Purpose
This procedure provides information for Yard Coordinators/ Bus Hostlers to use the Avail system to keep the yard map up-to-date for each service day. The process covers assigning vehicle status (availability) and entering vehicle locations. on the grid.
WHY: Updating the Yard Map throughout the service day, to account for splits, breakdowns, vehicle swaps, etc., ensures that vehicle availability and parking location is known by dispatch and operators for timely pullouts and seamless operation.
Operational Impact and Metrics
Operational Impact: The Yard Map should be updated throughout the day to ease pullout efficiencies.
Failure to update the yard map daily can lead to an increase in morning pullout time, as dispatch and operators have to decipher vehicle locations and availability before even logging in to the system to perform pretrip and provide revenue service that's on time.
Metrics: Pull-in/Pull-out report - Business Intelligence
Definitions
| ITS | Intelligent Transportation Systems |
| CAD/AVL | Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automatic Vehicle Location |
| Block | All the routes run by a vehicle |
| MDT | Mobile Data Terminal |
Frequency
Ongoing: Updates should occur at the start of each service day to prep for live Operations, as vehicles return to the yard throughout the day, to account for vehicle swaps, for split shifts and again at the end of the operational day.
Positions and Responsibilities
Implementation of this procedure is the responsibility of yard coordinators or the individual who manages parking vehicles at the end of each operational day for next day rollout, and during the day for vehicle availability updates.
Procedure
Navigate to ETMS, open the Launch Dispatch card, then open 'Vehicle Locations' in Operations
- Select yard map (if more than one) from drop down menu
- Auto-Refresh feature: enable this button to allow the yard map to automatically update
- Select the map desired from the dropdown menu, if using more than one location
- Click on a parking spot on the map grid to add a vehicle
- Select vehicle to add from dropdown list
- Indicate vehicle availability (color coding determines status: gray, green, red, or orange)
- Green - Available
- Red - Maintenance
- Orange- Off site
- Grey- Assigned
- Press 'Add Vehicle' button
- Repeat process throughout day, to account for vehicle returns to yard, swaps, split shifts, etc., end of day to prep for next day's rollout
- Use yard map to designate vehicles that are out of service, due to breakdowns, etc.- as incidents occur during day, if needed/ maintenance staff can create work orders in ETMS, if enabled, as needed
Supporting Documents
Articles:
SOPs:
SOP-011 Dispatch – Pull Out/Start of Shift