{"id":2326,"date":"2020-05-13T22:34:13","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T22:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quicktransportsolutions.com\/blog\/?p=2326"},"modified":"2020-05-13T22:34:16","modified_gmt":"2020-05-13T22:34:16","slug":"preventative-maintenance-can-make-or-break-your-trucking-fleet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quicktransportsolutions.com\/blog\/preventative-maintenance-can-make-or-break-your-trucking-fleet\/","title":{"rendered":"Preventative Maintenance Can Make or Break Your Trucking Fleet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Want to get the most out of your fleet and maximize your bottom line? Remember, your vehicles are your money. You want to minimize downtime and ensure as much availability and on-road time as possible. But how do you do that? Well, you\u2019ve got to make sure you stay on top of servicing, inspections, and repairs. But if you aren\u2019t running an effective preventative maintenance program, none of that matters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When you don\u2019t have a preventative maintenance plan in place,\nyou operate in a reactive mode. Instead of proactively preventing major\nbreakdowns or equipment problems, you are merely responding them as they come,\nwhich results in more downtime then you otherwise might need to deal with. A PM\nprogram helps you prevent this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t follow your vehicles\u2019 maintenance schedule, the\nmanufacturer might void your warranty entirely or at least in part. If a dealer\nor OEM can prove that it was through your own negligence that the problem\noccurred, you may miss out on needed upgrades or repairs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another Way to Look at It<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of preventative maintenance as a regular health check\nup you might see at your doctor\u2019s office. Your fleet is just the same. What if\nyou feel fine on the outside, but more is going on inside? There are always\nsome issues that may arise after-the-fact. And with these issues, if you do not\naddress them immediately, they will only get worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One survey showed that average per vehicle downtime costs\ncan range anywhere from $448 to $760 per day. These are not small numbers. If\nyou have an issue with a vehicle that goes unrepaired, you lose money and\nproductivity. And not only that, the high cost of parts and repairs can be\ncrippling, never mind the loss of business you face. And if your reputation is\nhit? Expect to lose even more business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, you aren\u2019t up the creek without a paddle. There\nare some quick basics you can cover to give yourself a better chance at\ncatching minor issues until they turn into major problems. Because major\nproblems turn into major headaches and can negatively impact your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even more than that, you\u2019ve got your vehicles to\nconsider. They are, after all, your most important asset. You rely on these\ninvestments to keep your business rolling. So, while it may be tempting to skip\nimportant milestones that your vehicles need to effectively stay on the road,\nputting their longevity at risk just isn\u2019t practical. Not keeping a regular eye\non the individual components of your vehicles can significantly shorten their\nlifespan and create inefficiencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s just rattle off a few of the major problems you might\nface if you are not catching them while they are minor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n