To talk
about fleet management is to talk about the control, management and
administration of the resources of a transport company.
Fleet maintenance is an essential task in logistics management to ensure the safety
and efficiency of vehicles used in the transportation of goods. This is the
application of a maintenance routine or schedules, as well as the vehicle care
process. This programming helps keep both fleet vehicles and drivers safe,
which translates into greater business profitability.
Around 13% of all traffic accidents involve company vehicles, many of these accidents are
due to mechanical failure or maintenance issues.
Did you
know that approximately 10% of truck accidents are caused by brake, tire or
light problems?
According
to a NAFA (National Association of Fleet Managers) report, preventive maintenance can reduce repair costs by 30%-40%. The study indicates that, for
every euro spent on preventive maintenance, 4 euros are saved in repair costs.
Downtime
is another factor to take into account when maintaining vehicles. Lack of
maintenance can lead to prolonged downtime for vehicles. According to a report
by research firm Frost & Sullivan, unplanned downtime can cost
transportation and logistics companies €500 per day/truck. Fleet maintenance
helps increase the useful life of trucks to 7.7 years compared to 5.6 years for
vehicles that are not regularly maintained.
By
implementing a fleet management plan, not only efficiency in mechanical
services is achieved, but also an extension in the useful life of the vehicles.
Improvement in fleet maintenance is achieved through the establishment of
preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.
Optimizing
fleet management emerges as the solution to mitigate these risks. Through these
measures, it is possible to exercise proactive control over the expense
projections related to the repairs of each truck. This process requires access
to each vehicle's history, kilometers traveled, repair history, and other relevant
data. If the fleet is in good condition thanks to preventive maintenance, we achieve greater productivity by reducing repair costs and increasing profitability.
Vehicles that are maintained in optimal condition are those that can meet their commitments effectively.
But what
is preventive maintenance and what aspects must be taken into account for its
correct development?
Preventive
maintenance is the periodic control and management of all the resources
involved in the maintenance of the fleet. This maintenance is based on the use
of data that allows maintenance work to be managed in advance and planned.
Preventive maintenance should be based on a program that includes the necessary
inspections and repairs for each vehicle as well as monitoring to detect any
problems in daily use. It is important to have inspections done on a regular
and scheduled basis, even if the vehicle shows no obvious signs of wear or
problems.
Achieving
optimal maintenance of fleet vehicles is, as we see, closely linked to
efficient fleet management. Managing a fleet involves knowledge and control of
multiple aspects of vehicles, drivers, routes, suppliers, etc. It's not just
about maintaining fleet productivity and making better decisions.
In this
context, a TMS like Meribia comes into action. The use of software that
controls all processes and activities related to the fleet is essential to
achieve greater performance and profitability. The improvement in the
maintenance and proper use of vehicles comes from the automation of processes.
The more information we have, the greater profitability we obtain, that is, if
we have greater control of workshop operations, we can make more competitive
decisions, based on data that help us develop efficient maintenance.
Preventive
maintenance avoids the dreaded corrective maintenance that involves greater
expense due to inefficient management of resources.
In
addition to more exhaustive technical control to achieve profitability,
software like Meribia generates important benefits such as:
- Productivity increase
- Reduction of costs and operational errors
- Optimization of processes
- Increased safety of vehicles and drivers
Meribia
has modules for the control and management of vehicle maintenance. The Workshop
Module allows the management of items, warehouses, suppliers, operators, as
well as everything related to purchasing management and warehouse management in
the case of its own workshop. Likewise, you can work on managing expenses and
external repairs if you do not have your own workshop. Meribia provides access
to detailed reports with all the information necessary for efficient resource
management, as well as notifications of maintenance plans among many other
functions.
A TMS like
Meribia responds comprehensively to all the needs in the management of any land
cargo transportation company.
