3 cost benefits of maintaining vehicle health year-round

Last month, truck inspections were conducted by local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials across North America, as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Day on September 7. 

The campaign, previously known as the annual Brake Safety Week, followed up on a series of unannounced inspections in May, where CVSA placed approximately 21% of the 9,524 vehicles inspected out of service. Last year, more than 2,300 vehicles were placed out of service due to brake violations. 

Events like Brake Safety Day are a good reminder to service equipment at regular intervals, and to catch any safety hazards that could result in costly violation fees. But, thanks to recent advancements in telematics and GPS fleet tracking, fleets can monitor their vehicles’ health on the other 364 days of the year. 

Here are the top three cost benefits of preventative maintenance, thanks to GPS fleet tracking software: 

Pre-calculate service costs
Businesses can identify when each vehicle is due for repairs and calculate all costs associated with each service repair. GPS fleet tracking systems provide fleets with greater visibility into each of their vehicles’ mechanics, helping them to fix a problem sooner than later. This allows managers to plan their fleet carefully and, most importantly, save time and money on degraded parts that often go unnoticed and could cause a sudden breakdown. 

Which leads to….

Avoid unexpected costs 
The costs of unforeseen breakdowns on the road, or violations that put a vehicle out-of-service, quickly add up. The data generated through fleet tracking arms businesses with the knowledge they need to ensure vehicles are maintained regularly. GPS fleet tracking software also provides detailed reports outlining the state of every vehicle in the fleet, so managers understand which assets are being over- or under-utilized and adjust use accordingly.

Lower fuel consumption costs
Fuel is one of the largest expenses associated with maintaining a fleet of vehicles. GPS fleet tracking software is specifically designed to monitor for excessive idling, as well as detect unsafe driving habits that indicate excessive fuel use. Fleet managers receive real-time alerts of unsafe activities per driver, including harsh acceleration, speeding and harsh braking. 

Overall, GPS fleet tracking software provides an opportunity to educate and train drivers, which ultimately curb habits that burn excessive fuel, minimize risk of accidents and reduce wear and tear on tires, brakes, suspension parts and mechanics. 

Click here to learn more about how fleets can optimize assets all year long with GPS fleet tracking.