You take great pleasure in your business. You and your staff work tirelessly to provide your consumers with goods and services. Your drivers sit in vans and vehicles that transport them from worksite to job site as part of their regular operations. Preventative maintenance keeps your doors open and prevents you from having to pay for expensive repairs. The following are eight tips for keeping your fleet in top condition on the road:
1. Recognize the value of cost reductions associated with preventative maintenance.
Vehicles that are properly maintained have fewer unplanned repairs and downtime. Oil changes, tire rotation/inspection, and basic vehicle safety checks are all examples of preventive maintenance. Whether you adhere to established mileage oil change intervals or utilize an oil life monitor, be sure to do frequent tire rotations and general vehicle checks. All too often, this is the only time a vehicle is thoroughly evaluated for fluid levels, tire air pressure, and more.
2. Keep an Eye on Your Tires
Your fleet’s tires transport your merchandise. Underinflated, they will reduce fuel efficiency and cause premature wear and tear. Tires will wear differently depending on how your drivers drive. It’s a good idea to stay on top of tire pressure and deterioration by having your complete fleet regularly inspected to prevent expensive repairs.
3. Examine the battery
A typical automobile battery lasts between five and seven years, which is longer than the average fleet vehicle is kept. However, it is prudent to check the storm before the onset of summer temperatures. Heat has a significant impact on battery life. If a battery fails, the driver, as well as your company, will be stuck.
Keep the battery’s top clean to prolong its life. Wipe away debris and engine oil that might accumulate and deplete the battery’s charge. Remove any blue-colored corrosion from battery connections with care since this might restrict current flow.
4. Refill Coolant and Other Fluids
Vehicles, like people, need cooling as temperatures rise. Coolant prevents your engine from overheating, lubricates its moving parts, and protects the engine’s metal components from corrosion.
The summer heat has a detrimental effect on cooling systems. On a hot day, vehicles may quickly overheat when stuck in traffic, so it’s prudent to keep the coolant topped up. Additionally, check the oil and other fluids, such as the brake, power steering, and windshield coating.
5. Ascertain That Your Vehicles Are Appropriate for Their Purpose
You would not excavate a house’s foundation with a toy shovel or construct a sandcastle with an excavator. Likewise, each vehicle in your fleet should be outfitted appropriately for the job at hand. Inadequate specification may result in increased wear and tear—over specifying results in unneeded expenditures. When acquiring a vehicle or allocating jobs, consider the load your car will carry and the operating circumstances to ensure that you get the most out of it.
6. Mobilize your operations
It Completes tasks regardless of your location. Mobile applications may link your team to the data and assets they need while on the go, obviating the need for slow, unreliable paper procedures. Going mobile can help you save time and money by managing fleet maintenance, conducting vehicle inspections, and updating vehicle information.
Mobile applications may seamlessly connect the field and the office, establishing clear lines of communication and enabling your staff to operate offline.
7. Establish a collaborative relationship with your fleet maintenance supplier.
When you have difficulties, contact your fleet maintenance supplier. For instance, tell your fleet maintenance provider immediately if a vehicle is in for repair and a delay occurs. They will be able to intervene and help expedite the repair. With an effective fleet maintenance program, you can minimize downtime, increase customer happiness, and maximize production.
8. Drivers must be informed of the company’s policies.
Ascertain that all drivers understand their obligations and car use standards. They should be well aware of your company’s preventative maintenance schedules and procedures, as well as what to do if the vehicle requires repair or is involved in an accident.
CONCLUSION
Preventative measures are always preferable to curative measures. Investing in a solid fleet management application enables you and your team to track problems, schedule maintenance inspections, and analyze advanced diagnostics in real-time. It enables you to identify concerns early on before they escalate into larger ones. Additionally, you can have software to monitor your team’s driving and notify them when they need to improve their performance—saving you money on gasoline and protecting your car from unnecessary damage.
