Get The Most Out Of Your Van Fleet

Fleet management can be difficult but if you don’t manage the fleet well your business is likely to suffer. Making sure that your vans are maintained regularly and effectively keeps the vans on the road, reducing both downtime and cost. If fleet management is poor then vehicles are off the road, downtime increases and running costs will rise.

The Four Main Challenges of Fleet Management

#1 Keeping Track of Service Schedules

Determining when a vehicle needs a service or time out for maintenance is more difficult for commercial fleet operators. There are so many people and vehicles it can be difficult to keep track of them all.

A commercial vehicle’s mileage is likely to increase rapidly so following the time-based schedule provided by the manufacturer is often not a viable option. With so many drivers and vehicles involved, identifying when a vehicle should have a service becomes harder.

In addition, commercial vehicles will often be used for transporting heavy loads, towing or may have to spend a lot of time waiting in line with the engine idling. All of these things fall outside the parameters of normal use as specified by the manufacturer. The vehicles need to be serviced and maintained more often making it a complicated process of organisation for fleet managers.

#2 Late reporting of problems

With multiple drivers and vehicles it is likely that small problems will not be reported until the point when they become serious and start to impact the experience of the driver. These small problems can then go on to become major problems which are more difficult and expensive to solve.

#3 Performance issues go undetected

With multiple drivers and vehicles in the fleet it can be hard to spot those that are underperforming. This is important because things like poor fuel economy can start to eat into your profits. Once identified these problems can be fixed. Similarly, where it is the driver who is not performing well, they can receive extra training before it starts to impact the bottom line.

#4 Making sure checks and maintenance are on time

Regular checks and maintenance will keep the fleet moving, avoiding unnecessary breakdowns and accidents. The normal checks like oil and tyre pressures are even more essential when a vehicle is used extensively. If tyres are underinflated they can wear more quickly, increase fuel costs or cause an accident. Neglecting routine maintenance and checks can prove to be very expensive.

Volksmaster Service for Fleets, Lease & Commercial Vehicles

Our Van Centre workshop is fully equipped and staffed with trained technicians to provide a great service for all types of commercial vehicles. We offer repairs designed to keep your business on the road, with appointments and schedules to suit your needs.

We can accommodate both long and short wheel base commercial vehicles such as VW Crafters, Mercedes Sprinters, etc., and believe that providing support to keep your vehicles on the road is vital to ensure the success of your business.

We accept fleet operators and other business accounts, please contact us for more details.