When you have a small fleet of trucks, one of the most important things to develop as early as possible is a heavy truck preventative maintenance plan. Having one of these plans in place for your company reduces the number of repairs and replacements you will need later. Starting a plan doesn’t have to be too much of a chore, as you can use the same template for all of the vehicles in your fleet. The only trouble that many companies have is actually keeping up with the plan once they initiate it.
First, you have to create a plan that covers the entire fleet. This simply means that the drivers, or someone else at the company, should be performing simple heavy truck preventative maintenance and inspections when they use the truck. They should note anything that needs attention and make sure that their supervisors are aware. The elements covered in this initial plan include things such as the tire pressure, windows, electronics, and the like.
Second, you need to make sure that each of the trucks in the fleet also has an individual maintenance schedule for things such as the oil change and checking the engine. The reason for this is simple. Different trucks may have different types of engines, engines of different ages, and the like. This means that they may need more frequent, or less frequent, maintenance as the case may be. Knowing the individual schedules for each of the trucks ensures that they get the attention they deserve.
Third, if you have any special cases, such as trucks that need certain unique attention for any reason, they will need to have their own maintenance plan. If you find that one of your trucks is simply costing you too much money to operate and keep on the road due to frequent repairs, it might be time to sell the truck.
As mentioned, a plan is only as good as the actions you take. Make sure you stick to the proper schedule when it comes to heavy truck preventative maintenance for each of your trucks, and you will find that they last longer, and that they have fewer issues that are overly expensive and extensive to repair.