How To Keep Your Company Fleet In Good Condition

fleet management maintenance

Whether you run a driving-based business or have a group of cars for your company to use, you understandably want to make sure that your vehicles remain in good working order. However, the process is a lot more complicated than it may seem. From schedules and checklists to budgets and policies, there is a lot to organize and manage when it comes to your fleet of vehicles. 

In this article, we are going to look at some different tips to help you keep everything in tip-top condition. Want to learn more about maintaining a first-rate fleet? Then keep on reading our article below about fleet management! 

Choose Vehicles To Fit The Proper Purpose 

Each vehicle is different, so in order to maintain them correctly, you need to understand their demands. You don’t want to go loading heavy equipment into a tiny two-door car every single day. Choose vehicles to suit your purpose and understand their specifications. 

Don’t forget to take into consideration the fuel they require as well. You may want to keep your own supply. There is white diesel also known as road diesel, petrol, or you may even think about going electric. 

Hire A Fleet Management Professional 

To keep your vehicles in good condition, fleet management is essential. While it is possible to do it yourself, you probably have other things that require your time and attention. Consider hiring a fleet manager who can take care of all of the different duties for you. It may even save you money, as you won’t need to outsource maintenance and repairs. Here are some areas that they should cover: 

- Vehicle procurement 
- GPS management 
- Fuel management 
- Maintenance management 
- Up-fits 

Teach Your Drivers To Respect The Fleet 

No matter who is driving your vehicles, it’s vital that they understand to respect it. It is not their personal car, which means they need to drive safely and keep it clean. To ensure everyone is on the same page, develop a strong company policy that all drivers should sign and acknowledge. It should include everything, from the rules they need to follow to what they should do if an accident does occur. 

Offer Incentives For Good Behavior 

To encourage employees and drivers to take better care of your fleet, it can be a wise decision to offer incentives for good behavior. One idea is to provide an “upgrade option” on their next vehicle if they return their current one in good working order. This could be heated seating or a reverse camera etc. Another is to allow them to purchase the vehicle (at a discounted price) once the company is ready to upgrade. 

Understand Preventive Maintenance 

Preventive maintenance is maintenance that is done frequently to reduce large and expensive unscheduled repairs. This includes daily inspections and safety checks, as well as other things like tire rotation. Ensuring that this is done will reduce overall costs, and you will get more use out of them before they need replacing. 

Set A Plan And A Budget 

To ensure that your fleet manager can handle everything smoothly, you want to develop a budget and plan for them to follow. A great way to do this is with fleet management software that can help keep track of every vehicle. Alongside being able to complete daily checks and monitor your fleet, analyzing data will also help you reduce operational costs in the long run. The best part is, it is all digital, so you don’t have to worry about unnecessary paperwork. Fleet Maintenance Pro, Linxio, FleetMEX, and OptimoRoute are a few different ones to check out. 

Get Regular Updates And Reports 

In order to tackle issues as soon as they occur, one of the most important things to do is get regular updates and reports from your drivers. With both them and your manager identifying issues, you can get them fixed before they turn into a bigger problem. There are many different checklists online that you can download for free, but it can be worth making your own that suits your fleet vehicle types. Don’t forget; you may also be able to do this using your management software as well. 

Pay For Regular Cleaning 

While your drivers should be responsible for cleaning their vehicles to some degree, it can be worth paying an external company to come and give them a deep clean every once in a while. This way, they can stay close to new for as long as possible, and drivers will feel more obligated to keep them that way. Trust us when we say it is definitely worth the extra expense.

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