Hi, my name is Angela, and as the wife of a mechanic, I was constantly tripping over car parts and complaining about the rows of project cars lining our garden. However, after a few years, I quit complaining and actually found joy in the art of auto repair. Inspired by that classic book, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", I decided to start working on cars with my husband. This blog is the culmination of everything I have learned and more. I hope you enjoy reading it and that my tips and ideas guide you toward a healthier car and a happier, safer driving experience.
Long distance hauliers were made for exactly that, long distance travels. Downtime is very contrary to their build and certainly beats their nature. Downtime is a frustration for all stakeholders in the business but the greatest burden rests on you, the fleet owner. It is a tough walk when you are up against the wall trying to be profitable and are suddenly hit by repair costs, productivity losses and idle employees. Prevention is certainly the prudent approach.
Get That Extended Warranty
Trucks are an expensive investment, so you ought to make every dollar count. When upgrading, or purchasing a new truck, always demand for a lengthy warranty period that gives you ample time to test the product. Because of their exposure to external influences, it would be sensible to get comprehensive warranty coverage on the vital parts of your truck. While the dealer's choice is at your discretion, two is always better. Having a warranty backed by both the manufacturer and the dealer offers your fleet an advantage on international travels. In addition, that warranty will give you:
Set Up a Preventive Program
Preventive programs reduce downtime. While enticing drivers to participate in such programs can be a daunting task, the benefits are certain. Impromptu breakdowns are very costly, unforeseen direct costs like towing fees are a burden and lack of specialised parts may make the downtime last longer than expected, plunging you into more losses. Scheduling a program goes a long way to maximising time and attaining budgetary goals. After careful consideration of all factors like weather and road conditions, develop an inspection timeline. A well-crafted action plan will cut the costs of emergency repairs, reduce wear and tear and most importantly ensure maximum uptime.
Engage a Full Maintenance Solution
No matter how careful you are in mitigating risk, accidents do happen. While you cannot protect yourself against all adversaries, the full maintenance solution is your fast track back to the road when accidents strike. Unlike the other procedures, the merchants' full maintenance program is a sure way to guarantee better planning, efficient use of personnel and save you insane loads of cash overall. Other perks come with using this approach, such as prompt actions on truck breakdowns reducing on downtime.
Employ Telematics
Digitalization is quickly catching up with every facet of our lives and long distance hauliers are not an exception. Telematics is nothing new but more of an extrapolation of the preventive program. While manual scheduling offers great advantages, telematics does a little bit more in ensuring a proactive approach on each and every vehicle. Other than offering an accurate GPS location of your truck for quick tracking, telematics also follows up on maintenance schedules. In the long run, this technology offers you invaluable data in order to arrange for preventive maintenance times, reduce on unscheduled repairs and unnecessary downtime.
Admittedly, there is no Holy Grail technique that totally eliminates downtime but these four methods will go a long way towards achieving that.
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