This work is a part of a research project for the development of new condition-based approaches for road maintenance optimization. The degradation pattern on interest is here the longitudinal cracking process due to cumulative fatigue (the traffic repetition leads to the occurrence of cracks in the road basement which grows up to the road surface). In this context, we have proposed a new theoretical deterioration model based on two dependent indicators -the observable deterioration measurement and the potential deterioration growth. Even if the construction of the model is based on practical considerations, its application in an operational context remains difficult. The objective of this communication is to study the applicability of such a model and propose some improvements. After analyzing the original model to highlight its strengths and limitations, we propose to revisit the definitions of the decision parameters while specifying the construction of the associated functions. A statistical inference procedure is discussed. A numerical example based on the original maintenance model is presented to illustrate the benefits of this approach that we will present as some best practices for future road pavement management.