If your business vehicle breaks down, how long does it take you to get it fixed? Regular fleet vehicle maintenance could have avoided costly repairs (and costly business downtime).
Imagine you’re running a car rental business (whether through Turo or other platforms); a car in the shop means one less customer served. Had you stayed up-to-date on that vehicle’s maintenance schedule, you could have formed a relationship with a life-long customer. Now that driver will take their business to a car rental company with a more finetuned fleet vehicle maintenance plan. Would’ve, should’ve, could’ve.
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of fleet maintenance systems and how to set one up (we’ll even offer tips on how to find reliable fleet parking).
What is Fleet Vehicle Maintenance?
Fleet vehicle maintenance is a comprehensive process that ensures the safety and optimal performance of all vehicles within a fleet (a minimum of five vehicles).
Proper fleet maintenance not only facilitates effective operations but also assists in preventing unsafe conditions, mitigating costly litigation due to negligence, and ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
Fleet maintenance management programs can look different depending on your type of business. For example, commercial trucking equipment has higher maintenance costs than rental cars, so your fleet maintenance will require more time and/or resources.
It’s important to note that your fleet management practices will change based on the type and number of vehicles in your fleet, as well as the make, model, or age of the vehicles.
Benefits of Fleet Management
For many businesses, the vehicle fleet is an integral part of how the business makes money. Whether you’re delivering products or driving to service locations, the fleet is like a taxi for your profits. And when your fleet isn’t operational–or up to par–you can end up losing a lot of business.
Fleet management and fleet maintenance are key to keeping your business running smoothly. A top-notch fleet management program can give your business an edge by:
- Increasing the longevity of your vehicles
- Minimizing depreciation of assets and maintaining an acceptable resale value
- Improving workplace safety
- Reducing malfunction-related down-time
In order to get the most out of your vehicle line-up, you need to come up with a fleet management plan.
Crafting an Effective Fleet Maintenance Program
An effective fleet maintenance program is an orchestra of different components working in harmony. To get started with a fleet management program, consider these elements:
- Designate a fleet manager
- Create a preventive maintenance checklist
- Schedule inspections to remain compliant
- Prepare for repairs or corrective maintenance
- Manage your fleet with integrated software
Tip #1: Designate a Fleet Manager
Proper fleet maintenance management is crucial; however, failing to maintain vehicles properly can lead to severe legal and safety repercussions. That’s why designating a fleet manager is the first step to improving your vehicle program.
A fleet manager oversees all commercial vehicles, drivers, and related assets, ensuring their safe and cost-effective utilization in compliance with internal and external policies. Some duties include:
- Creation and oversight of fleet safety
- Budgeting for repairs and vehicle procurement
- Maintenance program management, safety and compliance, and coordinating repairs/inspections.
- Implementing preventative maintenance and real-time tracking, automating data entry systems, and collaborating with reliable vendors.
Tip #2: Utilize Fleet Management Software
A designated manager can take your fleet maintenance to the next level, but proper fleet management software is also critical for efficient day-to-day processes.
Automating fleet operations helps to streamline the maintenance process, minimize human error, and enhance overall operational efficiency. Fleet management software offers a variety of automation functionalities, including:
- Telematics
- Electronic logging devices (ELDs)
- Route optimization
- Auto Dispatch
- Real-time GPS vehicle tracking
- Fuel management
- Driver performance monitoring
While these systems are helpful for managing a large fleet, what really makes the difference is a routine maintenance schedule that’s enforced with automated alerts.
Tip #3: Incorporate Maintenance Alerts
Maintenance alerts are like the alarm clock of your fleet maintenance program. They serve as notifications to inform fleet managers or vehicle owners about upcoming or overdue maintenance tasks, ensuring vehicles are serviced on time.
Automated data collection from the GPS and performance metrics can help determine a vehicle’s maintenance schedule, and inform the subsequent parties ahead of time. These processes:
- Monitor vehicle health
- Send alerts for component issues or vehicle recalls
- Set up service reminders based on vehicle usage metrics such as hour intervals or odometer readings.
