{"id":11505,"date":"2021-06-16T13:44:46","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T11:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=11505"},"modified":"2021-06-16T13:44:46","modified_gmt":"2021-06-16T11:44:46","slug":"last-mile-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2021\/06\/16\/last-mile-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Keys to Servicing Last-Mile Delivery Vans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo:\u00a0Adrianne Cordero, Wheelz Up<\/em><\/i><\/p>\n

With mobile servicing, AD and his crew regularly travel to Wheelz Up\u2019s delivery vans and perform several oil changes and tire rotations at one time.<\/b><\/p>\n

With last-mile delivery vehicles<\/a> needing to be on the road all day, it\u2019s important for companies to keep up to date on vehicle maintenance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about preventive maintenance,\u201d says Adrianne Cordero, service manager\/lead technician for Wheelz Up Garage. \u201cCheck everything on the vehicle. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re low on coolant and you didn\u2019t check that. Then the next week, the vehicle overheats and then you messed up the head gasket. One simple problem can cost you big.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordero (known as \u201cAD\u201d) services the fleet vehicles for Wheelz Up, an auto parts delivery company. Additionally, he manages the maintenance of 125 last mile<\/a> delivery vans, which are part of Wheelz Up\u2019s Amazon Delivery Service Partner (DSP) contract.<\/p>\n

Because last-mile delivery vans are on the road for 10 hours per day, AD and his crew do most of the vehicle maintenance work at night.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually I work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday late,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m here until 10 or 11 at night. It depends on what needs to be done on the vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speedy, Consistent Service<\/h2>\n

To keep the delivery vans on the road and avoid vehicle downtime, AD and his five-man crew do oil changes every 5,000 miles on each van. The oil change includes tire rotations and a multi-point inspection of the van. If a new tire is needed, the tire is replaced, he says.<\/p>\n

In addition to managing Wheelz Up\u2019s repair garage, AD also operates a mobile repair van. \u201cOn the mobile van, we have a tire machine,\u201d says Cordero. \u201cWe have the oil, and everything is set up. It\u2019s basically a running shop.\u201d<\/p>\n

With mobile servicing, AD and his crew regularly travel to Wheelz Up\u2019s delivery vans and perform several oil changes and tire rotations at one time; the garage takes care of more involved repairs. AD insists on using a fully synthetic, high-quality oil and an OEM oil filter (as opposed to an aftermarket filter). For his high-use vans, \u201cRegular oil burns and causes sludge,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Wheelz Up parks its Amazon delivery vehicles at a local dealership overnight; the drivers<\/a> pick up the vans there each morning. That way, the mobile van can go to the dealership at night and work on multiple vehicles at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith my crew of five, we can service 20 vans in less than three hours, including the tire rotation,\u201d he says. \u201cMost fleets have one mechanic come to the site and work on a vehicle for an hour. But with a crew of five working on one van, we can finish an oil service in 10 to 15 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"When
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When it comes to the most common parts failures for last-mile vehicles, AD says tires, brakes, and rotors. Photo:\u00a0Adrianne Cordero, Wheelz Up<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Common Maintenance Issues<\/h2>\n

When it comes to the most common parts failures for last-mile<\/a> vehicles, AD says tires, brakes, and rotors. Carrying heavy loads can cause overheating of the brake pads and overheating of the rotors, leading to vehicle damage and downtime if not properly maintained.<\/p>\n

Because delivery vans can put on many miles per day, the tires get worn quickly. Depending on the type of van and the number of daily miles, the tire life can be only three to five months or 10,000 to 15,000 miles, according to AD.<\/p>\n

Wheelz Up\u2019s last-mile <\/a>fleet contains different cargo vans, including the Nissan NV and the Ram ProMaster. AD<\/p>\n

In AD\u2019s experience, the ProMaster\u2019s tire life tends to be shorter than the Nissan NV\u2019s tire life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt depends on how the driver drives the van, but the ProMaster\u2019s front-wheel-drive design leads to a shorter tire life,\u201d he says. \u201cThe power of the engine and the steering are on the front, which causes the tires to get worn out faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working on Wheelz Up\u2019s delivery vans, he and his crew generally change tires on the ProMasters every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. On the NV vans, the tires usually need to be changed between 10,000 and 15,000 miles.<\/p>\n

If a van breaks down or requires more intensive repairs, AD stores spare cargo vans at the Wheelz Up Garage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a driver calls and says that his van has broken down, we can deliver a spare van and then take the van back to shop to work on it,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re always prepared because the whole day of deliveries can get messed up if a vehicle breaks down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"In
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In addition to regular oil changes and preventative maintenance checks, AD also recommends that drivers perform a minimal vehicle inspection before getting on the road each morning. Photo:\u00a0Adrianne Cordero, Wheelz Up<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Advice to Last-Mile Fleets<\/h2>\n

In addition to regular oil changes and preventative maintenance checks, AD also recommends that drivers perform a minimal vehicle inspection before getting on the road each morning. Each day at Wheelz Up, every driver completes his or her vehicle report on the company app. On the app, the driver can take photos of the van and report any new damage or needed repairs.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s telematics system also helps keep track of vehicle maintenance by identifying diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Knowing the DTCs allows the mobile team to arrive with the right tools to attack the problem. \u201cWithout telematics, we\u2019re just guessing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always tell drivers to do a check on the vehicles, but they don\u2019t do it,\u201d he says. \u201cThey will see the tire looks flat, but if they continue to drive on it, they will need a new tire. Once you drive on a flat tire, it causes the tire\u2019s sidewall to collapse. Then you can\u2019t use that tire anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

After checking the tires, drivers should also check the vehicle\u2019s lights, wipers, brakes, and make sure that the parking brake is working.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you see the brake light come on, do something,\u201d says AD. \u201cDon\u2019t let it become a bigger problem. Let\u2019s say you didn\u2019t check the brake lights, and the next morning, the driver gets a ticket or repair order from a state trooper. Then the vehicle would be grounded until it\u2019s taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr let’s say you’re low and coolant, you didn’t check that. And then the next week you overheated. And then you messed up the head gasket, you’ve blown everything. One simple problem will cost you big.\u201d<\/p>\n

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AD\u2019s Tips to Maintain Last-Mile Delivery Vans<\/h2>\n