Most fleet managers know
that vehicle maintenance takes two forms: Scheduled and Unscheduled. In the
same way that regularly scheduled health checkups can detect and fix minor
medical problems before they become big ones, scheduled preventive maintenance
can help prevent, detect, and repair small problems before they become serious
and expensive issues.
On the other hand,
unscheduled checkups – for both you and your vehicles – usually only happen
after some sort of breakdown. They’re almost always more expensive than routine
checkups, involve significant “down time,” and may have been prevented with
routine, preventive maintenance. Developing and implementing an effective fleet
maintenance plan can be easy. There are tools and technology available that can
make it easier than ever before. But it will help save your company plenty of
time, frustration, and money. To quote Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When developing your fleet’s maintenance
plan, ask yourself these five questions:
What should be covered in
the preventive maintenance checkup?
Who will be responsible
for preventive maintenance service?
When will the service
take place?
Now, tap into these top 3 tips to keep your fleet and maintenance plan running smoothly.
What should be included
in routine preventive maintenance service?
Tip 1 – Develop a
comprehensive maintenance checklist for your vehicles. Many checklists include
these items, but you’ll want to edit yours based on your fleet’s needs.
Engine oil and filter
changes
Transmission fluid
Fuel system
Cooling system
Engine and transmission
mounts
Drive shafts or CV joints
Belts and hoses
Tune-ups
Electrical system
components
Braking system
Steering and suspension
system
Tires, wheels, and rims
Exhaust system
Undercarriage and frame
Exterior and interior
lights
Body, glass, and mirrors
Windshield wiper system
Horn
Seatbelts and seat
structures
Fluid leaks
Auxiliary systems
Who will be responsible
for preventive maintenance?
Tip 2 - Make this a team
effort between your drivers and your repair technicians. Your drivers are the
first line of defense against unexpected breakdowns and repairs. It’s critical
that they immediately report any vehicle problems to help keep your vehicles on
the road. Drivers can and should be trained to monitor basic vehicle safety
items (tires, brakes, steering, etc.); vehicle performance issues (including
misfires and rough idling); and miscellaneous items (such as the heater or
radio). Your repair technicians – whether in-house or outsourced – can perform
more detailed inspections on each vehicle’s components and systems. If you
outsource repairs, be sure to supply the vendor with your own preventive
maintenance checklist. Shops may focus on breakdown maintenance, not preventive
maintenance. When should preventive maintenance take place?
Tip 3 – Examine both
your routine and unscheduled maintenance data to develop a maintenance schedule
that works for your fleet. Miles traveled, engine hours, fuel usage, and
calendar time are the typical guides used to create a schedule. By also
tracking the number of breakdowns, jumpstarts, tows, and emergency repairs, you
might see patterns that require adjustments to your schedule.
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