When a fleet manager gets a call that a truck is broken down, she’s got a lot to manage. How to make sure the load gets delivered. What will the shipper say when the delay is significant? What’s the best thing to do right now?
The question, “Why?” might not come until later.
Fleet Maintenance
Every fleet manager has someone taking care of the trucks. This critical role carries a lot of responsibility. Not every breakdown on the road can be prevented, but with simple, regular maintenance, many possible problems can be stopped before they ever start.
I think there are a couple of important things that a fleet builder or manager has to keep in mind.
Expertise and Record Keeping
The right mechanic is the one who knows your trucks. The maintenance manager or repair shop team should have a lot of experience with this type of truck, know what type of mechanical problems it’s prone to having, and most importantly when the work on the trucks has been done and when it needs to be done. The expert isn’t going to keep your trucks on the road without keeping track of the maintenance. When you’ve got a fleet, the maintenance records are even more important to keep in order, unless you like ordering another set of new tires – for the truck that got new six new tires last month.
One of the most important features of TruckingOffice trucking management software is the maintenance module. By using it with a system, the mechanics can avoid missing regular maintenance and keep a watchful eye on the mileage to schedule an oil change without having to miss a load.
A truck is a big investment. You want to protect that for as long as possible with a system that will get the vehicle serviced regularly. How can the chief mechanic keep track of the schedule? By having a truck maintenance software that’s linked to the dispatches and the routing instructions, a maintenance team can predict certain maintenance schedules for each individual vehicle. With the software, they can let the front office know when a truck will need some time off the road for routine work.
The balance between on the road and in the shop.
At some point, a truck needs major repairs or to be retired. This decision can cost a fleet owner a lot of money. Is it better to put more money, time, and resources into an old truck, or is it better to buy a new one?
What’s the general history of this model? Is the investment worth it?
Some repair shops have the reputation that they’ll always say yes because it means more work for them. A smart fleet manager has a team with the smarts to recognize a lost cause as well as the value of the truck in the future. When I faced problems with my trucks, I had to make some tough decisions. I didn’t understand the options with financing how to manage an expensive repair. Now I might make different decisions because I know my choices.
The Maintenance Team Need Truck Maintenance Software
The fleet manager, the chief mechanic and the driver are all on the same team to maintain the truck the best they can. Together with the right truck maintenance software, everyone is on the same page. The team will be able to decide about how to make the truck last and haul profitably. You might think that this kind of software would be expensive, difficult to use and hard to integrate with the front office.
The right truck maintenance software doesn’t have to be expensive. But if it’s not integrated with your dispatching software, it’s a bad investment. Someone is going to have to input the data twice. No fleet manager wants to have extra staff do repeat work. Having one system for dispatch entry, invoicing and maintenance for the entire fleet is the perfect solution.
That’s TruckingOffice trucking management software. Instead of using Google Maps for dispatches and QuickBooks for invoices and some random software for maintenance management, TruckingOffice can do it all.
Not so sure about us yet? That’s okay. We’re so sure that you’ll find TruckingOffice to be the solution you need for your truck maintenance software needs – as well as everything else – that we’ll give you a free month to try it out. We’ve got packages based on the number of trucks you have in your fleet. You can sign up today – no charge card needed – to try out the best-integrated trucking management software program available.
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