is excellent and a full inspection is not recommended. Of course, the decision to inspect always lies with individual officers,” Weaver said.

United Drilling operates 27 Class 8 heavy vehicles through 30 eastern states. Dossier is the industry’s leading maintenance management software.

Safe Stat, short for Motor Carrier Safety Status Measurement System, evaluates and saves data on crashes, roadside inspections, on-site compliance reviews, and enforcement history. The system, administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation, quantifies the safety status of carriers. The goal is to focus enforcement resources on carriers with the greatest potential safety risk.

The Dossier system provides on-site inspectors with documentation of preventive maintenance, and repair histories.

“We began using Dossier in 2003. Within a year, we had lowered our Safe Stat rating significantly below the deficient mark. By tracking our PM schedule we also were doing more intentional observation and catching routine items that were often overlooked by drivers. It’s good to avoid lengthy roadside inspections, of course, but our fleet doesn’t just appear safer, it is safer,” Weaver said.