Preventive maintenance for fleet: The good, the bad and the “ugh”

Following a preventive maintenance schedule according to OEM recommendations is the best way to optimize your vehicles’ safety, reliability, fuel efficiency and life.

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managed fleet maintenance plan mike albert
Skills in Class
Data-Driven Decision Making
Financial Management
Operational Efficiency
Driver Retention

Pros of preventive fleet maintenance checklist

Following a preventive maintenance schedule according to oem recommendations is the best way to optimize your vehicles’ safety, reliability, fuel efficiency and life. Plus, it can significantly reduce driver and vehicle downtime by helping to prevent dangerous, costly breakdowns and hefty, expensive repairs.

Cons of preventive maintenance

Oil and filter changes. Tune-ups. Fluid flushes. Tire rotations. Brake inspections. Staying on top of regular vehicle maintenance is no small feat. Especially for an entire fleet. How do you keep up with the maintenance schedules of numerous vehicles efficiently and cost-effectively when you’ve got a business to run? If the responsibility for this major task falls to your drivers, it takes their time and focus away from doing their jobs. As a result, both your driver and customer satisfaction can suffer.

The ugly, unpredictable repairs

Even if you do regularly service your vehicles, there’s still the chance they will break down suddenly or get into an accident. What do you do then? Which repair shop do you trust? Do you really need the repairs the shop suggests? If so, is their price fair? Will they fix it right? Does the cost of the repair outweigh the vehicle’s value? If you get the repair, will you need to secure a rental vehicle? You’re left spending a lot of time deliberating the right answers to these questions while your driver is stuck without transportation, losing time on the job, waiting for your go-ahead to get the repair or not.

The easy answer: partner with a professional fleet maintenance management team

Working with a trusted, experienced company that eats, sleeps, and breathes fleet solutions can take the pressure of fleet maintenance off your drivers, your fleet manager and you. Plus, for both the items on a preventive maintenance checklist as well as unplanned repairs — partnering with fleet maintenance management pros can boost your employee (driver) retention, productivity, and total cost savings.

Preventive Maintenance Checklist for commercial vehicles

When looking for the right maintenance management experts for your business, make sure they offer:

  1. A checklist of OEM recommended safety and maintenance tasks for each vehicle.
  2. A customized schedule of maintenance intervals (with alerts when service is due) that factors in the severity of your vehicles’ operating conditions.
  3. Pre-approved automotive service vendors with experienced, certified technicians.
  4. Convenient, automated digital formats for payment solutions, invoicing, driver write-ups, service appointment scheduling, and tracking and recording of mileage, fuel costs, maintenance, and repair.
  5. Regular, automated reports of maintenance and repair activity and cost for each vehicle so you can best determine when to replace a vehicle.
  6. Expert service advisors who act as liaisons between you and vendors to make sure you get the right repair, done right, at the best price.

Click here to learn more about our Managed Maintenance Program.

Skills covered in the class

Data-Driven Decision Making

Using facts, data, and metrics to determine what actions to take to enhance your fleet operations.

Financial Management

Monitoring and understanding the TCO of each of your vehicles and your fleet's overall ROI.

Operational Efficiency

Ensuring your fleet is performing at its highest level at the lowest possible cost.

Driver Retention

Keeping your drivers safe, productive and happy.

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