Maintenance programs can save big dollars - and CSA scrutiny

Many fleets prefer to do their own maintenance on their vehicles. There are benefits to that: knowing the exact condition of the vehicle; being able to monitor wear and tear; and knowing that you are not reliant on anyone else or beholden to anyone else’s timeframe. All of these and more contribute to piece of mind, which sometimes is worth more than any dollar figure.

But for fleets that don’t want to be bothered by chore of maintenance, there are management programs. GE Capital Fleet Services offers one such program. It’s Maintenance Management program connects customers of light truck and service van fleets to providers that offer quality service and repair for common problems.

“Fleets are continually looking to save money and time to streamline vehicle management,” said Eric Strom, maintenance product manager at GE Capital Fleet Services. “The objective of the program is to provide customers with an all-encompassing network that gives users substantial cost savings and ease of repair that helps fleets remain efficient.”

Among the benefits GE customers see are discounted pricing, 24/7 technical support, and thousands of repair facilities nationwide.

Even if GE Capital Fleet Services is not your service provider, maintenance contracts are becoming ever more popular. With the coming implementation of CSA 2010, maintenance is becoming more of an issue for fleets big and small.

It won’t take much for a small maintenance issue – something that could have been caught during a good preventive maintenance check – to trigger a more thorough inspection of your vehicles and operation. For small fleets, preventive maintenance can be a hassle due to time constraints. But that is not something FMCSA wants to hear.

Maintenance programs can help prevent some of these problems. And with someone else responsible for a vehicle’s maintenance, it allows managers, especially those from smaller fleets, to focus on the things they need to do to grow the business.