Best Preventive Maintenance Program Guide for Your Fleet

As a fleet manager or construction business owner, keeping your assets in top condition is your priority.

This is possible through a well-organized fleet preventive maintenance program.

Why is it so important? 

Because it ensures safety, efficiency, and your bottom line. 

We know creating and sticking to a proper preventive maintenance plan is challenging. 

It becomes difficult especially when urgent and regular tasks of construction tend to crowd out scheduled upkeep. 

Performing preventive maintenance services on a scheduled basis is necessary to maximize the availability of the Fleet.

Missing the maintenance of assets regularly will lessen its lifespan. 

Additionally, a preventive maintenance program helps to prevent litigation from negligence.

When a serious crash or fatality occurs, the fleet will be impounded by authorities for investigation seeking a court order to obtain asset maintenance records.

Therefore, in this detailed guide, we will walk you through what a fleet maintenance program is and how to create one that works for your fleet. 

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What is a Fleet Preventive Maintenance Program?

A fleet maintenance program is the process and guidelines.

Keeping your fleets up and running, enables you to avoid on-the-job incidents and unplanned downtime. 

What does it include? 

It packs in regular asset inspection and any random repairs too that may crop up. 

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Types of Fleet Maintenance

Happening within fleets, there are three types of maintenance.

These are: corrective, predictive, and preventive maintenance.

• Corrective maintenance: It's done as a reaction to a failed item on an asset. Once the problem is determined, corrective maintenance is conducted to fix it. This maintenance is often unscheduled. 

• Preventive maintenance (PM): This is a proactive maintenance approach with proper schedule and performance. It requires regular checking and timely replacement of damaged parts of your fleet.

• Predictive maintenance (PdM): A more proactive technique involving condition-based maintenance to determine the condition of in-service equipment through sensors. In this, advanced data analysis is used to forecast the problem.

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5 Components of Fleet Preventive Maintenance Program

PMS allows fleet managers to improve their overall uptime and reduce costs by 25% related to random repairs. Have a look at its few components..

1. Inventory List of Each Fleet

Make a list and document each asset in your fleet requiring preventive maintenance.

You should include asset details: year, make, and model.

Optimizing your parts and inventory provides you with cost-effective solutions for your PM program.

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2. Research About Existing Services 

Get information about the existing service history and stay ahead of the curve in prioritizing upcoming maintenance.

Creating a system for documenting fleet-wide maintenance is a good option. 

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3. Strategic Planning 

For each asset, make a list of OEM-recommended maintenance tasks and intervals. Avoid relying solely on navigation apps.

Refer to the guidelines set by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) when it comes to determining what maintenance to perform, and how often you should do it. 

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4. Scheduled Service Reminders

Developing a maintenance calendar for each asset is recommended.

It helps to anticipate equipment downtime for each asset. 

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5. Fleet Tracking to Enhance Productivity 

Log meter readings for all of your fleet assets to ensure they receive the service they need on time.

A better fleet tracking system helps your managers track trailer movements that optimize the overall productivity of your asset.

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How to Develop a Fleet Maintenance Program

Want to build a great preventive maintenance program, but staring at a blank canvas?

No matter! 

Whether you prefer construction equipment management in-house or outsourced,  defining proper maintenance keeps your fleet proactive and productive. 

Here are some you can consider while developing the PM program: 

Schedule Regular Maintenance Tasks

Foremost is having a schedule for your day-to-day maintenance work.

It includes oil changes, tire rotations, brake inspections, etc. 

Helping you stay on track with OEM guidelines for maintenance and without interruptions to your daily operations.

Deciding the maintenance intervals for each class of asset in your fleet is necessary.

It varies fleet by fleet depending upon the certain type. 

For example, for standard gas-operated equipment, you might base fleet maintenance on mileage.

While other types of asset-like equipment used on-site, may trigger maintenance based on engine hours, it's a case-by-case scenario.

Simply decide the interval and ensure it must be used across all fleet assets in a particular class.

Other than this, your operating condition also determines the maintenance intervals.

Using a standard asset in normal conditions is okay but you need more frequent repair for equipment operating in severe conditions. 

Equipment may have shorter intervals if used: 

• By multiple drivers

• In off-road conditions

• Got or towing

• Subject to excessive idling like in inner-city congested traffic

To successfully carry out fleet maintenance, determine the metrics to track for each asset including mileage, fuel usage, operating hours, etc. 

Decide on the trigger that will bring about maintenance activities. 

Take, for example, every 2000 miles, every 1,000 operating hours, or another measurable data point.

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Training Your Staff

Teach your staff by making them aware of the importance of regular maintenance.

Train them about potential problem identification and reporting. 

It will help nip breakdowns in the bud and other issues impacting fleet performance.

The first line of defense against unexpected breakdowns and repairs is your fleet operator.

Communicating asset problems immediately to fleet management is very important. 

