Cleveland Truck Repair Maintenance Contracts Keep Your Fleet Moving
These are tough times for any company in Cleveland that owns and operates its own fleet. Whether you're doing deliveries to customers or utilizing the fleet to improve your logistics, there are a lot of challenges to overcome. Fuel prices are high, as well as unpredictable - making budgeting difficult. Increasing regulations continue to require more additions and upgrades to stay within the law. Plus, the ongoing shortage of licensed commercial drivers means that just keeping drivers in their seats can be difficult.
These all impact the bottom line of a business with a fleet, and fleet operators across the state are looking for ways to reduce costs. However, one thing you absolutely should not cut corners on are your Cleveland truck repair and maintenance needs. If your fleet becomes unreliable, your entire business could be at risk. Even if the trucks are still running, you'll see a lot more avoidable costs if you let their maintenance needs slide.
In this article, we'll talk about the dangers of neglecting maintenance on your fleet, and talk about how maintenance contracts can affordably reduce your repair expenditures.
I. The Risks of Poor Maintenance
Neglecting repairs and maintenance may save money in the short term, but it will start causing big avoidable costs. The losses will quickly outweigh the gains if you don't stay on top of truck maintenance. For example:
Costly Breakdowns
Few things will wreck your bottom line faster than vehicles becoming unreliable on the road. Roadside towing services and emergency repairs are far more expensive than preventative maintenance, as well as taking the vehicle out of commission for hours if not days. This also means putting your contracts at risk or cutting into your own productivity. The costs of a breakdown will quickly multiply to be far greater than what it would have cost to handle mechanical issues before a breakdown occurred.
Driver Safety Issues
If a vehicle breaks down on the road, that doesn't only endanger your bottom line - it also endangers your drivers. Should a driver be hurt due to an on-road breakdown, there's a good chance you'll be responsible for their medical bills. Those can be even more expensive than Cleveland truck repairs!
In addition, drivers who feel your vehicles are unsafe won't want to keep working for you. In the current "seller's market" where commercial drivers are in high demand, they really won't have much reason to keep driving vehicles they can't trust. They'll just switch companies to another that does a better job with maintenance.
Reduced Vehicle Lifespans
Poor maintenance will also quickly eat into the overall lifespan of a vehicle, with each breakdown or neglected part potentially taking months or years off its life. Given how expensive vehicles are, you want them to last as long as possible.
If poor maintenance leads to having to replace or totally overhaul a vehicle years before its expected end of life, you'll end up paying far more than it would have cost to keep the vehicle in good shape.
Failing Government Regulations
Finally, we can't forget that the regulatory burdens on commercial vehicles grow nearly every year. Fleet operators are expected to keep their trucks in excellent condition, including both road-readiness and environmental concerns. A poorly maintained truck could easily fail its mandatory inspections, which takes it out of service entirely until the problems can be rectified.
Plus, if your vehicles are involved in breakdowns or accidents due to issues that ignore regulations, you could be looking at extra penalties when it comes time to assign responsibility.
II. The Benefits of Fleet Maintenance Contracts
Of course, maintaining vehicles costs money as well, and requires you to have reliable workers servicing your trucks, as well as the facilities needed for that work. This all costs money to own and maintain - but what if you didn't have to?
An experienced Cleveland truck repair shop like Mainline offers multiple ways to reduce that burden, making it both cheaper and easier to keep your vehicles in good shape.
Contract maintenance packages are the more basic option and can be tailored to fit virtually any budget. You can arrange to have a qualified repair shop pick up your trucks whenever they need work. Much like having a lawyer on retainer, you pay a negotiable fee to have priority access, and also frequently get discounts on parts and labor as well.
You'll also receive other complimentary services, such as customized reminders when aspects of your trucks will need service. This can include your yearly checkups, as well as any components with a predictable maintenance or replacement cycle.
Or, if you want to leave maintenance entirely to the experts, you can arrange for a fleet maintenance contract. With fleet maintenance, your partner repair shop will take over nearly all aspects of ongoing maintenance. They'll create a schedule for inspections, maintenance, and upgrades, with robust communication so you'll always know when a vehicle needs work. They'll handle all pickup, service, and delivery as well. It's a hands-off option for you that allows you to focus entirely on your core competencies while trusting local experts to keep your trucks in great shape - guaranteed!
Mainline Is Your Trusted Cleveland Truck Repair Source
For years, Mainline RV & Truck Service has been one of the go-to sources for truck repairs in Cleveland, and across the state. Drivers come from miles around for our huge in-stock range of parts and upgrades, as well as our highly trained and experienced service crew.
If you're struggling to keep up with your fleet maintenance, we can help with a range of contracted services that alleviate your burdens while reducing your costs. Contact us today to discuss your fleet maintenance contract options!
