Mitigating Downtime Risk as Vehicles Remain in Short Supply

With the entire automotive supply chain severely disrupted and new vehicles still in short supply – a trend that will likely continue for the foreseeable future – taking care of the fleet vehicles you do have is more important than ever. In all likelihood, your vehicles are poised to remain in service much longer than you initially anticipated and will likely require some additional TLC to keep them on the road as you await replacement units.

Recently, a team of Holman experts spoke with Autosphere to discuss strategies for effectively mitigating the risk of extended downtime as fleet vehicles age, incur additional wear, and stretch their lifecycle well beyond the original forecast.

Focusing squarely on vehicle maintenance, the first article highlights ways to re-examine your preventive maintenance (PM) strategy to better align with the reality that your fleet units will be logging more miles than anticipated. In the article, Holman’s Joseph Smith stresses the importance of adjusting and remaining agile in your approach to PMs.

 
Later in the article, Holman’s Dave Broadwater recommends reviewing the services included in your PM schedules to potentially add important services that typically occur later in a unit’s lifecycle and also highlights the role your maintenance vendors play in helping you avoid catastrophic failures.

 
In the second article in the series, Holman’s Tracy Decker and Rich Radi examine the important role your drivers play in mitigating downtime.

Tracy recommends fleet operators should continue to emphasize safe driving habits to minimize the hard and soft costs associated with motor vehicle accidents, particularly as the industry navigates ongoing parts shortages. Additionally, Rich notes that organizations may need to revisit their driver safety policy to incorporate additional health and sanitation protocols as the pandemic continues to linger.

To read both the article, be sure to visit Autosphere.ca.