Understanding the Various Meter Types

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

• Primary Meter: This is the current asset meter reading, sometimes referred to as the work meter.

• Fuel Meter: This is the most up-to-date meter reading (if fuel transactions are being captured regularly in RTA) 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 of meters that might be on the asset (e.g., hours, yards, cases). This meter has no ties to the Primary or Fuel meters.

• Life Miles: This is the accumulated miles traveled for the life of the asset. 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.

All of these are displayed in the asset file in RTA on the Asset Management Tab.

Primary Meter Reading

Viewable

The current Primary Meter Reading can be seen in the following areas:

• Asset File - Primary Information Banner

• Asset File - Asset Management Tab

• Work Order - Asset Information Banner

Editing

The Primary Meter reading can be edited from the asset file and through work orders.

Correction

Errors can happen when meter readings are updated or input when adding a vehicle. RTA can help with correcting a meter reading by following the below steps.

1. Locate the appropriate Asset File by selecting Assets from the main menu

2. Search for and click on the appropriate asset to open the file and navigate to the Primary Meter Info Banner on the Asset Management tab

3. Click on Correct Meter

   Open

   

4. The Correction option should already be selected (if not, be sure to select it)

   Open

   

5. Type in the current meter reading for the asset

   1. Below that, the figures will adjust automatically displaying the current reading (incorrect reading being corrected) and the adjusted amount

6. Click Save at the bottom

Broken Meter

Replacing a broken meter will need to be done on occasion. Follow the steps below when this occurs.

1. Open the asset file and navigate to the Primary Meter Info Banner on the Asset Management tab

2. Click on Correct Meter

3. Click the Broken meter Option

4. Enter the last reading on the broken odometer

5. Enter the reading on the newly installed odometer

6. Enter the approximate amount the asset traveled while the meter was broken

   1. This will be added to the new meter of the asset

7. Click Save at the bottom

8. Click whichever option suits your needs on the following screen. The life meter is the actual lifetime use of the vehicle, while “add to period” is the current meter. 

Rollover

Once an odometer reaches its max count, it will roll back over to zero and start over. Ensuring that the asset file is capturing the full life correctly, an adjustment would need to be made. Follow the steps below when an odometer rollover occurs.

1. Open the asset file and navigate to the Primary Meter Info Banner on the Asset Management tab

2. Click on Correct Meter

3. Click the Roll-Over Option

4. Enter the highest value the meter can reach (this is the max value before the odometer rolled over)

5. Enter the value of the odometer after the rollover (this is the reading that the rolled over meter is now displaying)

6. Click Save at the bottom

Alternate Meters

An alternate meter may be another meter such as an engine or component hour meter OR it may represent items transported by the asset such as passengers, cases, boxes, tons, yards, and pallets.

Up to 4 alternate meters can be assigned to an asset. Once they are assigned, they can be viewed in the Alternate Meter Banner in the asset file.

Alternate meters can be used to help determine when PM services are needed. For example, if the asset has a standard odometer and an hours meter, the hours meter can be set up as an alternate meter and the PMs can be set up to be tracked by days, miles, and hours.

Setting Up Alternate Meter Types

Prior to assigning an alternate meter to an asset, the types/descriptions of alternate meters available for use need to be created.

To define the types of alternate meters available for use in asset files, follow the below steps.

1. Under the Assets tab in the main menu, click on Settings

2. Click on Alt Meters

3. On the Alt Meter Maintenance Screen, click the New Alt Meter Button

4. On the added line, type in the alternate meter description/type to be available

5. Click the check mark to save the new description

Adding Alternate Meters to the Vehicle

Once the alternate meter types have been set up, they can be applied in to assets. An asset can have up to 4 alternate meters assigned to it.

Follow the below steps to include alternate meters into the asset file.

1. Open a asset file

2. Navigate to the Alternate Meter Info banner on the Asset Management tab

3. Click Edit Description

4. Click in the fields below the Alt One header

5. Select the appropriate alternate meter type from the list

6. Click the check mark

7. If the asset will have additional alternate meters, continue steps 4-6 for alt two, three, and four where applicable

8. Once all alternate meter types are entered, click done

9. Once the meter types are are added, the headers will now display instead of Alt One, Two, Three, or Four

10. To add the meter reading for each alternate meter, click in the field below the appropriate meter type heading

11. Enter in the appropriate value

12. Click the check mark

Editing Alternate Meter Readings

Once the alternate meter types and values have been set up, they can be edited in the asset file. Refer to the Adding Alternate Meters to the Asset section of this document for set up instructions.

Follow the below steps to include alternate meters into the vehicle file.

1. Open a vehicle file

2. Navigate to the Alternate Meter Info Banner on the Asset Management Tab

3. Click into the alternate meter value to be updated

4. Update the value

5. Click the checkmark

Correcting Alternate Meter Readings

Just as with the primary meter, errors can happen with the alternate meter when meter readings are updated or input when adding a vehicle. Correcting an alternate meter reading consists of the same options and steps as the primary, only in a different location.

1. Locate the appropriate Asset File by selecting Assets from the main menu

2. Search for and click on the appropriate asset to open the file and navigate to the Alternate Meter Info Banner on the Asset Management tab

3. Click on Correct Alt Meter

4. Select the Alternate Meter Type to be adjusted using the dropdown

5. Select the appropriate option for the alternate meter in question.

   1. Correction

      1. Click the Correction radial option

         1. Type in the current meter reading for the asset

         2. Below that, the figures will adjust automatically displaying the current reading (incorrect reading being corrected) and the adjusted amount

      2. Click Save at the bottom

   2. Broken Meter

      1. Click the Broken meter Option

         1. Enter the last reading on the broken odometer

         2. Enter the reading on the newly installed odometer

         3. Enter the approximate amount the asset traveled while the meter was broken

            1. This will be added to the new meter of the asset

      2. Click Save at the bottom

   3. Rollover

      1. Click the Roll-Over Option

         1. Enter the highest value the meter can reach (this is the max value before the odometer rolled over)

         2. Enter the value of the odometer after the rollover (this is the reading that the rolled over meter is now displaying)

      2. Click Save at the bottom