Let's talk heavy-duty truck VMRS codes

The ATA Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC)’s Vehicle Maintenance Report Standards (VMRS) program was started in 1970 with the goal of developing a standard method of communication for everyone involved in the truck maintenance process, from fleets to repair shops to OEMs. Last year, VMRS Codes Committee determined that VMRS needed more flexibility to describe the maintenance status of a part, system or vehicle. A quick refresher: VMRS is made up of a series of unchanging codes used to describe virtually every facet of the maintenance operation, from parts to manufacturers to technician work to vehicle location. As an example: Code 1: Equipment Location; Code 2: Equipment Category; and Code 14: Reason for Repair, to name a few. VMRS Code Key 24: Maintenance Status, was developed to improve communication and make the information about where each part or truck is in the maintenance process easily dispersed to each interested party. The new code key aims to replace anecdotal information with actual data, allowing for better maintenance communication between a fleet and a service provider or within a fleet. It will also give fleets a method for tracking downtime trends and what might be causing delays. The VMRS Codes Committee created 15 codes to be part of this code key and identify different types of delays that might occur.