Fleet maintenance costs are variable instead of the capital fixed expenses of asset acquisition, depreciation, and overhead. Various things influence them, including the types of assets in your operation, the cost of parts and supplies, the scope of your warranty, and even external factors like road conditions and weather.
Here are five practical ways to cut down your fleet maintenance fees:
1. Learn the Most Cost-Effective Maintenance Strategy
There are three basic strategies that managers can use to maintain their fleet. The first is to proactively take care of the vehicles, resulting in fewer breakdowns and requiring less maintenance and repairs.
The second is to respond to breakdowns with preventive maintenance. The third is to perform reactive maintenance whenever issues arise.
The second is the most effective way to do so.
For instance, if your fleet comprises a large number of older vehicles, performing maintenance on them before they break down is a more effective use of your resources. It’s better than waiting for them to fail before considering maintenance.
2. Install Smart Monitoring Tools
Nowadays, installing innovative monitoring tools in your fleet is easier than ever.
Many of these technologies allow you to detect problems before breakdowns occur. All of them help you identify issues before they become serious problems that result in increased maintenance and repairs.
3. Subscribe to Fleet Maintenance Programs
When you subscribe to fleet maintenance programs, you can take advantage of various services and discounts that can significantly cut your maintenance costs. One of the most significant benefits of subscribing is the economy you can achieve by buying parts and supplies on your own.
You also receive access to a wide array of discounts, including coupons, volume discounts, and even educational programs that help your drivers maintain their vehicles better.
4. Take Advantage of Technology
Many vehicles come equipped with telematics systems that allow you to monitor your fleet’s daily usage and maintenance and the drivers who use it. You can even use these systems to warn drivers about potential maintenance issues before they become serious problems.
You can also use technology to automate much of the work into fleet maintenance. For example, you can utilise driver-initiated maintenance requests to set reminder alerts that notify drivers when they need to perform preventive maintenance.
Similarly, you can rely on technology to automate various maintenance processes, from scheduling to parts distribution.
5. Keep Track of Parts Inventory
One of the most significant ways fleet managers can save money on maintenance is by reducing the number of spare parts in their inventory.
To be effective at reducing your spare parts inventory, you need to keep track of everything you maintain in your fleet. By tracking the costs of parts and supplies, you can see what types of maintenance require the most financial resources.
Since certain parts will most often be used to fix specific problems, you can monitor your inventory and ensure that you have the right parts on hand to make repairs efficiently.
Conclusion
To gain the benefits of having a fleet, you must be prepared to accept the liabilities. The costs that come along with fleet maintenance are unavoidable. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t reduce them. There are various ways to cut costs in the care of your fleet.
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