HOW TO REDUCE VEHICLE DOWNTIME AND INCREASE FLEET PRODUCTIVITY

The vehicles you pick for your fleet will determine how often you experience downtime. To make sure you are making the right choice, make sure you select vehicles that are specifically built for the job you want them to do. Overtaxing a vehicle can increase issues like wear and tear and increase the frequency of repairs. It’s recommended you pick newer vehicles that are equipped with the latest technology. Newer rides require less maintenance and the technology can alert you whenever a problem begins to develop.

Fleet inspections are the key to discovering and fixing vehicle problems before they lead to costly repairs. Your company should have a fleet inspection program to ensure every vehicle is in good shape. This is not only beneficial to your company, but it is also a requirement by law. Drivers should inspect the car every day before heading out, and professional technicians should be in charge of performing detailed checks.

A preventative maintenance program will allow you to fix minor issues before they turn into major problems. To reduce downtime when performing regular maintenance, schedule maintenance during off-hours. This will ensure your vehicle isn’t in the auto shop when it should be working in the field. The faster your vehicles get out of the repair shop, the more productive your fleet will be. Therefore, you need to streamline your maintenance and repair process. To avoid wasting time, schedule maintenance in advance, check beforehand whether the required spare parts are available, and work with maintenance facilities that utilize the latest technology.

Drivers should be accountable for the vehicles they drive. When drivers properly care for the vehicles, downtime is significantly reduced. Accountable drivers properly inspect the car before heading out, they observe traffic rules, they are less likely to cause accidents, and they take the vehicle to the auto shop on time. You can start a program to reward the most responsible drivers.

If your company uses a fleet, unplanned out-of-service is not an option. To minimize downtime and maximize fleet productivity, make sure you lease the right vehicles, perform frequent inspections, conduct preventative maintenance, and promote employee accountability.  To further increase uptime and boost productivity, invest in fleet management technologies.