Unplanned downtimes and compliance violation penalties are the most significant financial burdens that can affect your fleet business. The only way to avoid these expenses is by incorporating preventive maintenance in fleet management. While timely inspections and repairs are crucial parts of the fleet vehicle maintenance plan, there are other equally important components to consider. Read on to find out!

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Article Roadmap

• What Is Fleet Vehicle Maintenance?
• Key Elements
• How To Implement a Maintenance Plan
• Maintenance Log Essentials
• Primary Benefits
• Best Practices
• Next Steps

What Is Fleet Vehicle Maintenance?

Fleet vehicle maintenance is the process of regularly inspecting vehicles and identifying and repairing mechanical issues quickly to keep your fleet running in optimal conditions. The primary goal is to minimize fuel consumption, prevent unexpected breakdowns and ensure safe driving.

Additionally, a typical fleet maintenance plan enables you to meet compliance requirements. Regular inspections and reporting help maintain repair records and vehicle certifications, which drivers can present to officers during roadside DOT inspections.

Key Elements

A robust fleet maintenance management system helps save maintenance costs and prevent accidents and breakdowns. Here are five must-have elements in your fleet vehicle maintenance plan:

1. Fleet Inspector

A fleet inspector plays the most important role in your maintenance strategy. You must hire an experienced maintenance provider to upkeep your fleet. Their responsibilities include establishing a well-defined maintenance schedule and ensuring regular inspections are taking place.

Another crucial task is to ensure the execution of preventive maintenance. This includes regular oil changes, tire pressure checks and engine cleaning.

2. Driver Reports

Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers are responsible for performing pre-trip and post-trip inspections and recording the results in driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIR). You must constantly communicate with your drivers, ensure inspection reports have accurate findings and take necessary actions.

3. Appropriate Vehicles

Using appropriate vehicles for a particular task is an essential aspect of preventive maintenance. You can’t win a Formula 1 race with a tow truck. That’s why always use the right vehicles and equip them properly, as ill-suited cars can lead to faster deterioration.

4. Proper Tires

Maintaining proper tire pressure is crucial not only for preventing accidents but also for improving mileage. Conditions like road quality, weather, driver skills and run time affect vehicle tires differently. So, you must allocate dedicated time to check tire pressure and assess wear and tear minutely to ensure the best performance.

5. Adequate Training

Training your drivers and inspectors in handling preventive maintenance programs is a vital step for fleet vehicle maintenance. Besides inspections, drivers should also have basic knowledge of minor repairs so they don’t have to wait for roadside mechanics.

Also, conducting seminars and workshops on the importance of regular checking for vehicle and driver safety can go a long way in promoting good maintenance practices.

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How To Implement a Maintenance Plan

Efficient vehicle maintenance is paramount for fleet reliability. Through strategic steps, from scheduling inspections to timely repairs, a well-implemented maintenance plan ensures optimal performance and extends vehicle lifespan

Step 1: Collect Data

First, chalk out a process for collecting, storing and analyzing your fleet data, including vehicle history, maintenance records, vendors, parts replaced and more. Proper data flow saves time, prevents miscommunication and helps fleet managers take action swiftly. You can use cloud-based endpoint software to securely store large amounts of data.

Step 2: Develop a Maintenance Plan

Now, create an effective maintenance strategy based on data analysis and requirements. Ensure that your plan is effective to minimize downtime and accidents and reduce operational and repair costs as much as possible.

Step 3: Determine Maintenance Intervals

After analyzing the data and finalizing a plan, determine the specifics of your maintenance activities. What should be the interval time between each action? Which things will you inspect? Who will be responsible for inspections? Questions like these need to have clear answers with clear policies in place.

Remember, maintenance schedules may vary based on different types of vehicles and their tasks in your fleet. They also depend on your operational conditions and the skills of the person handling them.

Step 4: Follow an Inspection Checklist

Create a maintenance or inspection checklist based on the nature of your vehicles. Consult with your drivers and inspectors to identify the most vital components that require inspection during daily operations.

