The best way to ensure your service truck fleet remains in top shape is to invest in a proactive service truck fleet maintenance plan. Though without a good implementation strategy in place, trying to get things off the ground can prove costly and difficult. This is why it is important for companies to develop a sound implementation plan. The following are some tips to ensure things go well.
USE SOFTWARE
One of the most difficult things about a service fleet maintenance plan is staying on top of all tasks. This is especially true for larger firms with more than 100 trucks in a fleet. Sometimes that is just too many trucks to manage. Using a paper-only or manual method can be frustrating and inefficient.
This is why it is recommended to invest in Fleet Maintenance Software. Fleet Maintenance Software is designed to help companies better manage and track when trucks need servicing. Alerts and email reminders are sent out to help remind users of when a task is needed. Users can also track fuel and mileage, allowing managers to know a truck’s performance and usage. The software is typically accessed through a web program on a desktop or mobile app. These solutions are cloud-based with basic hardware requirements. The advantages to Fleet Maintenance Software are plenty:
- Both Web-Based and Mobile App—Most solutions offer both a web-based and mobile app platform. This way users have access from anywhere.
- Instant Access—Instantly access information and history about any truck in a matter of minutes. All data associated with trucks are stored online.
- Set Reminders—Users can set reminders for scheduled maintenance on trucks or receive alerts when something needs service.
- Reduce Paper Usage—Most Fleet Maintenance Software offers document management features allowing users to store various documents within the system. Items such as insurance cards, registration info, and receipts for gas can all be stored within the system.
Companies looking to get the most out of their fleet maintenance plans should seriously consider getting software to help them through it. Take into account the cost of the software when initially discussing adopting a fleet maintenance plan. Solutions such as Fleetio and AUTOsist are great solutions to look into. Though there are plenty of great options available.
BREAK THINGS UP
While it is important to have everything done on schedule, not everything has to be done at the same time. Staggering out maintenance for your fleet allows the company to always have trucks available for use. If all trucks were serviced at the same time, then all trucks would be out of use for that time. This can potentially lead to loss of business. Breaking things up into two or three parts can make operations easier and ensure smooth processes.
STICK TO THE PLAN
The most important aspect of implementing a fleet maintenance plan is sticking to it. The goal is to automate the process and streamline tasks. Constantly changing the process or failing to follow through with it makes things more difficult in the long run. It also makes it more difficult to schedule and track maintenance, which is the ultimate goal. There’s certainly nothing wrong with making a few tweaks here and there, but constantly scrapping and changing the process accomplishes nothing.
Adopting a fleet maintenance plan is a great step toward easy and simple fleet management. Implementing that plan successfully is the true challenge, and companies must do everything in their power to ensure they succeed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric Goldstein is the president of C/F Data Systems. With more than a quarter of a century of experience in the construction software arena, Goldstein leads C/F Data’s ongoing development of the company’s flagship solution, STRUCTURE. Find out more, visit www.cfdatasystems.com.
MODERN WORKTRUCK SOLUTIONS: OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE
Did you enjoy this article?
Subscribe to the FREE Digital Edition of Modern WorkTruck Solutions magazine.
