Meter Readings

Understanding the Various Meter Types

RTA tracks several types of vehicle meters. It's important to understand how they work because vehicle cost per mile and miles per gallon reports use the various meters. The meter types are as follows:

• Primary Meter: This is the current vehicle meter reading, sometimes referred to as the work meter. It is the most up-to-date meter reading and is updated throughout the RTA system.
• Fuel Meter: This is the most up-to-date meter reading entered through the options in the Fuel Inventory module. This is tracked separately from the primary meter to ensure MPG figures are properly reported.
• Alternate Meter: This is the meter reading for other types meters that might be on the vehicle (e.g., hours, yards, cases). This meter has no ties to the Primary or Fuel meters. Refer to "Alternate Meters" for more information.
• Life Miles: This is the accumulated miles traveled for the life of the vehicle. The life miles can have the same or higher reading than the Primary and Fuel meters, but never a lower reading. Life miles continue to increase even though Primary meters may rollover or get reset to 0 when replaced.
• Base Miles: This is the number of Life miles the vehicle traveled prior to being tracked in the RTA system. This number doesn't change when meters are updated and/or adjusted. It's subtracted from the Life miles to ensure vehicle lifetime costs are properly reported. For example, suppose a vehicle had 50,000 miles on it before you started tracking it in RTA. After the first month, the vehicle travels 1,000 miles and incurs $250 in fuel and maintenance costs.

Lifetime cost reports for this vehicle, with no Base miles, inaccurately reflect this vehicle as costing $ 0.0049 per mile (250 lifetime costs in RTA ÷ 51,000 miles).
Lifetime cost reports for this vehicle, with 50,000 Base miles, properly report this vehicle as costing $ 0.25 per mile (250 lifetime costs in RTA ÷ [51,000 miles – 50,000 base miles]).
The Primary meter is updated throughout the entire RTA systemin the Work Order module while creating or posting to existing work orders, in the Tire Inventory module while mounting or dismounting tires, in the Vehicle Inventory module while entering PM information or creating vehicle warranties, in the Fuel Inventory and EFI modules, and through TriCoder uploads. Basically, anywhere the system prompts for an odometer reading, it is prompting for the Primary meter reading. 
Fuel entries are the exception, however. Fuel transactions can be entered using the Many States (FFM), Quick Fuel Entry (FFQ), TriCoder Input (FFT), and Electronic Fueling (FFE) options. Meter readings entered through fueling options update the Fuel meter, and if the meter reading exceeds the current Primary meter reading, the Primary meter reading will be updated as well. Therefore, a Fuel meter will always have the same or lower reading than the Primary meter, never higher. 
When the Primary meter has a higher reading than the Fuel meter, the difference is referred to as "Add miles." Pay close attention to Add miles at the end of an accounting period. Depending on how the "Tracing Fuel" switch is set (SSM, Fuel Parameters tab , switch 1), existing Add miles will either be zeroed out and accounted for in the current period OR be carried over and accounted for in the new accounting period. If you're tracking fuel usage in RTA, we recommend setting the "Tracing Fuel Consumption" switch to YES.
When a meter reading is entered in RTA:

• The current meter reading is updated only when a higher reading is entered—as long as the mileage difference does not surpass the limitations defined in the class codes, EFI process settings, or system parameters (MVC, FFEM, or SSF, switch 27).
• The current Life miles are updated only when a higher reading is entered, again, as long as the mileage difference does not surpass the limitations defined.
• Entering a lower meter reading does not update the current odometer (unless you're in one of the change odometer routines). This allows you to enter old, misplaced, or out of order transactions without affecting the current meter readings.

The following table shows an example of what happens when meter readings are entered for a new vehicle. The first transaction shows a meter reading of 200 was entered while performing a work order, which results in the Primary meter and Life miles getting updated. The Fuel meter was not updated. The difference is between the Primary and Fuel meter is 200 Add miles.

The second transaction, Fuel entry 1, shows a meter reading of 100 was entered through a fuel transaction. The Primary meter and Life miles remain at their current settings since the value entered is lower. The Add miles is reduced by 100.
The third transaction, Fuel entry 2, shows a meter reading of 500 was entered through a fuel transaction also. Both the Primary and Fuel meters are updated since the new reading is higher than the current readings.
The fourth transaction is similar to the first one. The last transaction doesn't affect any of the meters because the meter reading entered is lower than the current readings.
RTA tracks the Primary and Fuel meters separately in order to correctly compute miles per gallons. Doing so prevents miles per gallons from being overstated when a work order is done at a higher reading, but fuel entries haven't yet "caught up" to the meter reading on the work order. Take a look at transaction 4, for example, even though the actual vehicle meter reading is 750, miles per gallon reports will use 500 in its computations because that will "match" the number of gallons from fuel entries; using 750 would make the vehicle appear as if it's getting better mileage than it actually is.

