Managing commercial or business vehicles is never easy. You need to be a smart business owner with the best fleet maintenance software and a great team. You want maximum efficiency, with no room for errors and the least expenses for your commercial vehicles. To proactively address management and maintenance challenges, consider the tips below.
Adopt Preventive Maintenance
Of course, every business owner wants all their vehicles on the road in the best condition, so they’re readily available for use. That’s where preventative maintenance comes in. Preventative maintenance addresses minor concerns that would otherwise escalate to bigger issues and breakdowns leading to business downtime or closure. It also increases the vehicles’ life expectancy, significantly reduces risks, and lessens fuel consumption.
Nobody wants their vehicles to break down. The average cost of towing a car is $109, although factors such as car size and towing distance also determine the total costs. Often, you can avoid such costs by being proactive with proper maintenance.
Performing Preventive maintenance means scheduling your vehicles for routine services, including hose and tire inspections, fluid refills, and oil changes. Maintenance is based on how much fuel the vehicle has consumed, the mileage, and time that has passed. Planning for preventive maintenance in advance allows convenient servicing of the fleet, which saves on working hours. Regular maintenance saves time, more so on operations.
An hour of preventive maintenance can save you three to eight hours of work. It also helps you keep track of how vehicles are using different parts and their warranties. No doubt, it is challenging to scale up your fleet. However, where there’s a steady decline in a vehicle’s efficiency, the best step to take is to dispose of it and purchase a new one.
Tire and Fuel Management
A tire is not just a piece of equipment. It’s an asset that requires careful management. Tires come third after fuel and payroll in fleet operating costs. Therefore, you need to manage them so that they serve you for as long as possible. Conduct regular checks to ensure the alignment, inflation, trends, and usage is okay. A tire management program for business/commercial vehicles can help you track the miles they travel and overall performance. It also enables you to determine how much each tire costs you.
If well-managed tires help reduce fuel costs and save you tire replacement expenses. Maintaining the manufacturer-recommended pressure can save you up to $99 annually and, more importantly, improve vehicle mileage by 3.3%.
Fuel management is also essential in the overall management of business/commercial vehicles. Therefore, closely monitor your fleet’s fuel consumption and its impact on the overall company budget. While most factors that’ll cause fuel costs to hike and go beyond your budget are manageable, others such as fuel prices are beyond your control.
Ensure efficient fuel use by ensuring your drivers follow the shortest and most efficient routes. Apart from your great team, consider employing vehicle management software to manage your fleet fuel expenses better.