When a vehicle breaks down, it is not only inconvenient but it can end up costing your company at lot of money. There are upfront costs to be sure, but there are also other hidden costs that you may not have considered.
The following are some of the real costs of vehicle downtime:
1. Replacement vehicle costs
When one vehicle breaks down, you not only have to pay for the repairs of the out of service vehicle, but you also have to pay for another vehicle to replace it while it is down.
2. Late deliveries
And if you can get by without replacing the vehicle that is down, it means more deliveries will be spread across less vehicles. And that means you could end up with late delivers and angry customers.
3. Extra pressure on fleet resources
Since you will have less trucks doing more runs, that also means you could have additional wear and tear on your vehicles that are still in service. This could mean additional maintenance and repair costs.
4. Reduced productivity
With less vehicles on the road, the productivity of your entire fleet goes down. This could mean your company is missing out on potential contracts and business because you are less able to handle the workload.
How to cut the cost of fleet downtime
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to reduce vehicle downtime and cut these costs including the following:
1. Develop a preventative maintenance schedule
Many vehicle breakdowns could be prevented if minor issues are caught before they become major issues. By having a preventative maintenance schedule, maintenance checks are conducted on a regular basis according to a schedule of how long various parts and systems are expected to last.
By using fleet management software to keep track of this schedule, alerts can be sent when a vehicle is due to be scheduled for maintenance.
2. Establish a vehicle replacement plan
No matter how diligent you are with your maintenance, there eventually comes a time when it is more cost-effective to replace a vehicle than repair it. New vehicles not only require less maintenance, but they are more fuel efficient as well.
A telematics system can help you keep track of which vehicles are near the end of their life so you can plan to replace them.
3. GPS Fleet Tracking
With a GPS tracking system, you can see how where and how far your vehicles have travelled. This information may be used to help you avoid inefficiencies which can save you money both in terms of fuel and vehicle wear and tear.
Contact Trux Solutions today
If you are looking for fleet management software that will help you reduce the costs of vehicle downtime, we can help. Give us a call today.
