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Everything you need to know about maintaining a fleet

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April 13, 2021

Running a company fleet is no easy task and comes with many different challenges. Alongside ensuring that they are safe, you want everything to stay in working order for as long as possible. Vehicle maintenance can get expensive, and you can’t afford repairs every week.

Below, we are going to take a look at everything you need to know about maintaining a fleet so that you can be as prepared as possible.

Let’s get started!

Creating a budget

Just like all aspects of a business, a fleet requires a strict budget. Without documenting costs and tracking expenses, you can easily be put into debt. To get started, you want to make sure you do some research first. A van fleet is going to cost more than a company with a few smaller cars. Your budget will depend on the type of business you are operating and the vehicle models.

Designing policies

To ensure that all of your drivers are following the right rules, a policy should be designed that is available for viewing at all times. A few different aspects you should include, but are not limited to, are as follows:

– Prohibited actions

– Phone policy

– Drug and alcohol use

– Use of seat belts

– Licenses

– Reporting of collisions and violations

– Inspection responsibilities

Every driver should sign and acknowledge that they agree and abide by the statement. You can learn more about writing a policy handbook here.

Hiring a fleet manager

If you are the owner of a company, managing a fleet is going to take up a lot of time which you may not have. This is why it is extremely beneficial to hire a trained professional who can handle the maintenance work for you, so that you can focus on other things. Just make sure they have the necessary experience so that everything is getting checked correctly.

Managing fuel consumption

Fuel consumption can be one of your highest fleet costs, so you understandably want to find ways to reduce it. Train your team to practice efficient driving by teaching them to avoid prolonged idling and hard braking/acceleration. You might even want to look at getting a fuel supplier like beesleyfuels.co.uk that offers competitive prices.

Preservative/preventative maintenance

Preservative or preventative maintenance is what helps prolong the life of your vehicle. By ensuring checks are done frequently, you can keep your vehicles in tip-top shape. A few things you should remember to include on your list are:

– Fluid changes

– Tires, wheels, and rims

– Exhaust system

– Steering and suspension

– Braking system

Check out this example checklist for more information.

Getting driver reports

Lastly, one of the most important things to do when maintaining your fleet is to ensure that all of your workers are completing regular reports. This way, you can check on issues, establish better practices and locate drivers that may not be following company policy. The best way to do this is with an app like Fleet Maintenance Pro or Connecteam. The less physical paperwork, the better!

 

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