In the day-to-day operations of your company’s fleet, maintenance is easy to overlook. It’s far too simple to neglect oil changes, brake system maintenance, and other important checks and maintenance tasks. But maintenance is more than just something you do when you think it’s necessary — it’s the foundation of profitable fleet operations. Without these tasks being completed on a regular basis, you run the risk of unexpected breakdowns slashing your profits. Fleet vehicle downtime is estimated to cost as much as $760 per vehicle per day in terms of lost revenue. The larger the fleet, the bigger the potential losses.
Fortunately, Track Your Truck’s NetTrack software platform automates maintenance scheduling through GPS-powered mileage alerts. This means it’s easy for you to shift from a reactive maintenance strategy to a preventive maintenance program without adding any administrative overhead. Here are just a few of the most important ways an effective fleet maintenance program can benefit your business.
While there is a cost associated with proper fleet maintenance, over the long term it saves far more than it costs. Vehicles that are properly cared for will run more efficiently, lowering fuel costs. It’s estimated that simple maintenance such as ensuring proper tire pressure, using the right motor oil grade, and tuning engines can improve fuel economy by nearly 10% combined. For example, under-inflated tires can account for a drop in fuel economy by about 0.2% for every 1 psi drop in pressure. Fleets logging thousands of miles a month can experience big savings from small efficiency gains like these.
Your fleet will also suffer fewer on-the-job breakdowns, which lead to costly delays. A well-maintained fleet will help your drivers avoid penalties and fines when stopped by law enforcement personnel for safety checks. If you are not maintaining your vehicles, you are likely wasting money instead of saving it. NetTrack provides automated maintenance alerts based on the actual mileage and engine hours your vehicles are racking up, ensuring service happens at the optimal time.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 40 percent of fatal workplace injuries occur because of transportation incidents. Brake problems were connected to nearly 30% of crashes involving trucks, and more than a third were found to have out-of-service-level maintenance defects. Although driver behavior accounts for some of these problems, faulty vehicles are a major cause of safety incidents on the road. When vehicles are not maintained, they are mobile time bombs. Brakes that fail, steering systems that malfunction and engines that stall can all lead to catastrophe.
You have a responsibility not only to keep your workers safe, but also to provide a measure of protection to others who share the road with your drivers. Paying attention to maintenance is the first step in protecting both groups. Well-maintained vehicles are obviously safer to drive. Proper maintenance also protects companies from negligence claims and OSHA regulatory scrutiny. Track Your Truck’s GPS tracking adds another layer of safety by monitoring driver behaviors such as speeding, harsh braking, and excessive idling that contribute to accidents and accelerated vehicle wear.
Downtime for fleet vehicles has a great impact on your productivity and budget. When a vehicle is out of commission, you either have to pay for a replacement rental or incur the obvious expense of losing a valuable resource for your business. Studies have found that a 20-vehicle fleet with an average of three half-day downtime incidents per unit per year incur annual costs of roughly $18,000.
Downtime also sidelines a driver and impacts your customer service. Carefully scheduled maintenance that occurs during off-road hours can help reduce unexpected breakdowns without impacting the overall usefulness of your fleet. GPS-powered maintenance tracking ensures service is performed as vehicles need it, based on real-time data on vehicle usage instead of static schedules. NetTrack’s reporting features also give fleet managers more visibility into which vehicles are due for service, which are approaching maintenance thresholds, and which have overdue tasks.
Motor carriers are required to systematically inspect, repair, and maintain all motor vehicles under their control under 49 CFR Part 396. Commercial vehicles are required to undergo inspections at least every 12 months, according to Section 396.17, and all records must be retained for 14 months. Failing to comply with these DOT regulations can lead to out-of-service orders that keep vehicles off the road as well as fines and increased Compliance, Safety, Accountability scores that can impact the carrier’s operating authority and insurance rates.
With NetTrack, you can have complete fleet vehicle maintenance histories accessible at any time through desktop or mobile app. This means you can ensure every service event is logged with date, mileage, and service type. DOT audits become much smoother, and you can avoid disruptive penalties.
Fleet maintenance management software makes it easier to stick to a proper maintenance schedule and enjoy the money savings and image protection that comes from well-maintained vehicles. Track Your Truck’s GPS vehicle tracking system and fleet management software provide built-in maintenance reminders triggered by hours of service or mileage which are both accurate measures for preventative maintenance purposes. Within the platform, you can set custom alerts for oil changes, tire rotations, brake inspections, and other service intervals based on each vehicle’s actual usage patterns.
In addition, you also can receive real-time information about driver behavior including excessive idling, harsh, braking, and rapid acceleration alerts that help you predict which vehicles may need servicing ahead of schedule. You can access all this information through our real-time dashboards on your desktop or on our iOS and Android mobile apps. Automatic real-time updates also ensure nothing is overlooked no matter how busy you get. If you understand the importance of fleet maintenance and all of the benefits that they bring, contact Track Your Truck’s team for a free demonstration of our fleet maintenance software.
If you understand the importance of fleet maintenance and all of the benefits that they bring, contact Track Your Truck’s team for a free demonstration of our fleet maintenance software.
