How Does Preventative Fleet Maintenance Save Money?

While you might need to do some ad hoc maintenance work on your fleet's vehicles when things go wrong, you shouldn't just wait for a vehicle to break down or develop a fault before you work on it. It's also worth implementing a preventative maintenance schedule for each vehicle in your fleet. Here, you make regular checks and repairs at a set mileage or number of engine hours.

If you set up a preventative maintenance plan, then you save money in different ways. How does this work?

Keep All Your Fleet Vehicles on the Road

If you don't make regular checks on your fleet, then you run the risk of losing vehicles at some point. If a car or truck breaks down or even needs a simple tire change, then you can't use it until it is fixed. As such, you'll be down a vehicle. Unfortunately, this could affect your ability to get a crew to a job, make a delivery or keep a salesperson on the road. Your loss costs will increase if you have to hire a replacement vehicle if the repair will take some time.

However, if you run a preventative maintenance plan, then your vehicles get regular basic checks and servicing. They are less likely to develop sudden problems and more likely to stay on the road.

Reduce Repair Costs

If you don't run preventative maintenance checks on your fleet, then small problems will go unnoticed. Minor faults and problems could develop into major issues which need complex and expensive repairs. For example, worn spark plugs will continue to work for a while. However, they might cause other problems in your engine as they lose their functionality. They might even damage the battery or ignition system.

You'll end up paying more to repair this damage than you would if you had checked your spark plugs regularly. The costs of new spark plugs would have been lower than the more comprehensive repair costs you could face.

Reduce Operating Costs

If you don't keep your fleet vehicles in good condition, then they'll ultimately cost more to run. Their fuel economy rates won't be as good as they could be. For example, your vehicles might use more fuel if you don't give them regular oil checks and top-ups. They'll have higher consumption rates if their tire pressures are too high.

Fortunately, preventative maintenance can take care of these simple tasks to keep every vehicle in your fleet in the best possible shape. You should see your fuel costs go down. To find out more, contact local mechanics and ask about their preventative vehicle maintenance services. A company like Gregs Japanese Auto Parts and Service can provide more information. 

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