6 Ways to
Maximize
Vehicle
Uptime
From increased productivity to lowered costs,
maximizing vehicle uptime brings a handful of direct
and ancillary benefits to fleet operations. Do you
know how to maximize your vehicle uptime?
6 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE VEHICLE UPTIME
F
rom 2014-15 fleet maintenance costs dropped due to better overall vehicle quality.
Costs were also reduced by new motor oils, engine and transmission component
engineering, and smart onboard diagnostics, alerting drivers and fleets to issues.
Many of these support a good preventive maintenance program, so you can maximize your
vehicle uptime.
The maintenance forecast moving forward, however, is not as encouraging. Parts and labor
costs are expected to rise throughout the year, mostly due to technician shortages. But by
understanding what makes up a preventive maintenance (PM) program, you’re more likely to
be able to ride out any negative impact from rising costs. To get you started, here are six proven
ways that can help you maximize vehicle uptime.
1
Set up a Preventive
Maintenance Program
Fleet vehicles
participating in a PM
program experience
roughly 20% fewer
days of downtime per
service repair than
those that aren’t
in a PM program.
The 2013 PHH Arval Preventive Maintenance Analysis looked at 130,000 repair
transactions over the last three years for 100 clients. These fleets had a minimum of 20%
medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The study split the transactions into two groups — assets in
a PM program and those that weren’t. From there, the study looked at scheduled maintenance
and breakdown repairs that took a vehicle off the road.
The key finding? Fleet vehicles in a PM program had around 20% fewer ‘down days’ per
service repair (i.e. unusable for business) than those not in a PM program.
Proper implementation of a PM program requires identifying goals, simplifying schedules and
solving challenges. Plan and act effectively and you’ll cut the need for emergency repairs,
reduce the burden of normal wear and tear, and ensure high-quality service.
Goals: Maximize uptime while keeping costs low. Prioritize the balance between inspection and
costs to meet service and budget goals.
Schedule: Your repair schedule should coincide with those of component manufacturers and
regulatory offices, so vehicles aren’t needlessly sitting around in a garage.
Plan: Know what you should look for and when. Keep in mind factors such as, weather and
road conditions, and plan appropriate inspections when necessary. Consider how different
vehicles react to climate, environment, etc. to come up with inspection timelines.
New technology: Plan preventive maintenance in line with emerging technology. Make sure
you stay ahead of the curve, instead of making changes one by one over a long period of time.
Telematics technology (with OBD-II diagnostic trouble code alerts) can help your fleet manage
vehicle issues that your drivers might not have spotted. Plus, tracking driving behavior and how
a vehicle is used can help indicate how often particular vehicles need servicing.
Fleets now realize the value of telematics and its ability to cut maintenance/repair spending.
Optimizing engine hours, miles driven and idle time all have a trickle-down effect on PM
services, non-PM spends, and downtime; and more fleets are realizing this through the power
of telematics data.
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6 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE VEHICLE UPTIME
Telematics is no longer the ‘nice to have’ it once was for many fleet applications. Amongst other
advantages, telematics systems spot maintenance issues as they crop up, well before they
become larger and more expensive problems.
Measure performance: Make sure you record maintenance services to calculate necessary
changes. Always address challenges, instead of ignoring problems and their causes. Work
out what could have been done differently and what needs to change. Then re-evaluate
expectations by reviewing your program and whether the goals you began with are still right.
Continually assess the work of technicians and processes to keep up performance.
Telematics is no longer
the ‘nice to have’ it
once was for many
fleet applications. A key
advantage to telematics
systems is the ability
to spot maintenance
issues at their inception
before they become
larger and more
expensive problems.
2
Hold Your Drivers
Accountable
Whether your drivers spend a little or a lot of time in their vehicles, they play a critical part in
keeping your vehicles in good operating condition. Remember these important steps when
working with your drivers:
1. Drivers must understand the types of vehicles they’re operating.
2. Give proper driver instruction on maintenance responsibilities when operating the vehicle.
Set a routine for fleet drivers to conduct the pre- and post-trip vehicle inspection. Hold
drivers accountable for the downtime.
The more drivers care for the vehicles they drive, the more likely they’ll be to continue to
operate them properly and avoid trips to the repair shop.
3
Take Advantage of Improved
Products and Materials
It’s important to work with a maintenance professional who knows if your vehicles can
take advantage of these new products and materials while still taking into account OEM
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6 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE VEHICLE UPTIME
recommendations. Being aware of these recommendations can also mean keeping any OEM
warranties you have in place and secure. Too often, warranties are waived because OEM
recommendations are not followed.
You also want to make sure that you work with a provider who understands quality parts.
OEMs and component manufacturers are increasingly using technology to produce better
components, to lengthen maintenance intervals and increase vehicle uptime. Higher-quality and
longer-life tires, brakes and fluids — while they can cost more in the near-term — can lead to
reduced downtime and ultimately lower overall maintenance costs.
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5
Do Your Research When
Choosing Vehicles
6
Evaluate When It’s Time
to Replace Your Vehicle
Tailor Downtime Against Each
Vehicle’s Requirements
Scheduling maintenance and repairs during off hours is an easy way to cut out downtime. By
working with a flexible provider you can reduce the impact of maintenance on your operations.
Overtaxing trucks can lead to downtime fast, and a lot of it. The first thing to think about
when choosing vehicles is whether a particular make and model meet the bulk of the fleet’s
requirements or specific applications including function, durability, availability, and cost.
Does it make financial sense to act before excessive repairs are required? Understanding when
to turn in the vehicle is crucial. At higher mileage and age, trucks are more likely to go down,
and repair time often goes up, keeping units off the road for longer and more frequent intervals
— with less work getting done.
Knowing the cost of downtime is also important. When you know the true cost of downtime,
you can better evaluate when to replace a vehicle. Beyond the costs of parts and labor, having
your vehicles out of action could be costing you a lot more. Consider what that vehicle would be
doing and how much money your business is losing.
If your fleet has a sound foundation, you can maximize uptime. Proper vehicle selection,
downtime measurement, and a coherent lifecycle and repair strategy will help reduce downtime
— and help you be better prepared to act when it occurs.
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6 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE VEHICLE UPTIME
About Valvoline
Valvoline™ is a leading worldwide producer and distributor of premium-branded automotive,
commercial and industrial lubricants, and automotive chemicals. In 2016, it ranks as the
#2 quick-lube chain by number of stores and #3 passenger car motor oil in the DIY market
by volume brand in the United States. The brand operates and franchises more than 1,050
Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM centers in the United States. It also markets Valvoline lubricants
and automotive chemicals; MaxLife™ lubricants created for higher-mileage engines,
SynPower™ synthetic motor oil; and Zerex™ antifreeze.
For more information, please visit Valvoline.com.
We’re here to help!
Ready to set up a fleet account – or would like to learn more?
Visit www.vioc.com/fleet
Or call (866) 436-2607
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