With so much going on, trucking companies have a lot to think about. Never has there been as extraordinary times like these for truckers and those working in the transportation sector. The problem is with so much on their minds, fleet managers can easily forget about important fleet priorities, such as service, maintenance, and repair (SMR) costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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SMR costs are important from more than just accounting\u2019s\nperspective. Yes, servicing and maintenance may take up a chunk of total fleet\noperating costs, but not focusing on them results in even higher costs.\nNeglecting or waiting until the last minute to focus on SMR can cost your\ncompany even more as it leads to vehicle damage and downtime, which no one\nlikes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modern trucking companies use technology to help them manage\nSMR costs without ruining their overall maintenance program. Remember, it is\nabout keeping trucks on the road as much as it is about reducing costs or\nhaving a positive impact on the bottom line. You must look at it from a broader\nperspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Managing Truck Driver Behavior<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here at the QuickTSI blog, we spend a lot of time going into\ndetail around what a big part truck driver behavior plays in increasing both\nsucking down more fuel and increasing the changes of an accident. The same goes\nfor your SMR program. Do you even have an SMR program? <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your truck drivers drive badly, they will accelerate wear\nand tear on vehicles. That wear and tear will increase how many times a vehicle\nneeds to go in for maintenance and increase the risk of vehicle breakdown.\nSmart fleet managers use technological solutions, like comprehensive telematics\nprograms, to manage this risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as a vehicle breaks down, the costs increase even\nmore. The goal is to prevent the breakdown in the first place. And while we don\u2019t\nwant to spend a ton of time on truck driver behavior, it is important to note\nthat harsh braking, cornering and acceleration as well as speeding will ensure\nthat your vehicles have a longer lifespan and require less maintenance. A\ndirect result will also be less accidents and a happier workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The important thing is to consider what truck drivers both\nwant and need. You can generally address both factors with an advanced\ntelematics solution. Why? Because many telematics solutions offer features that\nwill remind you that a vehicle needs to be sent in for a service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While this calculation is generally dependent on mileage, there\nare other factors that any good fleet manager should consider. With sensors\nreading your engine and powertrain, you can catch problems before they arise. A\ntelematics system can warn of any negative changes in the engine such as an\nincrease in oil pressure or temperature and low battery voltage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When armed with these types of warnings, the shop can pull a\nvehicle from the road to be immediately serviced to prevent that one issue\ncausing damage to the rest of the engine or other vehicle components. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep a Keen Eye<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is critical that you never let a truck driver continue\nusing their vehicle if there is currently known issue. You may think the risk\nis low, but you might be surprised. No matter how small that issue may seem, it\ncould have catastrophic impacts down the line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ignoring an issue not only increases the chance of a breakdown, but you are also endangering the life of your truck driver and many others on the road. At the minimum, they could be at risk of being stranded and winding up with unnecessary downtime. But let\u2019s remember, these problems can cause complete engine failure \u2013 something way more costly than simply changing a battery or switching a fuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [wp_ad_camp_2] <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also a data component. If you are using a fleet\nmanagement or telematics system, you have a lot of data and information at your\ndisposal, much of which comes in real-time. You can use the data you gather to\nincrease the proficiency of your SMR program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, by looking at data related to engine warnings and how\nfrequently a vehicle was sent in for a service or repair, you can determine\nwhich vehicles require more maintenance and identify patterns of failure. If there\nis one way to improve your bottom line it is to uncover the issues that lead to\nunforced maintenance problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This way you can schedule maintenance before an issue arises\nbased on the data, thereby reducing wear and tear and possible engine failure.\nYou can also, in the future, base your choice of vehicle on these patterns as\nit might show some models and makes have more issues to tend to than others,\nwhich results in increased maintenance and repair costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your SMR Blueprint<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, so we get why running a comprehensive SMR program is\nimportant, but how does a trucking company execute its implementation? You need\nto focus on a four-pronged effort. It requires a proactive approach towards\nmaintenance and involves four key action items: <\/p>\n\n\n\n But what do these individually mean? Let\u2019s take a closer\nlook at how each of these concepts are critical to a successful SMR program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start with inspections. Why? Because inspections are a\nnecessary part of an SMR program and form the vital first connection in your\npreventative maintenance toolkit. First, facility inspections ensure that\nequipment is safe to use. If you are focused on preventing safety incidents,\nyou need to keep an eye on facility maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regular inspections help prevent workplace injuries and\nprovide a business with increased liability protection. Second, regular\ninspections protect both your property and your expensive equipment.\nInspections ensure that equipment is functioning the way the OEM intends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, make sure you utilize consistent detection methods. Operating\non system where you are waiting for the next breakdown will end up costing a\nfacility department lots of money, which is why many fleet managers choose to run\nusing an enhanced SMR program. Preventive maintenance helps you detect problems\nearly when issues are still relatively easy and inexpensive to fix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When all is said and done, are you taking corrective action?\nUtilizing SMR encourages others within the company to take a proactive approach\ntowards equipment care and correct issues before they occur. If an issue is\ndetected, steps can be taken to promptly address the problem before it worsens\nor results in an audit and a closed-up operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, consider the true benefits of preventative\nmaintenance. Effective fleet managers combine inspection records and\nmaintenance notes provided by shop technicians and truck drivers to learn from\npast mistakes and correct repeated problems when they arise. Prevention of\nasset failure reduces stress on everyone in the operation and increases\nproductivity for shop teams. When equipment works as inspected, staff can focus\non proactive maintenance tasks. Reactive maintenance is a trucking company\u2019s\ndeath knell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n