Scheduled maintenance service is essential to the operational efficiency of a truck. Bringing a truck into a shop for regular maintenance gives your technicians or those of your maintenance service provider the opportunity to not only perform manufacturer-recommended maintenance but also to do a complete inspection of the truck, looking for signs of wear and developing problems.
Maintenance schedules should be set on an asset-by-asset basis rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. This is especially true as fleets are now operating some assets for much longer periods of time than they typically do and, as a result, may not be as familiar with common age-related issues.
In a perfect world, every asset would be brought into the shop, on time, for every one of its scheduled maintenance services. But things like construction or weather delays, detention at shippers, and scheduling issues can sometimes mean the truck is not near the shop at the time of its scheduled maintenance and, therefore, cannot be brought in for service.
See also: Getting to the root of the problem to prevent future failures
The maintenance manager then becomes responsible for rescheduling the needed maintenance. And while that sounds like a relatively simple task, if the fleet does not have an automated way to track maintenance compliance, the missed maintenance appointment might not get rescheduled.
It’s never good for a truck to miss its scheduled maintenance. In addition to increasing the chance of an on-road breakdown, a missed maintenance service could void the warranty coverage, and it increases the likelihood of a violation during a roadside inspection. With older assets, regular maintenance and the accompanying vehicle inspection is even more important, especially if fleets do not have historic data on the performance of older assets.
Regardless of the age of the asset, make sure you not only set a maintenance schedule specific to that asset but that you have a system in place that tracks maintenance compliance so that you will know immediately when a truck was not brought in for service. You may also want to consider a notification system that alerts you to upcoming scheduled maintenance dates. This can allow dispatch to schedule the truck so it will be near the shop close to the time when maintenance service is due.
In order to keep trucks on the road, they need to be maintained properly. Make sure you stay on top of missed maintenance and take steps to reschedule maintenance appointments quickly.
Jane Clark is vice president of member services for NationaLease. In this position, she is focused on managing the member services operation as well as working to strengthen member relationships, reduce member costs, and improve collaboration within the NationaLease supporting groups. Prior to joining NationaLease, Clark served as area vice president for Randstad, one of the nation’s largest recruitment agencies, and before that, she served in management posts with QPS Cos., Pro Staff, and Manpower Inc.
