If you’re a fleet manager, fleet maintenance should be one of your top priorities. The benefits of a fleet maintenance program are undeniable, from improving driver safety to saving you money on repairs. If you’re having trouble coming up with a fleet maintenance program, check out our article, “Fleet Maintenance Plan & Checklist” for details on how to create a program and checklist. Luckily, if you manage a fleet maintenance program properly, you can enjoy a variety of benefits year-round for your fleet. We will go over those benefits in this article.
1. Improve Fleet Safety
Safety is something else that should be a top priority for your fleet business. When your vehicles are in their best shape, they’re much safer for your drivers to handle. Otherwise, issues like brake failure or tire blowouts can cause accidents that put your drivers at risk. Did you know that 27% of accidents involving a truck and a passenger vehicle were caused by brake problems, according to the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). That’s more than speeding and driver fatigue combined. Luckily, these problems are easily resolved with fleet maintenance, so you and your drivers don’t have to worry as long as you have a proactive maintenance plan in place.
2. Increase Fleet Reliability
Nothing is worse than when one of your fleet vehicles has a breakdown. While your driver waits on the side of the road, your fleet loses money, isn’t productive, and might displease a customer. Not to mention the cost of repairing your vehicle. You need your fleet vehicles to be consistently reliable so they don’t hinder your business operations. If you’re losing revenue due to vehicle breakdowns, you do not have a good preventative fleet maintenance plan in place. Take a proactive stance and adopt a maintenance plan that ensures your vehicles are always at their best on the road, so breakdowns are far less likely.
3. Spend Less on Maintenance
This may seem like a surprise, but doing more routine repairs will actually save you money on maintenance in the long run. Preventative maintenance is far less expensive than reactive maintenance because the repairs are less intensive and invasive. Not to mention, your vehicles usually have to be off of the road for less time. You can also plan ahead for this downtime, whereas for a breakdown you may be out of luck. Preventative maintenance may even extend the life of your vehicle. For example, waiting to get the oil changed on your vehicle causes unnecessary wear and tear that is easily avoidable. Changing the oil regularly is far less expensive than cleaning a clogged engine or replacing a worn-out piston. This is also true for many routine maintenance procedures.
Keep Up On Your Maintenance With Azuga!
If you’ve got a maintenance plan in place, Azuga’s maintenance alerts can help you keep the plan in order for all of your vehicles. Our maintenance alerts will tell you when your vehicles have an issue that needs addressing. Furthermore, they’ll also tell you when it’s time for your routine maintenance appointments for each vehicle, so you never fall behind. Your fleet management software allows you to keep track of all of your vehicle maintenance logs, so you know your vehicles’ history any time you need. See what Azuga can do for you with a free demo on our website.
