The fleet industry faces many challenges, and the most worrisome is the state of the economy. Ultimately, these companies are dealing with parts and equipment shortages, skyrocketing inflation, high pricing for fuel, wage pressures, and driver shortages.
Fleet managers have fewer allocations because of pandemic-related supply chain issues. When new assets become available, their cost continues to rise.
Now more than ever, fleet managers need to keep vehicles in good working order. How do they do that?
It’s crucial to consider fleet maintenance. Though your business should focus on this anyway, the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) must inspect many vehicle types; failing the assessment could lead to expensive service repairs and fines.
This blog will explain fleet maintenance in detail and help you understand the role it plays in vehicle lifespan. You’ll also learn why fleet management is essential and how technology can make life easier for those owning fleets. Maintaining your trucks is the best solution. Let’s learn more.
What Is Fleet Maintenance?
Fleet maintenance focuses on the regular repair, inspection, and servicing of fleet vehicles used while operating a company. If you located in California, United Fleet Maintenance can help you with any technical challenges you may have.
You need a good fleet maintenance management system and process in place to keep your vehicles in the best condition. This reduces fuel consumption and breakdown issues.
Generally, fleet maintenance focuses on oil changes, brake inspections, tire rotations, engine diagnostics, and more. Routinely performing those tasks for each vehicle on a predetermined schedule can prevent issues from becoming costly repairs for your business.
How Fleet Maintenance Can Extend a Vehicle’s Engine and Lifespan
Predictive fleet maintenance leverages monitoring systems and sensors to predict when components might fail. Even if you don’t use those fleet management systems, you can still schedule service times, which will enhance the safety of the vehicle and extend its lifespan.
When you use fleet maintenance, you can lower maintenance costs, save money on components, and reduce downtime. Your vehicles work better for longer, giving you more bang for your buck.
Here are the benefits of fleet maintenance to consider:
Reduce Downtime
Every fleet manager knows how much it costs to run a business, and when a truck isn’t usable because of breakdowns and unplanned maintenance issues, productivity suffers.
Things like disrupting the supply chain and damaged customer relationships because of missed deadlines can all affect the bottom line. Keeping your vehicles well-maintained will prevent many of those issues and identify them before they get worse.
Fleet maintenance is something everyone needs. Without it, you could run into problems with your vehicle and have it out of service.
The goal is to focus on fleet management now, ensuring that every vehicle is inspected regularly to find problems. A routine maintenance program reduces downtime.
Reduce Fleet Maintenance Costs
Routine fleet maintenance is often scheduled based on time or mileage intervals. However, many things can go wrong between those moments. You must focus on the actual condition of the vehicles along with the calendar dates.
When you pair scheduled fleet maintenance with the conditions of each vehicle, you will catch problems sooner. The repair costs less, which saves you money in the long run.
Fleet management can lower your operational costs because you’re not dealing with unnecessary maintenance activities where the truck is off the road. Plus, you can save money on the repair service, even if you have an in-house team.
Optimize Component Lifespans
The vehicles themselves have a lifespan, but so do the parts making them up. Each component has a “shelf life,” and fleet managers must learn how to increase this aspect so that the trucks run better. Fleet maintenance is the way to do this.
With fleet maintenance, you can address problems with your fleet of vehicles before they suffer irreversible damage. Monitoring the engine’s performance will detect wear and tear signs and potential failure in the exhaust system or transmission.
Routine service to your vehicles will also help you deal with fuel consumption problems. Fleet management encompasses everything related to your trucks and company cars.
Enhance Safety
Most fleets are subjected to inspections by the Department of Transportation (DOT), and safety is a top priority to ensure that the vehicle is road-ready. This protects the truck, the public, your driver, the customer’s business, and more.
With the cost of fleet vehicles so high, fleet maintenance is essential. Routine monitoring can detect potential problems earlier, and you can also address those issues to reduce unexpected breakdowns and accident risks.
Pairing fleet management with fleet maintenance will ensure your vehicles stay on the road and are safe for everyone.
Common Fleet Maintenance Practices
In terms of a fleet maintenance program, there are many common practices to help companies keep vehicles in the best condition possible. Lower the costs associated with maintaining your trucks using this helpful information:
- Routine Inspections – Before you can perform regular maintenance, you must conduct an inspection of every service vehicle. Training technicians and inspecting everything thoroughly are two of the main components of fleet maintenance.
- Scheduled Services – The entire fleet will require scheduled service, and you should read the manufacturer’s recommendations. This includes vehicle oil changes, tire rotations, and filter replacements.
- Condition-based Maintenance – Your fleet can use condition-based maintenance along with scheduled vehicle services. This involves monitoring them in real time to perform routine tasks as needed.
- Preventative Maintenance – A proactive approach to maintenance includes performing services before a problem arises. This prevents unnecessary wear and tear and vehicle breakdowns.
- Reactive Maintenance – Unexpected vehicle breakdowns can still happen, but you want to repair them as soon as possible to avoid downtime.
- Record Keeping – Tracking maintenance for each vehicle can be difficult if you don’t use fleet management software. Records include details of the tasks performed, such as when, who did them, and the parts used.
Keep Your Business Running Smoothly with Comprehensive Fleet Maintenance Software
Fleet maintenance is the process of keeping vehicles in good condition. It’s crucial for your business because you must ensure that the equipment is running smoothly and has no issues.
Often, fleet management does more than focus on the maintenance of each vehicle. It can dive deep into fuel usage and offers many benefits. Improve your company’s operations with fleet tracking software now!
