Thinking about what should be done to perform proper maintenance is easier than implementing ideas. The manager can easily get lost in so many processes. Therefore, good planning is essential.
Proper planning contributes to maintenance indicators being controlled and measured more easily, which increases fleet productivity. The risk of human error with precise controls is drastically reduced, directly impacting the preservation of the useful life of assets.
Thinking about the importance of maintenance planning in fleet management, we created this article with some important points you need to know about the subject. Check!
Preventive Maintenance Plan
It is essential to create a Preventive Maintenance Plan; this document lists all the services to be performed on each vehicle. Each service requires a different periodicity, depending on the type of vehicle and the specifics of the component. This information can be collected through the Owner’s Instructions, which inform the factory’s recommendations.
Thus, we can say that each vehicle will have its own Maintenance Plan. This record will indicate the inspection period for each item. Consider a real case, provided for in the Classic Owner’s Instructions. Chevrolet recommends performing preventive maintenance every 10,000 km or 1 year of use if this distance is not reached within this period.
Among other indications, the manufacturer’s Preventive Maintenance Plan recommends the following about the cooling system:
- check the liquid: in all inspections;
- check the condition of hoses, connections, radiators, and water pump: every two inspections.
Regarding the brake system:
- brake pads and discs: in all inspections;
- tarpaulins and drums: every three inspections;
- brake pipes and hoses: every two inspections;
- parking brake (handheld): in all inspections;
- brake fluid: every two inspections.
The maintenance team will be able to propose other topics of intervention according to the needs of the vehicles, the goods transported, the customers, and the business as a whole. For this, the manager may raise some questions, such as:
- What are the possible failures that can occur?
- What problems can result from these failures?
- To avoid these failures, what is the most appropriate maintenance periodicity?
- What type of intervention should be performed to prevent these failures?
- If the problem occurs, what can be done to minimize the damage?
Based on these actions, it will be up to the maintenance manager to define a schedule with specific dates, manage the rotation of vehicles, and coordinate the work of professionals.
Engeman® Screen – Gantt Schedule
What is the biggest challenge in fleet management?
Certainly, when we refer to a fleet, the management difficulties are much more numerous since the manager’s work goes far beyond scheduling inspections. It also involves strategically planning routes and trips.
For example, let’s say a company has 10 trips to make in the week, each one with different distances. The business has a fleet of 5 vehicles (A, B, C, D, and E). They are at very different levels of running until the next maintenance. How to choose which vehicle to use on each of the trips?
Therefore, let’s see what strategies the maintenance manager can use to base his decisions more efficiently!
Best Practices for Implementing Fleet Management
By optimizing the processes of planning and performing preventive maintenance, the manager ensures the reduction of costs and raises the technical and operational quality standards of the vehicles. But in what ways can it optimize its management? Observe a step by step:
List all vehicles in the fleet
This is the most basic action. It is the first step in surveying the company’s infrastructure. In the list, enter all the data about the vehicles, such as manufacturer, model, year, license plate, total distance, data about the last inspection, etc. This information can be recorded on a spreadsheet or on specialist software so that the manager has a broad and total view of these assets in an organized way.
Engeman® Screen – Veichule Register
Create monthly management reports
In another spreadsheet or the appropriate environment of the CMMS software used, data on the fueling expenses of each vehicle and the costs related to maintenance must be entered. It is also important to record the distance for each fuel expense. Thus, it will be possible to find out the average consumption of vehicles, identifying which ones run or spend more, in addition to detecting those that have an above-average consumption. Remember that these reports can be easily generated using maintenance management software, as all processes are automated.
Engeman® Screen – Dashboard Report
Implement training programs
The main element of a vehicle is its driver, and its behavior is decisive in determining the safety and good performance of the entire operation. The driver’s conduct behind the wheel can reduce fuel consumption, the need for corrective maintenance, and the occurrence of fines. Through regular training, the manager promotes respect for traffic rules and life and helps drivers avoid bad driving practices, such as unnecessary acceleration and sudden braking, habits that increase fuel consumption and wear and tear on parts.
Engeman® Screen – Qualifications
Manage routes
Modern sensors and devices available on the market today allow the manager to track each vehicle in the fleet and define the best routes based not only on distance but also on the occurrence of accidents, congestion, and other factors. This constant tracking can help the manager when checking if drivers are complying with the defined routes or if they are making detours to resolve personal matters, which would increase operating costs. In addition, the company ensures that its vehicles are being driven safely, and within the speed limits allowed.
Engeman® Screen – Geolocation
What is fleet management software?
The use of computerized systems for fleet control optimizes management work. Imagine a company with many trucks that has to control all maintenance, oil changes, tires, distance control… All of this would be very difficult to control if it were done through spreadsheets. Extracting historical data from these assets for cost reports, for example, would be too complicated to do manually, not to mention that the reliability of these reports could be questioned.
The use of specialized software in maintenance management is a very effective strategy because it allows control to be performed more assertively and decision-making to be more strategic. It enables more precise control and reduces human errors in the management process. All fleet data is recorded in the system and calculated automatically.
Engeman® software has features that will optimize your planning for automated and assertive fleet management, with specific reports, dashboards, and graphs to facilitate your management and be more competitive in your field of activity.
Engeman® Screen – Visual Movement of Vehicles
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