When a driver calls in from the side of the road to log a breakdown, you know that costs to resolve the situation are set to spiral. From enlisting a commercial wrecker to tow and repair your truck, through to rescheduling deliveries or accounting for lost business, it’s a headache you just don’t need.
Preventive maintenance is the best way to stop this scenario from happening and keep your trucks running reliably. It involves proactively inspecting and servicing your vehicles at scheduled intervals in order to lower the chance of costly emergency repairs.
In addition to reducing the likelihood of unplanned downtime, a preventive maintenance program for trucks will also help you meet regulatory and safety requirements, not to mention extending the lifetime of your assets and improving fleet efficiency – all of which can significantly enhance the sustainability of your fleet.
If devising and implementing a preventive maintenance (PM) plan sounds daunting, however, our ultimate guide is here to help. We’ll explore how to create a maintenance checklist, how to document your PM program, and how preventive maintenance software can simplify the process, helping you put an end to breakdown nightmares.
benefits of a preventive maintenance program
Preventive maintenance is not the preserve of the commercial haulage industry. In fact, whether you manage a fleet of rubbish trucks, dump trucks, refrigerated trucks, or big rigs, here's how a preventive maintenance schedule will pay dividends.
cost savings:
Carrying out proactive maintenance and repairs will undoubtedly save you money in the long run. For example, regular oil changes can eliminate potential engine problems whereas leaving work till the warning light comes on risks damaging your vehicle. Not only does an oil change cost far less than repairing an engine, but routine maintenance will keep your equipment in better working order for longer. By extending your vehicle’s lifespan, PM helps maximize your return on asset investments and supports business growth.
fleet reliability:
Delaying maintenance until component failure means you’re much more likely to be faced with emergency breakdowns. Not only do you have to spend time diagnosing and resolving problems, but when your trucks are in the repair shop, they’re not earning you money out on the road. With an effective preventive maintenance plan in place, up to 80% of shop work is scheduled. Organizing PM in advance also allows you to spread downtime carefully, improving your asset utilization rate and, by default, increasing customer satisfaction levels through reliable service.
enhanced productivity:
Time in the repair shop is expensive; the more complex the repair, the bigger the bill. Specialized knowledge and skills also translate into higher labor costs so ensuring simple PM jobs follow standard work practices can avoid more involved repairs further down the line. Preventive maintenance software simplifies this further, using a mobile device to outline the required steps, clarify the workflow, and provide a visible workl order progress with zero paperwork.
regulatory compliance:
Accurate documentation around maintenance schedules and repairs is essential. In the US, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) asks that records are kept for at least one year while the vehicle is in use and a minimum of six months after it is decommissioned. Regulatory requirements will differ by country, but all require safety inspections to be carried out regularly. Having a preventive maintenance plan and a full history of maintenance at your fingertips for each vehicle ensures you can demonstrate compliance with industry regulations and ensures relevant information is easily accessible.
improved sustainability:
Ensuring your vehicles operate at peak performance increases fuel efficiency, improving sustainability and potentially saving thousands across your whole fleet. And it’s not just fuel consumption that is reduced. An effective semi-truck preventive maintenance program can also reduce unnecessary fluid replacement and minimize tire replacement. Vehicle components last longer and you’ll need fewer spare vehicles to support your fleet. Finally, clean oil that’s regularly replaced enables trucks to function efficiently, resulting in less harmful emissions.
increased resale value:
A history of repairs can discourage prospective buyers. Ensuring optimal functionality throughout your truck's lifespan via a thorough preventive maintenance program can significantly boost resale value. It leaves buyers with confidence in the asset's reliability while also helping you optimize the Total Cost of Ownership for your fleet.
why use preventive maintenance software?
Devising and executing a preventive maintenance program for your entire fleet is a complex process. It involves scheduling a multitude of maintenance task s across a varied fleet, strict inventory management, as well as diligent reporting and organization of work orders.
Trying to do all this using traditional pen and paper systems or legacy spreadsheets is a time-consuming and overwhelming task, however, preventive maintenance software can simplify the job.
Unlike manual systems, preventive maintenance software allows you to schedule work automatically based on predefined criteria or triggers. Indicators such as engine hours, fuel levels, or mileage can all be used to decide when a truck should next be serviced and you should get reminders as to when that maintenance is coming due based on those triggers. Utilizing integrated in-vehicle telematics further simplifies this task by accurately monitoring these metrics for you, improving accuracy so you can prioritize your maintenance efforts.
