Breakdowns happen. Whether your broken-down fleet vehicle requires onsite repairs in your company’s yard or on the side of the road, Motorplex offers that service.
Fleet managers on a budget are well-aware of the increasing cost of unscheduled roadside fleet maintenance and repairs. A benchmarking report released by FleetNet America and the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Technology and Maintenance Council’s (TMC) for 2020’s first quarter showed that the cost of unscheduled roadside repairs was up 30% compared to the same quarter last year.
To help mitigate this cost, fleet managers must commit to preventative fleet maintenance and be open to new technologies that can reduce breakdowns and maintenance costs.
Preventative Maintenance is Essential
Sometimes a thorough visual inspection of fleet vehicles and their components can catch a small problem before it becomes significant. Pre-trip and post-trip inspections should be comprehensive and never missed. If you can do so, run a full diagnostic scan on your vehicles frequently. Regular diagnostic scans will help you find issues. Learn more about the importance of pre-trip and post-trip inspections.
In addition to pre and post-trip inspections from your drivers and technicians, you should have regular fleet vehicle maintenance scheduled with a reputable shop like Motorplex in Auburn and Spokane. With decades of experience working on heavy, medium, and light-duty fleet vehicles, our technicians will catch any potential problems before they leave your driver on the side of the road.
Pay Attention to Your Tires
Tire issues are one of the leading causes for onsite repair calls. Worn tires or incorrect tire pressure can cause blowouts. For a heavy truck, replacing a tire isn’t that easy. Creating a tire fleet maintenance program, including regular air pressure and wear checks, can help prevent tire issues from happening on the road.
Invest in Remote Diagnostics
Innovative technology allows for remote diagnostics of fleet vehicles. Fleet managers can monitor the safety and health of their fleet vehicles remotely. Remote diagnostics will enable problems to be corrected quickly by the driver or alert them to get the vehicle to a shop as quickly as possible. This tech can save time and money by catching the problem before it escalates and requires onsite repair.
Learn How to Use Benchmarking Data
Analyzing benchmarking data can help you see how your repair trends compare to other organizations in the industry and national averages. Benchmarking can help you find problems that might be unique to your organization. If you find an issue, it provides the opportunity to see the cause and make adjustments to fix it. This benchmarking kit from FleetNet America can help you leverage this data to reduce your fleet’s maintenance costs.
If you need to get on a scheduled fleet maintenance program, Motorplex can help. Contact us to learn more.
