Adjusting Your Maintenance Strategy for Lingering Uncertainty
Holman Marketing
August 23rd, 2023
While the overall supply chain continues to rebound, many popular fleet models still have limited availability, making it all that more important to take care of the vehicles you do have. In all likelihood, your vehicles are poised to remain in service much longer than originally anticipated and will require some additional TLC to keep them on the road as you wait for replacement units to arrive.
Like many of your peers, you may find yourself re-examining your maintenance strategy to better align with the reality that your vehicles will be logging more miles, incurring additional wear, and stretching their lifecycle well beyond the original forecast.
With that in mind, Holman’s Dave Broadwater recently spoke with Autosphere to discuss several aspects of building an effective maintenance strategy.
In the first article, Dave touches on a variety of topics including pre-paid maintenance plans and extended warranties, highlighting why these services are typically not recommended for fleet operators. He says that while prepaid maintenance plans and extended warranties may sound appealing, you’re often paying for services that you may not need. Instead, Dave recommends a more tried-and-true approach to fleet maintenance.
“The best advice I can offer fleet operators is to develop a comprehensive preventive maintenance (PM) strategy and closely adhere to recommended PM schedules. Successfully minimizing PM variability (consistently adhering to PM schedules) is among the most effective ways to improve reliability, maximize productivity, and control operating costs.”
Dave also notes that regularly completing routine preventive maintenance – oil changes, tire rotations, brake services, etc. – dramatically reduces the occurrence of costly, more significant repairs. He also points out that as vehicle availability improves and lifecycles normalize, most units will be out of service before many prepaid maintenance plans or extended warranties typically begin.
In another article, Dave offers his perspective on how telematics can be leveraged as a strategic tool that allows you to further customize your maintenance strategy. He says fleet operators can use telematics and the insight the technology delivers to optimize lifecycles and enhance productivity. With greater visibility into vehicle performance and driver behavior, you’re able to understand precisely how your vehicles are being used to better forecast service intervals.
To read the pair of articles, be sure to visit Autosphere.ca. To learn more about the current factors impacting maintenance strategies, check out the latest Economic Trends report along with Holman Fleet By the Numbers for advice to adjust your maintenance program accordingly.