{"id":10568,"date":"2021-04-05T13:33:58","date_gmt":"2021-04-05T11:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=10568"},"modified":"2021-04-05T13:33:58","modified_gmt":"2021-04-05T11:33:58","slug":"maintenance-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2021\/04\/05\/maintenance-19\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Reduce Driver Impact on Truck Fleet Maintenance Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo: Gettyimages.com\/Eblis<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the top challenges for many fleet operators is ensuring drivers fully support the maintenance program<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

When looking at truck maintenance<\/a> and ways to save costs, often we start at the vehicle and move on to the shop. But what is the one missing component that has a major impact on vehicle maintenance needs? What is the one factor a truck fleet manager likely has the least control over? The driver.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDriver behavior is important in reducing costs. When drivers are accountable and responsible with the tools provided to them, they take a more vested interest in costs and cost containment,\u201d said Tony Hernandez, team lead \u2013 truck maintenance at Emkay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the top six ways to reduce your drivers\u2019 impact on overall truck fleet maintenance costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Keep Your Drivers Involved<\/span><\/h2>\n

Keep fleet drivers as a critical part of the decision in maintenance management.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour drivers are the best source of information about vehicle maintenance, performance, quality, fuel consumption, and more. By keeping the drivers involved, they are part of the team and a huge asset in the decision-making process,\u201d said Joseph Shinn, technical manager: medium\\heavy-duty maintenance at Merchants Fleet. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fleet companies, maintenance managers, or regional managers are not typically available to go to a repair facility with the drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe rely quite a bit on our drivers to confirm some of the repairs are done. Although we do have history, our drivers have been our eyes to determine if repairs and items are truly needed on their assets,\u201d said Hernandez of Emkay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Look around.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen implementing change or seeking driver buy-in, survey employees to gain their input. This establishes a favorable mindset and helps to create a sense of ownership in the solution,\u201d recommended Jamie Grams, national service department manager for Enterprise Fleet Management.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, Grams suggested establishing the need or problem in the minds of the drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExplain what challenges need to be overcome and provide a clear picture of how the problem affects them personally. Then, form a plan and ask the drivers for help in implementing the plan,\u201d Grams said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget to monitor the plan\u2019s progress and provide frequent feedback to the drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPublicly recognize or reward those drivers who followed the plan and created savings. Privately coach those drivers who can do better,\u201d Grams added.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Train Drivers Effectively<\/span><\/h2>\n

Beyond driver involvement, driver training is another essential key in reducing driver-related maintenance costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIncorporating maintenance metrics into a driver\u2019s training should be a best practice to follow for fleets looking to improve maintenance costs,\u201d said David Pardue, vice president of connected vehicle and contract services for Mack Trucks.<\/span><\/p>\n

To improve maintenance costs, Volvo Trucks agrees that including maintenance guidelines in driver training materials could help drivers understand how their performance will impact maintenance costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey could even create a maintenance score for drivers, similar to fuel economy scores commonly used today,\u201d said Evandro Silva, senior manager Connected Innovation for Volvo Trucks North America.<\/span><\/p>\n

Training can often be a hard sell from organizations to their drivers. Consider incentivizing drivers for training time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTraining takes time and can be arduous, so incentivizing it is a great way to garner initial interest. Creating a positive culture around maintenance and educating drivers is an essential component of a maintenance management program,\u201d said Mark Malanca, manager of Truck Department, Mechanical and Maintenance for LeasePlan USA.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Training<\/span>
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Training can often be a hard sell from organizations to their drivers. Consider incentivizing drivers for training time. <\/span>Photo: Gettyimages.com\/Smederevac<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Consider Gamification<\/span><\/h2>\n

Incentivize drivers to continue to focus on improvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFleet managers should consider gamification by having different divisions or locations competing with one another using measurable KPIs, such as preventive maintenance compliance or national account vendor utilization. Similarly, fleet managers may also consider including these measurements in employee performance management reviews,\u201d said Shinn of Merchants Fleet. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Accountability is also an essential factor when working with your truck fleet drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAccountability means holding a driver accountable when they do something wrong, but also rewarding them when they are doing things right. Reward drivers who follow the guidelines the company sets. It could be a bonus structure or a different vehicle tier structure,\u201d said Hernandez of Emkay.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, hold drivers accountable for actions that directly lead to vehicle damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome fleets see assets and maintenance as an unneeded expense, but others see it as a necessary tool to be successful in their job. The mindset and behavior that we instill in our drivers could determine the success you have in your fleet program,\u201d Hernandez said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider publishing organizational compliance performance. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThrough scorecards, provide visibility to individual\/departmental compliance data and the derived savings. This can instill healthy competition,\u201d said David Bieber, director, sales & strategic markets for Mike Albert.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Top Challenges & Tips Maintaining Alternative-Fuel Trucks<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

4. Provide the Right Tools<\/span><\/h2>\n

Give truck fleet drivers the tools they need to save you money.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFleet managers should provide targeted vendor repair network guidance to drivers based on factors like repair costs, proximity to a garaging facility, and average repair turnaround time,\u201d said Shinn of Merchants Fleet.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, don\u2019t forget the importance of clear and frequent communication.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cProvide drivers with tools, resources, and a program used to keep that driver on the road and making money. E-tools are used to alert drivers to what, where, and when services are needed. Also, ensure your program includes ancillary services that provide roadside assistance, downtime management, and replacement vehicle designed to support drivers and ensure they are behind the wheel and not on the sidelines waiting for services. Consider mobile services that provide off-hour support of preventive and scheduled repairs,\u201d said John Wuich, CAFM, vice president, Strategic Consulting Services (SCS) for Donlen.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Clearly State Your Policies<\/span><\/h2>\n

Be consistent and create policies that spell out the maintenance-related requirements that drivers are responsible for.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFleet managers will have more success lowering maintenance costs by ensuring active cost reduction is a critical element of the organization\u2019s culture. Empower drivers with the necessary tools to make meaningful and measurable contributions to achieve that goal,\u201d said Shinn of Merchants Fleet. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the top challenges for many fleet operators is ensuring drivers fully support the maintenance program.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe best advice I can offer is to establish a comprehensive driver policy that communicates your organization\u2019s expectations of your drivers. This policy should provide ample guidance and support to prioritize compliance with your maintenance parameters. Suppose the process is too complex or becomes an excessive inconvenience for drivers. In that case, compliance will wane, and operating costs and downtime will increase,\u201d said Joe Smith, maintenance account executive for ARI.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Have Executive Sponsorship<\/span><\/h2>\n

Additionally, make sure everyone is on board, from your drivers to upper executive leadership. Complete support is necessary for success.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLeaders must set expectations that compliance to the program is a key part of employee performance,\u201d said Bieber of Mike Albert.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Originally posted on Work Truck Online<\/a><\/p>\n

by Lauren Fletcher<\/a><\/p>\n

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Source: https:\/\/www.truckinginfo.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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CUT COTS OF THE FLEET WITH OUR AUDIT PROGRAM<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

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The audit is a key tool to know the overall status and provide the analysis, the assessment, the advice, the suggestions and the actions to take in order to cut costs and increase the efficiency and efficacy of the fleet. We propose the following fleet management audit.<\/p>\n

FLEET MANAGEMENT AUDIT<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo: Gettyimages.com\/Eblis One of the top challenges for many fleet operators is ensuring drivers fully support the maintenance program When looking at truck maintenance and ways to save costs, often we start at the vehicle and move on to the shop. But what is the one missing component that has a major impact on vehicle…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[53],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10568"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10568"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10570,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10568\/revisions\/10570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}