Fleet managers, especially those with backgrounds in fleet maintenance, know the value of preventive maintenance (PM) – though it can be easy to deemphasize as more management responsibilities are being added. Fleets with managed PM policies and programs are gaining tangible, valuable results, says Bill Jones, Director, PHH Product Management.
PHH Arval has done a three-year study on PM that tracked fleets which accumulated millions of miles of driving, had about 130,000 repair transactions, and at least 20% trucks in their vehicle lineups. Here are some of the key findings…
1. Fleets with PM programs are seeing 20% less downtime (based on days per service repair) than fleets not using PM programs.
2. They’re seeing fewer vehicles to repair by pre-empting potential issues, and this also leads to greater driver productivity.
3. They’re experiencing fewer breakdowns and disruptions to business.
4. Monthly cost stability – the right PM programs means that PM costs can be planned for, unlike unexpected breakdowns.
PM requires realistic scheduling and data reporting based on what each fleet needs. Service and delivery fleets require more frequent PM appointments than other types of fleet operations. Some of these fleets using work trucks may need to build DOT inspections into the process.
For every fleet, PM allows for being more systematic with drivers to make sure they’re being compliant with company policy, Jones said. PHH Vehicle Maintenance Assistance Program offers clients services to enhance PM scheduling, including automated email notifications when it’s time to show up for appointments.
Fleet managers appreciate that having the right PM program in place means having consistent patterns in monthly costs. “It’s like an insurance program,” Jones said.
Click here to read PHH Arval’s blog post on its PM study.