Updating Meter Readings

Because meters are automatically updated as transactions are processed in RTA, it may not be necessary to manually update vehicle meter readings. As long as the data entry is current and up-to-date, your vehicle meters will be too. However, if you're not tracking fuel usage you'll need to update meter readings manually or via a hand-held TriCoder since your vehicles will only come in occasionally for maintenance services (and you won't know when to bring them in if the meter readings aren't updated). Some fleets like to update meter readings at the end or beginning of an accounting period even if fuel usage is tracked. This section explains the options available for updating the meters.

Update Work Odometer

This option updates only the Primary meter. If you're tracking fuel usage, use Quick Fuel Entry (FFQ) for updating meters instead because this option does not update Fuel meters. To update Primary meters using this option, follow the steps listed.

1. Select Vehicles > Update Odometer from the RTA main menu (VO).
2. Select the Vehicle Order radio button to have the system automatically bring up vehicles in chronological order after each entry. Select the Enter Vehicle radio button to be prompted for the vehicle number after each entry.
3. Enter a vehicle number or press F1 to select a vehicle from the lookup list.
4. Enter the post date or press F1 to select a date from the calendar. This could be the date the readings were taken or the input date.
5. Type in the new meter reading and then press ENTER. The new meter reading must be higher than the current reading displayed. If you need to lower (correct) the meter reading, use the Change Odometer program (MVM, VH).
6. At this point, the process varies slightly depending on the selection made in step 2. If Vehicle Order was selected, the next vehicle is brought up; input the meter reading and press ENTER. If Enter Vehicle was selected, enter the next vehicle number to update, input the new meter reading, and press ENTER.
7. Repeat step 6 until all vehicles have been processed.

You can quit at any time by choosing Exit. If a vehicle record is in use, you'll be given the option of skipping the odometer update for that vehicle or waiting until the vehicle record becomes unlocked.

Quick Fuel Entry

This option updates the Fuel meter, and also the Primary meter if the meter reading entered is higher than the current Primary meter reading. To use this option, do the following:

1. Select Fuel > Fuel Entry > Quick Fuel Entry from the RTA main menu (FFQ).
2. Enter the facility number or press F1 to select a facility from the lookup list.
3. Choose Yes if the prompt to enter miles/kilometers/hours only is displayed. This prompt may or may not appear, depending on how the "Enter Miles Only" switch is set (SSM, Fuel Parameters tab , switch 7); you'll be able to update the meter regardless of the setting.
4. Enter the facility number and/or the vehicle number to update or press F1 to make the selection from a lookup list.
5. Enter the date or press F1 to select a date from the calendar. This could be the date the reading was taken or the input date.
6. Enter the new meter reading when prompted. The items you're prompted to enter depend on the settings of several switches in the Fueling Parameters (SSM, Fuel Parameters tab ). Enter or skip the entries as needed. Refer to "Fueling Parameters" and "Quick Fuel Entry" for more information if necessary.
7. Choose Post to complete the entry.

Odometer Update TriCoder Program

A hand-held TriCoder program designed specifically to update meter readings is available. It provides a fast and easy way of updating numerous vehicles at once—prompting simply for vehicle number and odometer reading. When the collected data is uploaded to the RTA system, the primary vehicle meter will be updated. For instructions on using this program, refer to "Odometer Update" in the TriCoder Programs section of Chapter 8—Bar Coding.
h1. Correcting or Adjusting Meter Readings
There are generally three reasons for making vehicle meter reading changes: 1) to replace a broken meter, 2) to fix an incorrect meter reading entry, and 3) to account for a meter that has rolled over. Each of these meter changes is handled differently to ensure that the Primary meter, Fuel meter, and Life miles are updated as needed. When done correctly, all the vehicle data will be properly adjusted to reflect the meter change (PMs due, warranty coverage, etc.).
To avoid future problems, be sure all transactions such as work orders and fuel tickets with the old meter reading have been entered in the system before making changes to the meter. You don't want to lower the meter reading and then enter an old transaction with the higher reading because that will increase the meters and Life miles erroneously. For example, a new meter is installed on a vehicle and the meter reading is reset to zero. A week later, an old fuel ticket with a meter reading of 55,000 is found and input into the system (and the user ignores the excess mileage prompt). Now the Primary and Fuel meter readings are at 55,000 and 55,000 miles have been added to the vehicle's Life miles-definitely not correct and would require another meter adjustment.
Vehicle meters can be corrected or adjusted directly in the vehicle record or through the change odometer program.

Updating the Meter Using the Change Odometer Program

1. Select Vehicle > Change Odometer from the RTA main menu (VH).
2. Read the message displayed and choose Yes to continue.
3. Enter a vehicle number or press F1 to select a vehicle from the lookup list.
4. Choose Broken Meter, Correction, or Roll Over to indicate the reason for the odometer change.
5. Review the vehicle information displayed. Go to "Change Odometer Vehicle Information."

Updating the Meter Through the Vehicle Record

1. Select Master > Vehicle > File Maintenance from the RTA main menu (MVM).
2. Enter a vehicle number or press F1 to select a vehicle from the lookup list.
3. Select Utilities > Change Odometer from the menu or click on the Change Odometer icon in the toolbar.
4. Read the message displayed and choose Odometer to continue.
5. Choose Broken Meter, Correction, or Roll Over to indicate the reason for the odometer change.
6. Review the vehicle information displayed. Go to "Change Odometer Vehicle Information."