Tip #4: Prioritize Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is the unsung hero of fleet vehicle longevity. It encompasses scheduled servicing, inspections, and vehicle repairs aimed at averting potential issues and optimizing vehicle availability. By tackling issues before they occur, fleet managers can reduce vehicle downtime and minimize the likelihood of accidents.
The fleet manager should set preventive maintenance intervals for each vehicle, which are often contingent on when a vehicle reaches a certain mileage, level of fuel usage, number of operating hours, or engine hours. At these intervals, fleet vehicles should undergo the regular maintenance activities laid out in the fleet preventive maintenance program.
Creating a Preventive Maintenance Service Checklist
A preventive maintenance checklist is like a roadmap for maintaining the health of your fleet vehicles. The key components of this checklist include:
- Changing engine oil and filters every 3,000 miles
- Checking tire pressure, wear, and rotating tires as needed
- Adjusting wheel alignment
- Inspecting and changing air and cabin air filters
- Topping up fluids (windshield washer fluid, antifreeze, power steering, etc.)
- Inspecting and testing brakes
- Replacing windshield wipers
- Performing a full vehicle inspection for any imminent issues
Your checklist might contain other elements depending on the kind of vehicles in your fleet. For instance, large 18-wheelers or diesel vehicles require additional maintenance, so be sure to talk with your service manager about what preventive measures should be added to the checklist.
Tip #5: Schedule Routine Inspections
Depending on the state your business operates out of, you’ll have to comply with your home state’s Department of Motor Vehicle inspection standards. This might involve having your fleet vehicles inspected by a third-party service provider once a year or every other year. In other cases, you may be able to enlist an in-house service member who’s certified to perform vehicle inspections, which can drastically reduce wait time and cost for compliance.
If you manage a fleet of large transportation trucks, you’ll also need to be aware of the federal Department of Transportation inspection standards. There are eight levels to a DOT inspection, and it’s important to keep your drivers up to date on the best practices for handling expected–or unexpected–inspections.
To reduce costly downtime, it’s important to schedule inspections as far in advance as possible so you can factor those dates into your business plan. Scheduling inspections during historically slow periods for your business is the best way to reduce operational costs.
Tip #6: Prepare for Corrective Maintenance (Before It’s Necessary)
There’s only so much preventative maintenance you can perform to keep your fleet in tip-top shape; sometimes, you need to make corrective repairs after a vehicle breakdown or an accident.
In that case, it’s important to have a plan in place for how to perform corrective maintenance without wasting time or resources.
Some things this corrective maintenance plan should include:
- A list of approved service providers that can work on your vehicle (general mechanics, collision specialists, etc.)
- A list of parts suppliers that can provide expedited shipping
- Additional vehicles or contractors to pick up the slack
- Driver debrief in the event of an accident
In addition to the corrective maintenance plan, it might also be helpful for you to have a stock of frequently used parts for your fleet. Keeping things like brake pads, rotors, or spare tires in a warehouse or local storage solution can really decrease overall repair time.
Supplement Your Fleet Maintenance Plan with Proper Storage
Every fleet manager should schedule preventive maintenance and promote the use of fleet management software as part of their daily operations. However, an equally important factor in vehicle maintenance is proper storage.
Extreme temperatures, sleet and snow, and wind can damage your fleet vehicles, so finding a safe, enclosed space to store them is essential.
If you lack enough parking space at your business, you should consider renting a commercial-sized garage, additional parking lot, or multiple 10’x30’ storage units to store your vehicle fleet and keep your assets safe from thieves and the elements.
Neighbor is a peer-to-peer storage marketplace that provides safe, local parking options for a budget-friendly price, offering protection for your entire fleet. All of Neighbor’s hosts are thoroughly vetted, so you know your vehicles will be in good hands.
