Ways To Increase Your Truck Fleet’s Lifespan

Building a fleet of vehicles for your business requires significant investment. Once your fleet is complete and running, your next task is to extend the value of your investment for as long as possible. Learn ways to increase your truck fleet’s lifespan.

Train Your Drivers

Your best route to longer truck fleet life are your well-trained drivers. Ensure they know how their habits affect the condition of the trucks they drive, fuel efficiency, and how important good driving habits are to their own safety. Instill the importance of route planning and communication in the event that unforeseen circumstances force a driver to add unanticipated miles to a run. Remind them to be prepared for emergencies and to monitor the condition of their vehicle for wear and changes due to the extremes of summer or winter weather.

Monitor Driving Habits

All commercial vehicles covered by the FMCSA are required to be equipped with an electronic logging device that records date, time, engine hours, and vehicle miles, among other things. Yet most fleet operators also use a combination of telematics devices that work with GPS/satellite, cellular, or wireless devices that may offer more accurate location data plus more granular data, like the number of starts and stops, excessive idling, and detours.

Whatever system you install in your trucks, take advantage of the data you’re collecting to identify bad driving habits that can trim years of use off your trucks. Speeding, hard braking, fast acceleration, abuse of the gears, and many other bad habits can create unnecessary wear on your trucks and shorten their useful life. Identify drivers who engage in these behaviors and provide additional training.

Follow Preventative Maintenance Schedules Meticulously

The maintenance schedule for your trucks is not a suggestion; it’s a requirement. Check all major mechanical systems according to the schedule. At a minimum, these will include brakes, hydraulics, tires, oil, suspension, transmission, and engine. Ensure you keep a supply of the recommended truck lubricants on hand to replenish or replace depleted levels whenever necessary.

Use Fleet Management Software

Analyzing the data that your telematics provide is easier when you use fleet management software that records and monitors the condition of each vehicle. You’ll see which trucks have logged the most miles, when you performed the most recent maintenance, and any flags for parts replacements or damage indicators.

Investing in a fleet is a long-term proposition. Protect your investment by doing everything you can to increase your fleet’s lifespan, and keep your vehicles in top performing condition.