Fleet Maintenance Management
For the everyday car, whether you drive it multiple times a day or once a month, maintenance and upkeep are important. And for a business with a fleet of cars, it’s the same amount of maintenance and upkeep, for multiple cars. It is to the advantage of a company with a fleet of cars to find a fleet management service that includes not only basic maintenance and upkeep but car fleet repairs too.
Are there different types of car fleet management plans?
Yes, there are two types of fleet car maintenance programs:
- Corrective Maintenance: This type of fleet car maintenance is corrective maintenance which is typically unscheduled maintenance in reaction to a vehicle failure.
- Preventive Maintenance: This type of fleet car maintenance is a proactive approach to regularly scheduled maintenance to prevent unexpected (and expensive) failures.
What is car fleet management?
A car fleet service can be in-house or an outside party. The car fleet management service will oversee all the fleet maintenance and upkeep, and some will provide car fleet repairs too. An in-house fleet car management will handle the following tasks:
- Manage drivers
- Basic vehicle maintenance and car fleet repairs
- Find, negotiate, and setup suppliers
- Plan mechanics routes and schedule
- Manage fuel budget by overseeing fuel consumption
- Decrease waste
Today, most managers and operators utilize software designed for car fleet repairs, maintenance, and more.
How often should fleet vehicles be serviced?
Depending on a company’s fleet, the maintenance requirements can vary. The standard fleet car basic maintenance is every 3,000 miles, but a company may choose to have their fleet car repairs and maintenance every 30 days or even bi-monthly.
Whether the car fleet repairs and maintenance are done by in-house or a third party, it is important to collect and keep the service records, a copy in each vehicle, a copy in the office, and the service department should keep a copy as well.
What does a fleet car maintenance program cost?
A fleet car maintenance program can vary based on the year, make, and model and can be priced per car and/or per month, plus any parts needed for car fleet repairs.
What is the life expectancy of a fleet car?
When a company car has routine maintenance and professional car fleet repairs, it will typically have a longer lifespan. That lifespan can be affected by the age, mileage, safety features, and the driving style and usage of the cars in the fleet. With car fleet repairs done by the fleet management team, light-duty vehicles can give a company up to 4 years of use, or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
What are the benefits of a car fleet repair and maintenance program?
Having a company’s fleet of vehicles maintained and serviced, including car fleet repairs, done on-site will provide the following benefits:
- Productivity is increased
- Efficiency and operations are streamlined
- Security of cars being safe and operable
- Car fleet repairs are less expensive
Are there policies that a company should put in place with fleet cars?
Yes, there are things that can be done by fleet car drivers to extend their lifespan and minimize the need for car fleet repairs:
1. MAKE SURE VEHICLE AND PURPOSE MATCH
It is important to have every fleet vehicle adequately equipped for the employee driving it. Start by determining what is being hauled in the vehicle and under what conditions the driver will be operating under.
2. PRE-DETERMINE PURCHASING REQUIREMENTS
Pre-determine what requirements you need for your fleet vehicles and find the right source to purchase the cars from. This allows you to create a standardized list of requirements, allows you to have control and your dealer to have easy access to additional or replacement cars as needed.
3. SET AND ENFORCE POLICIES
Set up clear policies and requirements for the staff driving these fleet vehicles.
4. PREPLAN & STICK WITH MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES
Keep a proactive fleet car maintenance schedule so there aren’t any unexpected car fleet repairs.
5. OPTIMIZE DRIVING ROUTES
Require fleet car drivers to optimize their drive routes and style. Including minimizing idling time.
7. REQUIRE DRIVERS TO LEARN & RECOGNIZE ISSUES
In addition to watching for warning lights on the dashboard, instruct the fleet car drivers to learn other potential indicators and when they need to schedule a car fleet repair appointment. Set strict requirements for the drivers to keep the vehicles clean inside and out.
Do fleet cars lose value?
The business world is more competitive today than it ever has been, making a challenge to a fleet car repair manager. Each year a fleet car gets older, it depreciates, and its value declines. Depending on the type of business, fleet cars typically have more miles, and often that mileage is highway mileage. That alone can affect the value of a fleet car.
For an individual, is a fleet car a good value?
For an individual on the market for a used car, a fleet car can be a reasonably priced car. By being a fleet car, you’ll have access to all service records, especially fleet car repairs done while it was in service. A downside to purchasing a fleet car is the high mileage, and for that reason, you should have your mechanic inspect the car before making the purchase and don’t expect the interior to be in ideal condition. Fleet cars are often sales or service personnel who use their car as their office. Our team is ready to provide your car fleet repair in Inglewood, CA. Call us now at __PHONE__!