SPONSORED: How To Stay Roadworthy At All Times

Everyone understands safety is important. Intentionally or even unintentionally sending a truck out that isn’t up to scratch can be errant. But running a safe business requires effort and for that you need visibility.

You need to schedule maintenance when its needed and with minimal disruption. You need to know about little problems so they can be addressed before they cause major hassles. You need to address the behaviours that increase the wear-and-tear on your fleet. Keeping track of every vehicle in your fleet is difficult, but with fleet management software, you can create a culture of safety.

Good Routines for Good Results

Checking vehicles that leave the depot is vital, but it needs to be more than a token exercise. Each vehicle or trailer type may require a specific checklist, each job a different form which makes paper-based systems cumbersome. In a bid to get it over and done with, things may fall through the cracks. A digital pre-trip check list is easy for drivers to pull up and complete – by simply walking around the vehicle and checking off the condition of each component of the truck. Any issues are sent to maintenance staff immediately, so replacement parts can be ordered or the vehicle grounded until the issue is resolved. There’s a significantly reduced risk of break down or injury to the driver as it’s easier to manage and keep everyone informed.

Keep Ahead of Maintenance Checks and Schedules

Manually managed maintenance schedules can lead to double booking or missing vehicles entirely. Trucks need regular check-ups to ensure they’re roadworthy. What if the vehicle is scheduled for a service and it’s booked for a job? With an electronic scheduling system in GPS fleet management software, vehicles won’t miss a scheduled service. Once a vehicle has travelled a certain distance, or the engine has ticked over certain hours, admin and maintenance staff are alerted via email that a service is due. This means managers don’t need to rely on reactive maintenance once a break down has already occurred or risk over-servicing vehicles. Leaving the upkeep to telematics means businesses can reduce costs and time associated with vehicle breakdowns and keep the fleet in tip top shape.

Retrain Employees and Drive Out Change

Harsh braking, sharp cornering, excessive idling and speeding cause serious damage, risk safety and cost money. These behaviours put stress on the truck’s internals, making breakdowns more likely and increasing maintenance demands. Vehicle tracking  alerts the office to problematic driving, so they can be corrected. Fleet managers can also receive an SMS if a driver engages in a particularly dangerous behaviour, such as speeding. These events are recorded and replayed for drivers as learning tools, to help demonstrate why these behaviours need addressing. Not only does this make drivers perform better they show managers care about safety. It means vehicles are being treated better and stay compliant for longer.

Maintenance is a never-ending process, but that doesn’t mean it should get out of hand. Technology makes it easier to stay on top of vehicles’ schedules and up to code. That way, routine inspections are a way to reaffirm that the fleet is well maintained, compliant to NHVAS and roadworthy.