It allows the driver to participate in the maintenance program, proactively reducing breakdowns.

Ask drivers for the following fleet maintenance reporting: 

• Fleet Safety Items:  Tires, wipers, horn, brakes, steering.

• Equipment Drivability Items: Misfire, rough idle.

• Equipment Body: Glass, body damage, cleanliness.

• Asset Miscellaneous Repair Items: Heater, radio.

Make your fleet operator accountable for examining these items.

A successful program depends upon the driver's instant reporting. 

If the driver fails to do so before, during, and after a trip, a potential problem may slip through the cracks.

That can cause a breakdown or unsafe condition. 

Ensure this training through the support of each department and senior management. 

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Records Your Asset

Maintain detailed records of all services performed. Keeping information about the date of the task, technician, and any parts or materials used, assists you in asset tracking: completion rates, costs, and downtime.

As per the report, it improves 20% compliance rates. 

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Monitor Fleet Performance

Monitor the fleet health and record metrics like fuel efficiency and maintenance costs.

In this way, you can identify trends in your maintenance costs and make adjustments. 

Get visibility into equipment performance and whether certain asset classes experience unexpected breakdowns more than others.

Do some fleets need more frequent parts replacements and tune-ups? 

When it comes to buying a new one, these insights can help you make more informed decisions. 

No doubt, following this tip leads you to invest in fleets that prove to be more efficient and offer a greater lifetime value.

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Use Software to Improve Processes and Compliance 

Manual maintenance is possible but if you consider software solutions, you can automate much of the oversight and management process.

In this US market, you will find a wide number of fleet maintenance software available. 

It makes your maintenance process much more efficient and puts it on the fast track.

Many of these software are cost-effective for small fleets also. 

Generating reports takes a fraction of the time. 

So do you want to save time? 

When you rely on fleet maintenance software like Clue rather than manual methods, you can generate reports within minutes.

Construction equipment maintenance software helps your fleet operators report on issues and submit required reports by making everything simple.

For instance basic inspections, after operating a fleet.

Further? Automated data collection lowers the chances of human error and improves overall accuracy. 

What features should you look for? 

Here are some useful suggestions: 

• Asset and fleet tracking

• Cost hunting 

• Licensing and registration tracking

• Purchase and work order tracking

• Client/operator request portal

• Insurance claims management

In addition to this, you must consider:  

• Mobile capabilities
• Integration with your existing fleet management system 
• Cloud deployment (specifically for growing fleets that need a solution that scales).

When comparing construction management software solutions, see the average fleet size managed with it.

Moreover, look at the fleet size capacity of software it's capable of handling. 

This maintenance software lets you stay ahead of the game by setting up alerts based on your pre-defined triggers.

Notifying your fleet manager or maintenance manager about the time when your fleet is due for maintenance.

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Establish a Baseline for Each Fleet

Get a full grasp of the current status of every piece of equipment in your fleet before the implementation of the PM program. 

It means a thorough inspection with all accessible data documented, the maintenance history parts replaced, vendors, etc. 

Make sure every fleet has the following: 

• Current inspection

• Service record

• Baseline of current mileage

• Fluid levels

• Any other available information

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Make a Complete Maintenance Service Checklist 

Before it leads to a costly breakdown, you can often surface any other issues. 

How can you make this happen? 

Go through a checklist every time your equipment comes in for scheduled preventive maintenance. 

It includes the inspection of: 

1. Engine oil and filter changes
2. Transmission of fluid
3. Cooling and fuel systems
4. Engine and transmission mounts
5. Drive shafts, CV joints, belts, and hoses
6. General tune-ups
7. Electrical system components
8. Brake system and replacement of brake pads and rotors
9. Steering and suspension system
10. Tires, wheels, and rims
11. Replacing tires in a timely fashion (including seasonal changes as suitable)
12. Exhaust system
13. Condition of the undercarriage and frame
14. Interior and exterior lights
15. Replacement of the windshield wipers and filling windshield fluid
16. Seat structures and seatbelts
17. Checking for fluid leaks
18. Auxiliary systems

Yeah; this checklist could end up creating more work for your technicians. 

Don't fret: it can be completed while the equipment is already in the shop instead of scheduling another time. 

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Manage Third-party Repairs

So many construction businesses outsource their fleet management to third-party shops.

No doubt this is a cost-effective solution for most fleets. 

However, assigning maintenance to external vendors without an efficient process leads to communication issues. 

Want a smooth running of approvals, work orders, and billing? 

Manage third-party maintenance through Clue.

A maintenance shop integration reduces downtime by notifying fleet managers to approve or reject maintenance when assets get to the shop. 

From there, you can easily set the wheels in motion to automate approvals.

Do it at your usual shops for a few dollars. 

Then your drivers bring fleets into the shop for repair and return to the road quickly.

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Decide Budget and Resource Allocation

Allocate resources wisely if you want to ensure your maintenance plan stays within your budget.

