Fleet Maintenance Mistakes You Need to Avoid

28 Dec 2015

Fleet business owners have enough concerns in their daily operations than having to worry about their fleet vehicles breaking down. This is why fleet preventative maintenance is essential so you will be able to detect smaller issues before they turn out to be huge problems.

Fleet managers, for the most part, do fairly well in making sure their vehicles run at peak performance. However, when they take a lackadaisical approach to the maintenance of their fleet vehicles, it can cost their business thousands of dollars. Therefore, it’s imperative that fleet managers stay on top of and ensure their business preventative maintenance program is in place and working effectively.

Common Mistakes

Here are three common mistakes fleet managers make with respect to fleet maintenance.

Not Setting the Standard

Even by putting off preventative maintenance for just a few weeks or days can jeopardize your fleet operation. The costs of this type of maintenance is only a fraction of what the cost of repairs would be for brakes, tires, oil or other critical parts of a fleet vehicle. Plus, each vehicle will require its own type of care and should be handled individually by not taking a form of maintenance that runs by the “one size fits all” approach.

Not Involving the Drivers

Since your fleet drivers are the ones who are in the vehicles the most, it only makes sense to involve them in the upkeep. Although technicians know the things to look for, they still only have a vehicle in their possession for a few hours. When you involve your drivers, they can make technicians more aware of problems that they might otherwise not have noticed.

Ignoring the Data

As fleet vehicles are brought in for a maintenance request, data is collected and processed. This can help fleet managers gain essential insight into trends happening across the whole company. Fleet managers can use this data to identify what’s working and what isn’t, and come up with a plan of addressing widespread problems they find in their preventative maintenance program.

How GPS Tracking Can Help your Business Stay Current on Maintenance

Being the owner of a fleet operation, there are a great deal of things you are tackling. Mileage checks and maintenance schedules can sometimes be forgotten during the everyday hustle and bustle of your business. Because of this, a good plan for your business is investing in GPS fleet tracking, which can monitor the hours and mileage on the road and provide maintenance alerts and scheduling.

Some ways the GPS tracking can help with your fleet maintenance include:

Schedule reminders about upcoming maintenance tasks.
Track the condition of your fleet vehicles and get proper reporting.
Be alerted of specific maintenance issues (brakes, belts, oil, etc.).

Fleet maintenance is such a crucial part of your fleet company since it keeps your vehicles in the proper condition. It is especially important that they are working well in the colder winter months. Fortunately, GPS fleet tracking can help you keep your vehicles in good shape so they run efficiently all year long.

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About George Karonis

George Karonis is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LiveViewGPS Inc., a company he established in 2008 with the vision of making real-time GPS tracking more reliable, affordable, and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as an innovator in GPS tracking, fleet management, asset monitoring, and Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) communications. Under George's leadership, LiveViewGPS has grown into a nationally recognized provider of GPS tracking solutions, serving businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement organizations, and public works departments throughout the United States. The company's technology helps organizations improve operational efficiency, protect valuable assets, increase driver safety, and reduce operating costs through real-time location intelligence. Before founding LiveViewGPS, George developed a background in security, surveillance, and emerging location technologies. His passion for innovation and practical problem solving has driven the development of products that combine dependable hardware with easy-to-use cloud software, giving customers actionable information when it matters most. In 2018, George expanded into nationwide Push-to-Talk over Cellular communications by launching PeakPTT, providing businesses with rugged, instant communication solutions that operate over LTE and Wi-Fi networks. His focus has remained the same throughout his career: delivering dependable technology backed by exceptional customer service and long-term customer relationships. George regularly writes about GPS tracking, fleet management, asset protection, business technology, and communication systems. Through this blog, he shares industry insights, practical advice, and emerging trends to help organizations make informed decisions about tracking technology and connected operations.