Improve Your Truck Fleet Maintenance and Management with These Tips

Managing a working truck fleet that brings real value to your operation is a challenge even in the best of times - and these are far from the best of times. Between the driver shortage and skyrocketing fuel costs, it's more expensive than ever to keep a fleet running.  This means smart fleet managers need to start getting serious about cost-cutting and adopting cost-effective upgrades which will deliver long-term value.

Mainline RV & Truck Service has long been one of Ohio's top sources for fleet maintenance contracts, upgrades, and repairs.  We can help lower fleet maintenance costs and make ongoing management more predictable. However, there are other things you can do as well to lower your operating costs - and perhaps need to, especially in today’s economic climate.

Five Ways to Improve Your Fleet Maintenance and Management

1 - Adopt electronic app-based truck inspections 

If your crew is still doing inspections by hand, using paper and clipboards, they're wasting money and delivering unreliable reports.

Fleet inspection apps can run on any standard smart device and put absolutely everything needed for effective inspection at your people's fingertips. Maintenance crews and drivers will be able to more quickly inspect their vehicles, and in some cases, may even be able to download critical information directly from the onboard computers rather than having to enter the data by hand.

In addition, they allow for more types of information-gathering. For example, does a driver need to include a picture alongside a component that doesn't pass inspection?  They can take a picture right in the app and include it directly in the report.

2 - Install or upgrade your telematics

Telematic systems are components of a truck's electronics system which monitor numerous aspects of the vehicle's performance, and reports that information back to a central source - like the database in your office. This gives you superior on-the-road oversight of the vehicles you manage.

A GPS system is the most common type of telematics, but this can also include component-by-component monitoring, as well as reports on other areas of driving such as average speed and braking intensity. 

So, you get a 'twofer' benefit here. On one hand, you'll be able to keep a closer eye on your drivers and their habits.  On the other, you'll also get detailed data on the truck's internals, and be able to more easily spot small maintenance issues before they become big problems.

3 - Automating maintenance workflows

Another highly effective electronic upgrade is to your maintenance crews' workflows. Apps can immediately alert them whenever there's a problem that needs to be addressed, including detailed information on the problem and recommended solutions.  This may come directly from the drivers' own reports, via their inspection software.

This is much more reliable than using paper orders which can be easily lost or overlooked.  You'll also be able to monitor the performance of your maintenance crews more closely, to ensure they're doing the job properly and within a reasonable amount of time.

4 - Expenses and TCO Calculation

This one doesn't necessarily require upgrades - you could theoretically do it with a standard spreadsheet system. 

Basically, a smart fleet manager should be keeping detailed data about costs and expenses.  The more granular, the better. This information can be pulled from or combined with, the data you get from your inspection and maintenance apps for greater reliability.

Tracking your expenses in fine detail makes it much easier to understand the true Total Cost of Ownership for your vehicles. In addition, it also becomes easier to identify vehicles that have begun to outlive their useful lifespan. At the point you're putting more money into a truck than you're getting out of it in productive work, it's time to look for alternatives.

(Also, remember to track expenses related to downtime. Truck repairs don't happen in a vacuum.  There's an opportunity cost there which shouldn't be ignored.)

5 - Have a set policy for vehicle disposal and acquisition

When you've got all this information in place, you can start making genuinely informed decisions about when to purchase new vehicles, and when to sell off old equipment which has become more trouble than its worth.

You should have clear data-driven policies in place specifying when these events should be triggered, and don't deviate from those policies unless it's a truly exceptional situation.  Over time, this will provide better value from the vehicles you purchase, while allowing you to minimize 'money pit' situations where you're maintaining a vehicle that it's time to dump.

Mainline RV & Truck Service Can Keep Your Fleet Running Smoothly

Contractors and transportation managers across Ohio trust Mainline to handle their fleet maintenance and management.  We can work out an inspection and maintenance schedule that fits your needs and budget while taking those burdens off of your shoulders.  With forty years of service and counting, we know how to maximize your fleet's potential!

Contact us to learn more.