We’ve created a checklist to assist you with the process:

• Brakes
• Air system
• Steering mechanism
• Lights and reflectors
• Tires, rims and wheels
• Windshield wipers
• Rearview mirrors
• Coupling equipment
• Fifth wheels
• Safety and emergency equipment

Step 5: Invest in Software

While manually managing fleet maintenance operations may look feasible, it’s prone to human error. You can automate the entire process by implementing fleet maintenance software, saving your employees time and mitigating the risk of mistakes.

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Maintenance Log Essentials

Keeping maintenance records is essential for maintaining compliance. It also lets you assess your fleet’s current condition and make key business decisions. Here are a few things that you must record in your maintenance log:

• Mileage: Make sure to record the date and time of the oil change, engine cleaning and filter modifications. These metrics indicate how much your vehicles have traveled and what kind of mileage you can expect in the future.
• Service Description: Repairs and certifications ensure your vehicles pass roadside inspections and meet regulatory compliance. Your fleet management software can also maintain a service log for your vehicle parts and inspections. This log should also include all roadside assistance records by your driver.
• Service Provider: In case of any untoward incident despite regular fleet maintenance, you must know where to look for answers. For that, record the names of companies or mechanics that have provided you with maintenance services over the years. This record should include those who handle minor fixes and repairs as well as your regular service providers.
• Service Costs: Having detailed cost reports is important for effective business accounting and informed decision-making. Keep track of how much money you have spent on equipment repairs and replacements. Don’t forget to include any expenses incurred for self-managed repairs in your financial records.

Primary Benefits

Regular fleet vehicle maintenance can help save thousands of dollars on operational costs and ensure your fleet’s health and safety. Here are the primary benefits of a holistic fleet maintenance management plan:

Extend Equipment Life

Taking care of your fleet through a comprehensive vehicle maintenance strategy can extend equipment lifespan and optimize its performance. For instance, rotating tires at the correct pressure regularly can increase their mileage and lifespan.

Minimize Costs

With preventive vehicle maintenance, you can reduce the overall operational and repair costs of your business. It enables you to find issues early on through inspections and repair them before they develop into severe problems. Also, ordering parts in bulk beforehand brings down the cost significantly.

Maintenance programs boost engine efficiency, leading to lower fuel consumption. You can also implement a fuel management system to get the best results.

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Ensure Compliance

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducts roadside inspections to ensure your vehicles comply with rules and regulations. Failure to meet these public and driver safety requirements can result in hefty fines and even vehicle decommissioning.

Regular maintenance assessments provide insights into your fleet’s compliance status. They also improve your CSA scores. Better CSA scores lead to more hiring offers and lower insurance premiums.

Reduce Liability

If a vehicle faces downtime due to unexpected mechanical failures or accidents, DOT investigates to find the root cause. If this inquiry reveals inadequate maintenance as the primary reason, the company would be held accountable for the incident.

Proactive fleet vehicle maintenance can absolve the company from liability to a large extent and reduce the possibility of such incidents occurring in the future.

Best Practices

Here are the proven industry best practices for creating an effective fleet vehicle maintenance program:

• Take regular feedback from all stakeholders, including drivers, technicians, service providers and support staff.
• Leverage the feedback to enhance your fleet maintenance management system’s effectiveness.
• Maintain a well-stocked inventory of spare parts to be ready for quick vehicle issue resolution and eliminate downtime.
• Optimize inventory management by ordering spare parts in bulk and negotiating the pricing.
• Employ third-party auditors and inspectors occasionally to double-check your fleet’s condition.
• Implement automated systems like fleet maintenance software, fuel management and DOT compliance systems to reduce chances of human error and keep track of all records.

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Next Steps

Remember, prevention is better than cure. Fleet managers should implement robust fleet vehicle maintenance programs to identify and fix mechanical defects early rather than waiting for accidents to occur before taking action. A collaborative effort of skilled workers equipped with automated fleet management software can optimize fleet management.

If you need help finding the best fit for your business, check out our free comparison report. It contains scorecards of top solutions, their features and user reviews to assist you in your software selection journey.

Which, according to you, is the biggest goal of a fleet vehicle maintenance program? Let us know in the comments below!