Change Odometer Vehicle Information
The data you're prompted to enter next varies depending upon your reason for the odometer change selection. Regardless of the option selected, the header information in the window that appears next will show certain vehicle information for your reference. It is important to review this information.

• Year, Make, and Model: This is the vehicle's year, make, and model-review it to make sure you are about to change the meter for the correct vehicle.
• Meters: Current, Fuel, Period, and Life: This displays the vehicle's current Primary meter reading, the current Fuel meter reading, the current period miles (miles traveled this period), and the Life miles.
• Known miles (included in period & life) not posted: This displays the Add miles-the difference between the Primary and Fuel meters.
• Last recorded meter reading: This displays the current Primary meter reading.

Examples for Changing Vehicle Odometers

Example 1: Replacing a Broken Meter
In this example, we will replace a meter that broke at 50,000 miles. While the meter was broken, the vehicle traveled 250 miles. A new meter was later installed.
Choose Broken Meter as the change odometer reason and the odometer change utility window is displayed.

• Last recorded meter reading: The current meter reading is displayed as the default. Accept the default reading or enter the last reading from the broken meter. For our example, we would enter 50000 since the meter actually broke at 50,000 miles.
• New meter reading: Enter the reading of the new meter at the time it was installed. For our example, we would enter 0.
• Un-accounted for meter units: This field accounts for miles traveled while the meter was broken. For our example, we would enter 250 since the vehicle traveled an additional 250 miles before the replacement meter was installed.
• Units will be posted to period meter: This displays the number of miles that will be added to or subtracted from the period and life meters shown, less the number shown in the Known miles (included in period & life) not posted field. The figure shown is automatically computed based on the vehicle's current meters and the entries made. It is important to look at the number displayed here to verify the end result will be correct. Incorrect results could throw off your PM schedules, warranty coverage, and cost reports. In our example, 750 will be displayed here, which is correct, since the vehicle traveled 500 miles before the meter broke and an additional 250 miles before the meter was replaced.

After this correction has been made, the vehicle's current and fuel meters will be 0; the period meter will be 2,250; the life meter will be 50,250.
Example 2: Fix an Incorrect Meter Entry
In this example, we will correct a meter that was incorrectly entered as 500,000 instead of 50,000. This error caused the vehicle's current meters to be 450,000 miles too high.
Choose Correction as the change odometer reason and the odometer change utility window is displayed.

• New meter reading: Enter the correct meter reading. For our example, we would enter 50000.
• Meter adjusted by: This displays the number of units that will be added to or subtracted from the period and life meters shown, less the number shown in the Known miles (included in period & life) not posted field. The figure shown is automatically computed based on the vehicle's current meters and the entries made. It is important to look at the number displayed here to verify the end result will be correct. Incorrect results could throw off your PM schedules, warranty coverage, and cost reports. In our example, 450,000- will be displayed here.

After this correction has been made, the vehicle's current and fuel meters will be 50,000; the period meter will be 2,000; the life meter will be 50,000.
Example 3: Rolling Over a Meter
In this example, we will adjust a meter that has rolled over. The last record meter was 98,500. The new meter reading now reads 00500.

Choose Roll Over as the change odometer reason and the odometer change utility window is displayed.

• Maximum meter reading: Enter the highest meter reading possible for the meter on this vehicle. For our example, we would enter 100000.
• Meter adjusted by: This displays the difference between the maximum meter reading entered and the current meter reading. For our example, 1500 is displayed (100,000 – 98,500).
• New meter reading: Enter the current meter reading. For our example, we would enter 500.
• Units will be posted to period meter: This displays the number of units that will be added to or subtracted from the period and life meters shown, less the number shown in the Known miles (included in period & life) not posted field. The figure shown is automatically computed based on the vehicle's current meters and the entries made. It is important to look at the number displayed here to verify the end result will be correct. Incorrect results could throw off your PM schedules, warranty coverage, and cost reports. In our example, 2000 will be displayed here, which is correct, since the vehicle traveled 1,500 miles before the meter rolled over and an additional 500 miles afterwards.

After this correction has been made, the vehicle's current and fuel meters will be 500; the period meter will be 3,500; the life meter will be 100,500.

Changing a Meter Type

To change the Primary meter from one type to another, do the following:

1. Select Master > Vehicle > File Maintenance from the RTA main menu (MVM).
2. Enter a vehicle number or press F1 to select a vehicle from the lookup list.
3. Select Utilities > Change Odometer from the menu or click on the Change Odometer icon in the toolbar.
4. Read the message displayed and choose Meter Type.
5. Read the message displayed and choose OK to proceed.
6. Select a new meter type from the drop down list. When changing the meter type from miles to kilometers or vice versa, the RTA system will automatically compute the conversion and update each of the meters. For all other meter type changes, once a new meter type has been selected, enter the new meter readings.