Preventive maintenance is essential for turning unplanned downtime into scheduled downtime, which keeps trucks and drivers on the road generating revenue.
The trucking industry is moving in the right direction with room to improve. Repair and maintenance costs rose 12% in 2022 to an average of $0.196 per mile. The increase was slightly lower than an 18.2% uptick in 2021, due mainly to carriers acquiring new trucks, which decreased the industry’s average truck age to 4.6 years, according to a report by the American Transportation Research Institute.
Since then, maintenance and repair costs have likely increased by fleets curtailing growth and capital expenses from challenging freight market conditions. Given the trucking industry’s already slim operating margins, unexpected breakdowns or repairs can quickly drain any profits that an asset generated over a month or more.
Adhering to PM schedules can increase fleet productivity, but this requires a team effort. Having tools that create alignment and accountability certainly helps as well.
Custom fleet apps can assist drivers, dispatchers, and maintenance staff with PM planning and scheduling by coordinating activities toward a common goal of high asset availability and utilization. This blog explains how the technology helps fleets get better results from their PM strategies.
3 Steps to Proper Preventive Maintenance
According to the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual report, fleet operating costs were $2.251 per mile in 2022. This was the first time they surpassed $2.00 per mile in the history of ATRI’s Ops Costs report. Fuel increases played a big part, but repair and maintenance costs accounted for nearly $0.20 per mile.
Beyond the profitability impacts, PM strategies are pivotal in safeguarding the well-being of drivers and the motoring public. Below are three essential tips for getting all stakeholders involved in creating successful outcomes:
- Develop a Comprehensive Plan: One tailored to your fleet’s unique requirements will lay the cornerstone of an effective PM program and serve as a blueprint for optimizing vehicle health and performance, from recommended service intervals to procedures for routine inspections.
- Train Drivers: Drivers are the frontline custodians of vehicle health, tasked with detecting and reporting anomalies before they escalate into costly repairs. A streamlined process for capturing and responding to problems identified in Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR) will empower drivers to play a more active role in maintenance by promoting a culture of teamwork and accountability.
- Establish a Trusted Repair Network: Collaboration with reputable repair shops ensures consistent pricing and repair work. Beyond using the network for breakdowns, prioritize partners offering drop-in service for inspections and minor repairs that can be completed while drivers can take mandatory rest breaks.
How a Custom App Can Help
A custom driver app platform offers transformative capabilities for fleet management and preventive maintenance. By harnessing the technology’s power, fleets can improve driver satisfaction while padding their bottom lines. Here’s how:
Be First in Line to Access New Technology: Fleets benefit from using a custom app platform that delivers frequent updates. Many updates come in response to demand from innovative fleets that want to equip drivers with tools that simplify their work and boost fleet performance. Helpful features include integration with ELD and telematics platforms for spotting trends, such as a drop in fuel efficiency, so drivers can help identify and report equipment-related issues before they escalate.
Streamlining Maintenance Scheduling: Custom driver apps simplify maintenance scheduling, allowing fleet managers to address potential issues proactively. By generating timely reminders, the apps help ensure PM schedules are prioritized and acted upon by drivers and dispatchers to reduce the risk of costly breakdowns and unplanned downtime.
Enhancing Driver Engagement: Custom driver apps enable drivers to report issues promptly, inside or outside the cab, and access vehicle-specific information and training materials.
For example, Sean Davidson, an application developer who helps manage NAPA’s custom app, created a way to upload vehicle-specific training content based on driver needs.
He developed a system that uses the custom app’s media APIs to automatically retrieve specific files for drivers based on the truck or trailer type they are driving. Their app displays all of the necessary files associated with their truck on a simple webpage in the mobile app.
“If our dispatchers assign a different tractor or trailer unit to that driver, the content on the webpage changes on the fly,” he said.
This information ensures that drivers are operating their trucks as recommended, keeping up with their maintenance, and more. It also allows for seamless communication between drivers and maintenance teams, promoting a culture of transparency and accountability and driving continuous improvement across the fleet.
Optimizing Fleet Management: Beyond maintenance, custom driver apps offer features to optimize fleet management, such as trip planning, navigation, and real-time route monitoring, to help drivers make the best possible decisions. Custom apps also empower fleet managers to make data-driven decisions to reach higher levels of efficiency and productivity.
Ensuring Fleet Efficiency & Reduced Repair Costs
Preventive maintenance helps your fleet increase efficiency, keeps your drivers on the road, and reduces overall repair costs – all of which is good for your business. By implementing cutting-edge technologies such as custom driver apps to help prioritize proactive care, fleet operators can confidently navigate the challenges of the modern logistics landscape, driving sustainable growth and operational excellence.
Do you need help ensuring your trucks, drivers, dispatchers, and shop personnel follow PM schedules? Contact Eleos Technologies to discover how a custom app designed to your fleet’s needs can keep everyone on track moving towards the same goal.