To maximize budget-friendliness, prioritize important maintenance tasks.

Implementing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software can help by providing a centralized system for managing finances, project planning, and resource distribution.

With better visibility into costs and workflows, businesses can prevent overspending and optimize maintenance efforts effectively.

A study reveals that 90% of the construction industry is about small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

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Fine-tune the Plan for Improvement 

Finally, check strengths and weaknesses in the data you capture through sensors, work order notes, and digital reports.

Find opportunities for improvement. Recommending you create a continuous improvement loop. 

It helps to refine your PMs as failures occur and is followed up by root-cause analyses. 

Including all stakeholders, such as technicians, operations, and reliability engineers is key to leaving no stone unturned.

Digital forums and profiles ease the feedback scheduling, work, and reviewing of flagged issues. 

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Are CMMS a Better Option for Fleet Maintenance Program?

Choosing an inefficient or unorganized fleet management system causes trouble for fleets. 

Leveraging a fleet CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) to streamline all your tasks. 

What's the benefit of creating and maintaining equipment repair schedules in software? 

By using Clue, a construction software for equipment and fleet management,maintenance and tracking etc, you can automate service reminders and get insight into future maintenance tasks.

It streamlines the whole process for you.It also allows: 

• To set service reminders

• View repair history 

• Manage all fleet maintenance

When it comes to the usage of an organized, flexible system to manage service it helps: 

• To standardize service intervals

• Stay in regulatory compliance

• Follow OEM guidelines to meet warranty standards

• Saves from unplanned repair costs

• Gives peace of mind through the automotive system 

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Set Reminders for Service Based on Odometer Readings

What's the role of odometer readings in fleet preventive maintenance? Maintenance schedules are based on mileage and hour intervals mostly so fleet managers keep tabs on odometer readings. 

Most of the fleets use paper processes so many operators can only provide odometer readings when getting back to the office.

It indicates that fleet managers receive infrequent, and sometimes inaccurate, odometer updates. 

However, having an integrated fleet management system enables you to receive accurate and current odometer updates. It helps in automating service reminders. 

Over and above that, you can avoid the information bottleneck and start service on time.

Otherwise, you will be left chasing your tail to hunt down drivers and manually track them when service is poor. 

You have two options: 

1. Ask drivers to update about OR through a driver inspection app
2. Integrate telematics fleet management system into management software to receive automatic meter updates instantaneously

With accurate odometer readings, you can ensure routine maintenance of fleets, set service schedules in software, and get reminders. 

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Refine Your Preventive Maintenance Program through eDVIR Results 

Bear in mind! 

And don't forget the key element of construction proactive maintenance programs - routinely monitoring asset conditions.

To identify any underlying issues, inspect assets regularly. 

Often, paper fleet inspections like Driver Equipment Inspection Reports (DVIR) take time to communicate results. 

To eliminate bottlenecks in the maintenance process, fleets use electronic fleet inspections to make the process easy. 

It allows drivers to conduct fast, thorough inspections on a mobile device.

By the same token, results are uploaded instantly into management software cautioning managers of any issues.

These inspection results lay the groundwork for beginning the creation process and assigning work orders quickly.

By taking simple, careful measures, you could avert countless hours of asset downtime and more expensive repairs.

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Challenges in the Fleet Maintenance Program

Maintaining a fleet of assets comes with various challenges.

If not sorted out timely, these challenges can disrupt a company’s profitability and operations. 

Let's consider some of the major challenges: 

• Diverse Fleet Inventory: Management of multiple types of equipment with specific maintenance requirements.

• High Fleet Utilization: Constant use of fleet cumulating wear and tear and requiring maintenance. 

• Budget Constraints: Budget constraints often leave you stuck between a rock and a hard place as limited maintenance resources make fleet operations challenging.

• Compliance and Regulations: Directing a bewildering web of regulations, from emissions standards to safety checks.

• Data Management: Handling enormous amounts of maintenance data. 

• Downtime Impact: Fleet downtime, decreased productivity and revenue are directly proportional. 

• Aging Assets: Keeping a balance between maintenance costs and the desire for life extension of aging fleet equipment.

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FAQs 

Why Is a Fleet Maintenance Program Important?

The fleet maintenance program is significant because it reduces the long-term maintenance cost and extends the life of the asset. It boosts the efficiency of the fleet as well. 

What Should a Preventive Maintenance Plan Include?

The PMP must include inventory, checklist, inspection or monitoring, use of software, and documentation. 

How to Implement a Fleet Maintenance Plan?

Implement the fleet maintenance plan by following steps: create a baseline, determine intervals, develop a checklist, begin the inspection reporting system and track metrics. 

What are Fleet Maintenance Methods? 

There are two methods of maintenance: 

• Proactive: planned preventive maintenance
• Reactive: unplanned breakdown maintenance