Is It Time For A Brake Service?

Posted on: 19 May 2020

One of the steps to proper fleet management is conducting regular inspections on all your vehicles. Whether you only have a few cars or a combination of tens of trucks, vans and other vehicles for the business, it's crucial to create an inspection schedule. Since your business depends on the functioning of these cars to thrive, downtime can cost you a lot of money in the long run. With this in mind, here are the often-overlooked benefits of conducting regular vehicle inspections on your fleet.

Fewer Instances of Unscheduled Fleet Maintenance

Most businesses that manage fleets have a maintenance schedule. You know how much you spend each quarter on maintenance, how to fund the exercise and how to schedule the procedures to ensure the business isn't disrupted. However, if you don't regularly inspect your vehicles, you won't notice underlying problems that may cause unexpected breakdowns. As a result, you're forced to repair your cars before the next scheduled maintenance.

This situation can cause major inconveniences in the business. However, with regular inspections, you're able to unearth underlying problems with your vehicles. If you notice a certain truck may suffer mechanical issues, you can pull it off the fleet and plan for repairs on time. This saves you from surprise breakdowns, which can hurt the business.

Lower Downtime Due to Unexpected Breakdowns

Your business relies on its fleet to fulfil deliveries, stock pickups and other related tasks. Unexpected breakdowns of your vehicles can cause increased downtime and chaos in the business. What's more, if you have orders waiting to be shipped or stock awaiting pickup, you may be forced to hire a truck if the rest are engaged. This ends up increasing costs and reducing your profits.

During an inspection, all your cars undergo a thorough check of all the systems, including the suspension and steering system, engine, exhaust, ignition and fuel system. Any existing problems that could lead to significant downtime can be identified and addressed immediately. Thus, your fleet can operate efficiently and save you direct and indirect costs resulting from breakdowns.

Reduced Penalties and Liability

Vehicles that don't get inspected regularly are at a high risk of causing accidents. For example, a car whose braking system is not in excellent condition may fail to stop when required, and this could cause a crash. Not only do you have to repair the vehicle, but you may also have to cover the medical costs of the driver and any passengers therein. 

The damages resulting from accidents can hurt your business financially, mainly if you don't carry adequate liability insurance. Conducting regular fleet inspections ensures your vehicles are in excellent condition at all times. This reduces the risk of accidents and saves you from incurring fines and associated damages.

Regular fleet inspections are necessary for business owners who wish to save costs and improve the reliability of their vehicles. Talk to an auto expert who can help you create a suitable inspection schedule for your fleet.