Businesses always have associated costs when vehicles stop, whether due to weather, maintenance, accidents or other events. Some fleet downtime costs can be managed more effectively because fleet managers anticipate them, unlike others, which are unexpected and difficult to predict. However, there are specific steps you can put into practice to reduce your fleet downtime costs.
Although accidents and maintenance are the most common causes of downtime, other often-overlooked causes can compromise your fleet's productivity, such as weather conditions, congested roads, loading and unloading goods, or jacked-up vehicles.
When vehicles cannot operate due to unforeseen circumstances, less obvious costs can negatively impact your fleet. These may include:
- Failure to deliver products or provide service to a customer on time;
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- Costs of replacement vehicles to carry out tasks;
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- Additional demand on other fleet assets which increases wear and tear;
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- A negative impact on productivity if drivers are unable to perform their tasks;
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- Costs of paying drivers for unscheduled time off.
How to reduce vehicle downtime
While some downtime events within your fleet may be out of control, taking a proactive rather than reactive approach to maintenance can result in cost savings. Making small changes and planning more effectively can make a big difference to the bottom line, whether you're faced with expected or unforeseen causes of downtime.
Consider these practices to reduce downtime costs in your fleet:
- Carry out effective maintenance planning;
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- Implement routine maintenance practices;
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- Use vehicle replacement programs;
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- Develop a process to resolve issues reported by drivers during daily inspections;
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- Use technology to improve availability.
Reduce downtime costs with a fleet management system
Digiparc provides you with real-time fleet data and insights with everything you need to know about your fleet to improve productivity and reduce costs. When it comes to downtime, it offers specific features that help you mitigate the associated costs, like fleet alerts, which let you know if a vehicle exceeds the scheduled downtime or alerts you for the preventive maintenance plan. In addition, with Digiparc's Fleet Management Reports, you will know which vehicles have the most downtime and understand how to reduce it.
If you would like to learn more about these and other Digiparc features, contact a member of our team.
