Keeping your vehicle fleet in the best state possible is important for the longevity of your business as it contributes to achieving sale goals and retaining profitability. In addition, your drivers’ comfort and happiness are also affected as it plays a large role in their productivity and welfare. Looking after your vehicles not only provides your drivers reassurance that you care, but it can also massively affect how your stakeholders perceive the company.

Now let’s get to it! Below we have a few suggestions on how you can look after and maintain your fleet.

Choosing the Right Fleet Vehicle

Choosing a vehicle with the right specifications for the job is a great way to get started and can increase the longevity and reduce unnecessary breakdowns to your fleet. It’s important to consider the type of journey that you want to use your vehicle for and how often you will use it. Using an under spec’d vehicle that is not strong enough for the job can escalate the maintenance costs and reduce drivers comfort and wellbeing. In contrast, using a vehicle too powerful will increase the associated costs. There are several points to consider when choosing the right fleet such as…

  • Usage
  • Mileage it will cover
  • Operating conditions
  • Weight of the loads it will carry

 

Regular Fleet Cleaning

You would be surprised how much a company can save if they put regular cleaning of fleet vehicles into practice. A regular vehicle clean can make it easier in the long run to spot any defects before they turn into complicated problems. Spotting issues in advance can help you avoid unexpected costs that would have escalated to a ridiculous amount if it was left unidentified.

On top of this, when a vehicle builds up dirt, they become less fuel efficient and add to your overheads. Having a regular fleet clean can reduce your cost as you will be dragging across less dirt to different locations. In addition, let’s not forget the reputation that a clean fleet can bring to your company! Your fleet is constantly on the go and coming into contact with thousands of individuals. Representing a great brand that people want to work for and buy from can get you ahead of your competitors.

 

Putting in Place a Prevention Programme

How many times have we heard of the term prevention is better than cure? It applies to fleets too. Instead of waiting for something to go wrong and getting it fixed, it would be more effective to put in place a regular health check to identify any small problems before they become serious, expensive and take an effect on your productivity. You should start by making note of all current vehicles and their conditions, list which vehicles need to be prioritised and date up when they were last checked. Moving forward you should create a routine preventative maintenance checklist that meets your particular needs for your fleet. This could include the following.

  • Engine oil and filter change
  • Breaking system
  • Steering
  • Belts and hoses
  • Tyres wheels and trims
  • Drive shaft
  • Transmission fluids

 

Including Your Drivers In The Plan

Putting in place the prevention programme is a great step and it would be important to communicate these policies with your drivers. At the end of the day, they are the ones that will be operating the vehicles daily and can point out any changes that need attention. Ensure that they understand their responsibility to report any problems as soon as possible.

In addition, it would be great idea to reward and encourage drivers to look after the fleet vehicles and drive efficiently. Encouraging eco-friendly driving is a great way to protect your drivers and vehicles. In addition, it contributes to protecting the planet and keeps your fuel costs low.

 

Investing In Outsourcing Your Fleet Washing

Even if you have your own protocols in place to clean your van you may want to consider professional help. Getting through all the grime and dirt is hard when you don’t have the professional equipment and even investing in the equipment could be a big cost added. Outsourcing your fleet wash can help you save money as you don’t have to invest on all the expensive equipment that you may not use every day. In addition, payroll cost and time will be saved which gives you time to focus on the organisation. Lastly your vehicle will last longer as professional fleet cleaners have experience with all different types of vehicles and can detect what they need

Businesses outsource plenty of tasks that simply aren’t worth doing in-house and fleet cleaning is one of them. At SSC, we are experts in our field, covering all areas in South East of England such as Oxford, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and parts of London. To book a consultation feel free to call us on 01923 549 029