You can use effective methods for reducing your total costs by assessing the specific requirements of each vehicle. A vehicle may be used for daily tasks, such as for moving lumber, or may only be used when you must haul a trailer after your customers have filled the trailer with plastic bottles and cardboard for a recycling center. You should have a maintenance schedule that is designed for each vehicle.
Vehicle Maintenance
A typical maintenance program has several steps. You must inspect the vehicles and must also perform regular maintenance procedures such as changing the oil and checking the coolant. The inspections can be used to control future problems. If you have noticed a cracked wire, you should inspect for parts that may be overheating and for additional resistance on the electrical circuit. The wire could be pressed against the engine, which would cause the wire insulation to melt when the engine is hot.
Cost Control
You should focus on the consequences for a cost control program. The costs for the engine oil for a maintenance program is less than the total costs for replacing a vehicle. Your professional reputation and your ability to attract customers will be affected by the appearance of your trucks and trailers. You can easily wash the trucks and trailers, use paint to cover the scratches and can easily replace any damaged utility trailer fenders such as with some parts from National Fleet Products.
Maintenance Schedules
The normal operation of a vehicle will be affected by the environment, the mileage and the time period. The environmental conditions could be hot and dusty. The vehicle could be used for very long trips. The time period is also important. You should change the engine oil every six months, even if the vehicle has not been driven for several hundred miles, because contaminants can be removed with the used oil.
Total Costs
A part may be approaching the normal mileage for the service life of that part. You could wait for the part to break before you replace the part. When the part breaks, you could suddenly be stranded on a highway while your customer is waiting for a delivery. If you use maintenance schedules and also replace parts before those parts break, you will only be affected by minimal costs and not by unnecessary costs for several late deliveries.