Fleet maintenance is the process of maintaining your fleet vehicles and keeping on top of routine maintenance schedules. This helps keep both your fleet vehicles and drivers safe and your vehicles on the road longer, which in turn enables your business to stay profitable.
3 Ways to reduce fleet costs
Reduce the fleet size
Reducing the number of vehicles in any given fleet is the most proven way to reduce overall costs. The average total cost of ownership (TCO) for a light-duty vehicle (under 10,000-pounds GVWR) ranges from $5,000 to $8,000 per vehicle, per year. Eliminating 100 vehicles offers a potential savings opportunity of more than $500,000 per year.
Lower fuel cost
Fuel is often the second largest variable expense (after depreciation) faced by fleet managers. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects the trend for 2014 is a continued drop in fuel cost. Fleet managers, however, should remain alert for potential spikes and keep a proactive fuel management program in place at all times. Practices such as acquiring fuel-efficient technologies, vehicle weight reductions, additional transmission gears (e.g., 8- to 10-speeds), and appropriate drive types to meet business needs should be continued even when fuel prices are stable.
Lower crash costs
The safe operation of employer-provided and employer-provided vehicles is of paramount importance in a well-run fleet organization. An effective safety management program provides many benefits that have a direct impact on profitability:
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Reducing the risk and cost of accidents and injuries.
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Reducing the cost of insurance.
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Increasing driver productivity.
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Enhancing driver morale and retention.
Outsource fleet repair or In-House Repairs?
As you work fleet repair into your fleet management plan, you have some important decisions to make. If you have an active fleet, it might be worthwhile to invest in a full- or part-time mechanic to take care of your vehicles. This person could also take charge of overseeing rental and return, assuming each vehicle isn’t assigned to a specific employee. However, many businesses choose to outsource vehicle maintenance, sending employees to an express oil change place or contracting with a local repair shop that can expedite basic maintenance. As your business grows, you can continue to price your options and decide whether it’s worth the ongoing expense to put a mechanic on salary.
Webfleet Solutions gives you the tools to closely monitor the service requirements of each vehicle, so you’re always informed about your fleet’s condition. It enables you to schedule fleet maintenance tasks efficiently, receives information on trouble codes and keeps your costs down.
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