6 Ways to Stay On Top of Your Delivery Fleet Maintenance

Increased demand for delivery services has resulted from the continued development of e-commerce, as well as more people becoming accustomed to deliveries at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Managing a small delivery fleet can be difficult, particularly when it comes to keeping the vehicles in good working order. It will take time and effort, but it will be made easier if you follow the tips given here.

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Table of Contents

• The Importance of Delivery Fleet Maintenance
• 6 Tips on How to Manage Your Delivery Fleet Maintenance
• Proper Distribution Fleet Maintenance Will Save You a Lot of Money

The Importance of Delivery Fleet Maintenance

Maintaining good working order in your fleet is critical to your delivery operations. There are many reasons why proper fleet maintenance management is important.

To begin with, a vehicle that has been neglected is dangerous. An accident caused by inadequate maintenance would not only cost you money in terms of repairs, but it can also result in injury to the driver or third party, as well as litigation.

Second, maintaining the delivery vehicles on a regular basis keeps them on the lane. A car that has been neglected is more likely to break down or need extensive repairs. This form of vehicle downtime, according to Fleet Maintenance, will cost you more than $700 a day in terms of driver salary and missed income. Finally, repairs can be expensive. It saves you money when inadequate maintenance leads to repairs that would otherwise be needless. Spending a little money now on maintenance costs is preferable to spending a lot of money later on repairs.

Finally, a vehicle that has been well-maintained is more reliable. Poor maintenance can lead to decreased performance and decreased fuel economy. Consider the basic act of maintaining proper tire inflation. Improperly inflated tires on a vehicle can cost up to 11 cents per gallon, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When you multiply that by the entire fleet over time, you can see how important even minor information can be.

6 Tips on How to Manage Your Delivery Fleet Maintenance

#1 Plan ahead of time for routine maintenance

Scheduling all scheduled maintenance in advance is the simplest way to ensure that the fleet vehicles receive adequate maintenance. It’s relatively simple for your fleet maintenance manager or fleet manager to schedule regular maintenance for each vehicle using an online or software-based calendar program. Calculate how many miles you drive each day, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for oil changes and tire rotation. Set reminders for each maintenance item a week before it is due so you can plan time in the garage.

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#2 Create a smart maintenance program

A fleet monitoring system will go beyond regular scheduled maintenance by alerting you when maintenance is needed based on real-world operating conditions. Each vehicle’s telematics software can monitor key operating parameters including engine temperature, oil pressure, and fluid levels, and warn you when those limits are exceeded. This allows you to perform maintenance only when it is needed, rather than before or after.

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#3 Work with a fleet vehicle maintenance company

Consider hiring a fleet management firm to operate the fleet vehicles if you don’t have the staff to do so. Regular maintenance and repairs are provided by delivery fleet management firms, who have the personnel, expertise, and contacts with garages and repair companies to do so – for a fee, of course. Allowing one of these companies to manage all of your fleet’s maintenance will relieve a lot of stress and allow you to focus on more important tasks.

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#4 Make your drivers responsible

Paying attention to the car’s condition is an essential aspect of vehicle maintenance. This is something that the drivers can quickly be allocated to as part of a regular vehicle walk-around. Make it a part of the drivers’ responsibilities to:

• Make sure your tires are properly inflated.
• Keep an eye on your tires for signs of wear.
• Examine the quantities of grease, transmission fluid, washer fluid, and other fluids.
• Examine the state of your wiper blades.
• Ensure that the engine is fully fueled and the gas cap is securely fastened (or, in the case of electric cars, that it is plugged in and charged).
• Look for leaks under the vehicle.
• Check that all of the exterior lights, including the brake lights, are operational.
• Check to see if the doors and windows are working properly.
• Look for any fresh dents or dings on the vehicle’s exterior.

You’ll be able to prevent a lot of problems from arising if your drivers go through this regular checklist and report any concerns to their boss.

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#5 Emphasize the importance of safe driving

When it comes to the drivers, how hard they drive will have an impact on the amount of maintenance needed. Drivers should receive adequate instruction in order to learn healthy and responsible driving techniques. Aggressive acceleration and braking should be avoided as much as possible to minimize wear and tear on the cars and prevent injuries and traffic tickets.

#6 Use optimized route planning

Your cars will need less maintenance and last longer if they are driven less miles. Optimizing the drivers’ routes and increasing driver efficiency are two of the most successful ways to minimize miles driven. This can be done manually using Google Maps or automatically using route planning tools.

EasyRoutes and other route planning applications automate the optimization and sharing of routes for all of your vehicles. This cuts down on driver time on the road, fuel consumption, vehicle wear and tear, and vehicle maintenance. Route planning software is, in general, one of the most cost-effective investments you can make in your delivery operations.

Proper Distribution Fleet Maintenance Will Save You a Lot of Money

Your delivery fleet is one of your most valuable assets, and if it isn’t properly maintained, you might be throwing money away. Schedule routine maintenance and make sure you have the right route optimization app like EasyRoutes to assist your delivery drivers in making the best, most efficient deliveries possible.

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Learn More about EasyRoutes

Transform your Shopify orders into optimized delivery routes that you can share with your drivers or personally deliver. Learn more about EasyRoutes at Roundtrip.ai, or install the app from the Shopify App Store to start streamlining your local deliveries today!