Fleet managers are aware that fleet maintenance takes a couple of norms, the scheduled and unscheduled.
Fuel efficiency of the highest order with less vehicle breakdowns are quality traits desired for an operator. You need to take a proactive approach as far as maintenance of vehicles is concerned. This will ensure lesser breakdowns along with better fuel efficiency.
When you caught up in the vicious cycle of running your business, sadly this is an overlooked aspect.
Let’s have a look 5 tips that can effectively change your fleet management for good.
1. Understand who is taking charge
Vehicle maintenance heads now here as people cannot decide for themselves who is in charge. You tend to pass the buck to someone else. This can be avoided by clearly demarking the responsibility. It would be better to hand over the responsibility to the driver as he is the best person in monitoring and being aware of the situation.
Read Also: “Data Analytics and Its Use in Fleet Management”
Though this decision has to be fleet specific, the whole idea would be to have a system that puts proper accountability with regards to proper maintenance of a vehicle.
2. A maintenance checklist to be prepared
An important way so that you do not overlook maintenance tasks is to develop a maintenance checklist. This could be unique to the needs of your fleet but they need to include
- Interior or exterior lights
- Hoses and Belts
- CV joints
- Check of wheels, tires or rims.
3. The onus should be on technology
Proper maintenance requires data at its peril. Reports on how management has been performing along with budgetary reports need to be collected. This does go on to facilitate better decision making. With fleet management software, things become a lot easy as piles of paperwork are converted into digital files. This can be saved and easily managed. An icing on the cake while going digital is you get automatic alerts when the time of the next maintenance pops up.
4. In fleet management, emphasis should be put to preventive maintenance
Waiting for a fleet vehicle to break down and then perform maintenance work is simply an inefficient idea. In addition to nightmares, it is also going to shoot up the repair costs. The approach needs to be proactive and schedule routine maintenance. During these appointments, a professional will observe the visible wear and tear paving way for future breakdowns. The problems are nipped in the bud before it escalates to serious issues.
5. Incorporate best ideas from the maintenance professionals and drivers
No one is better equipped to provide you with an idea about the condition of your vehicle. They operate your vehicle on a day to day basis and are aware of the pros and cons of it. It is better to work with a maintenance professional and formulate a plan for your vehicle. If a team approach is advocated towards maintenance it ensures effectiveness.
It may seem a tinge unexciting, but taking care of your fleet is part of routine affairs of management.
Conclusion
Your fleet’s vehicles are unknown to everyone and all drivers rely on them for their day to day tasks, so make sure you are aware of the maintenance the vehicles undergo. Also, look out for the maintenance professionals to get a better idea about their strategies and if they fit best for you. By practicing a proper approach, you can improve compliance and effectiveness.