Keeping your drivers and company vehicles safe, on the road and productive is an essential part of obtaining your business’s sales and service aims. Have a look at this checklist for keeping your commercial fleet in optimal condition.

Knowing The Essentialness Of Cost Savings By Implementing Preventative Maintenance

Maintaining company vehicles properly can lower the risk of unscheduled repairs and possible downtime. Preventative maintenance includes things such as oil changes, periodic vehicle safety checks and tire rotation. Whether you’re changing oil at set mileages or using oil life monitors, make sure you maintain tire rotations and general vehicle inspections regularly. Often, this is the only time when vehicles are inspected for air pressure in tires, fluid levels, and more.

Be Aware Of Total Cost Of Ownership

Pay attention to your maintenance costs and see when they escalate based on a vehicle’s age. Also, be vigilant about the manufacturer’s warranty coverage and how it affects your total cost of ownership. Make sure you understand the residual value of your asset, current trends in the used vehicle market and the best time for selling a vehicle to maintain a cost-effective fleet.

Spec Your Vehicles Appropriately

It’s vital to be knowledgeable about the demands that your vehicles will face. Allocate time to outline car usage since appropriately spec’d vehicles can lower cost. Under spec’ing vehicles, based on loads carried and usage for example, can result in maintenance problems along the line which can influence your budget. Using an over-spec’d vehicle can subsequently increase costs. Work alongside your fleet management agency when you’re spec’ing replacement vehicles based on operating conditions, loads being carried, usage, etc. It’s also critical to ensure that your commercial trucks adhere to additional rules and regulations, including filing of a BOC-3 form. Such a form grants the truck authority to work interstates in every state where you conduct business. The form must be filed with FMCSA before such authority is granted and it can only be done by an authorized process agent.

Ensure Company Policy Is Communicated With Drivers

All drivers in your employee must be aware of the company vehicle policies and their responsibilities. They must be knowledgeable about the company’s maintenance policies, PM schedules and know what to do in the event of vehicle breakdowns or after being involved in an accident.

Make Sure Tire Pressure Is Checked Frequently

This important step is often overlooked;however, it is crucial for vehicle maintenance. Tire pressure impacts tire wear, vehicle handling and fuel mileage, all which ensures driver and vehicle safety. Also pay attention to tire pressure and air temperature with the fluctuating seasons. Instill the essentialness of inspecting and maintaining tire pressure with the drivers.

Create A Partnership With The Fleet Maintenance Supplier

Once you run into problems, work alongside your fleet maintenance supplier. For instance, if the vehicle is in for repairs, but a setback arises, make sure the fleet maintenance provider is informed. They can step in and take care of the repairs promptly. This can minimize downtime, boost customer satisfaction and improve productivity.