With all this information to hand – and fleet-wide monitoring made simple – a digital preventive maintenance system can reveal a wealth of insights about your fleet. Data on parts and labor is automatically available on a company-wide level for better budgeting, but more important still, analyzing vehicle data against past performance can highlight patterns, flag anomalies, and provide vital early warnings of potential vehicle failure, eliminating those risky roadside breakdowns.
Once work is complete, preventive maintenance software also makes it easier to demonstrate compliance with safety regulations. No more scrabbling around for paperwork during Department of Transport (DOT) inspections. PM software provides a transparent history of maintenance schedules, plus proof of service on completion, available instantly on the driver’s mobile.
6 steps to implementing a preventive maintenance program
In reality, there is no one-size-fits-all preventive maintenance program for trucks. Your plan will depend on your fleet, your resources, and your company goals or drivers. The following steps will help fleet managers work out what's right for them and implement an effective PM program that is tailored, efficient, and sustainable.
#1 assess fleet needs
The first step towards building a successful preventive maintenance plan for a semi-truck fleet, or indeed any kind of commercial vehicle, is to take stock of your assets. Assess each vehicle to establish maintenance needs, bearing in mind that requirements can differ depending on usage patterns, fuel systems, or operating conditions. Identify your fleet size, vehicle types, and common maintenance issues; for those with a fleet encompassing a variety of truck types, this can be a complex task.
#2 set maintenance intervals
Next, build a maintenance schedule for each truck by identifying the preventive tasks required and matching this with an appropriate trigger. When defining a trigger there are several variables to take into consideration including the manufacturer’s guidelines, truck history, whether the asset is critical to operations, and the cost of repair vs maintenance.
Select triggers based on time, usage, or condition to define your service schedule. Time-based tasks are scheduled at specific intervals such as every three months; usage-based triggers are tasks scheduled after a certain number of engine hours; while condition-based triggers rely on monitoring the truck’s actual condition via tire pressure or fluid level sensors for example. Set reminders in your software for coming due, due, and overdue to make sure that everyone in the organization knows when those intervals are coming up.
#3 standardize maintenance checklists
Once you have decided what to monitor and when, you need to create a checklist for your maintenance team and drivers covering servicing and routine inspections. Setting out standard practices for each PM session ensures that all crucial tasks are performed consistently, regardless of who carries out the work. This increases accountability and ensures that essential tasks are not missed.
As a basic minimum, consider the following tasks for your inspection checklist:
Check fluid levels
Change fluids
Verify tire pressures
Inspect tires
Inspect brakes
Check the air filters
Inspect the electrical system
Inspect the gearbox and clutch
Check hoses for leaks
Inspect exterior lighting
Service the fifth-wheel platform
#4 invest in fleet maintenance software
Choose a reliable software system to help implement your preventive maintenance program. An effective solution, such as AMCS Fleet Maintenance Software, will automatically track metrics and benchmarks and book preventive maintenance work at the most convenient time. For those that already operate a preventive maintenance system, AMCS software can import the intervals and custom checklists from your existing program in order ensure program continuity.
For more accurate record keeping and a streamlined workflow on the shop floor, our mobile app also allows users to capture data using their phone and attach photos directly to PM tasks.
#5 train staff and drivers
In order to bring everyone up to speed with preventive maintenance requirements, you’ll need to set out a training strategy. Create clear work instructions illustrating how to perform each task and take time to educate personnel on early fault detection and reporting.
Unlike traditional reactive maintenance where technicians often delay work until absolutely necessary, shifting to a proactive maintenance system may require a change in emphasis. Make sure drivers and technicians understand the benefits of addressing maintenance needs early.
#6 monitor and adjust the program
Your truck preventive maintenance program is never set in stone. Analyze all equipment failures and use the performance data you collect to fine tune your PM program over time. You can track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as mean time to repair, the proportion of planned maintenance work versus reactive repairs, and mean time to failure to find out exactly how your program is improving the efficiency of your maintenance efforts.
when to begin a preventive maintenance program?
If you don’t have a preventive maintenance program in place for your truck fleet, then it’s time to put a plan in place. Tracking your maintenance history and implementing preventive maintenance schedules can drastically improve your up-time and reduce fleet costs.
And with effective PM software, it’s not just the preserve of those operating a mega fleet of trucks. AMCS's intuitive preventive maintenance software makes it easy for companies of all sizes to plan and execute preventive maintenance (PM) work in a timely fashion.
Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you with sustainable solutions to simplify fleet management.