Fleet monitoring is an essential part of what fleet managers tackle. Fleet monitoring can improve efficiency by lowering the vehicle operating costs and waste less of an employee’s time. Maintaining an elevated level of performance is a daunting task, but our fleet management tips will improve your workflow and overall make for more cost-effective operations. Avoid unexpected fleet repair and excessive administrative tasks.
Preventative Maintenance
Performing preventative maintenance will be essential in preventing unexpected fleet repair. A truck could have an underlying problem that has not been noticed yet and could put that truck out of commission for a while. Having a fleet repair specialist look at your trucks and maintain them can prevent this from happening. With scheduled fleet repair, you can rest assured that your trucks will be available to be used. The less downtime your fleet has, the more efficient your fleet is! Regular preventative maintenance includes brake system maintenance, oil changes, radiator servicing, and other system checks.
Maintaining a consistent maintenance schedule boosts your productivity and efficiency. This is because you can account for the downtime of the vehicle being worked on. Vehicles that undergo regular fleet repairs run more efficiently and result in lower fuel costs. It is also less expensive in the long run to have preventative maintenance performed than to only go in for fleet repairs when something is seriously wrong with the vehicle.
Tracking
Collect data about how your vehicles, drivers, and mechanics are performing to optimize your fleet’s efficiency and productivity. These will help you make educated decisions in the future. There may be assets your company is already monitoring, but there are a few that are universally good for fleet monitoring. These are:
- Fleet Repair: Maintenance performed on each vehicle, scheduled and unscheduled repairs.
- Usage: Records of who is operating the vehicles, as well as the date and mileage of their trips.
- Driver Performance: Dates and nature of all accidents, along with any insurance claim information.
- Driver Licensing: All your driver’s licensing and certification dates.
- Fuel usage: Fuel type, quantity, and cost.
When To Repair a Truck
There are many ways to tell when your fleet needs repair, such as a squealing or grinding noise when braking. This means it is time to have your brakes repaired! Maybe your engine is running hotter than usual, that could mean there is a problem with the radiator. Your trucks could be pulling to one side when driving; this is extremely dangerous. That could be a problem with the alignment of the tires. If your check engine light comes on in the vehicle, it is essential to get your vehicle checked on immediately. Get your engine serviced at a fleet repair shop if any of these issues occur for you!