Keeping tabs on van condition
Jason Chamberlain, sales director at ATS Euromaster, highlights the importance for fleet operators of prioritising LCV inspection and testing
At a time of increasing pressure on business costs, service, maintenance and repair costs are stretching budgets for fleet managers and causing them to find ways to make savings – but vehicle inspection and testing should never be one to trim.
Fleet operators have a duty of care to staff and other road users to ensure vehicles are roadworthy. Proper vehicle inspections, testing and maintenance are imperative for fleet operators with cars and LCVs to identify vehicle damage before it becomes extensive and expensive to rectify and to improve vehicle longevity with expert care.
Poor vehicle management can escalate costs, increase vehicle downtime and reduce business efficiency. Regular, scheduled maintenance will help keep vehicles roadworthy and running efficiently. It is said that on average the cost of an LCV being off-road is c.£800 per day, which is significant to any business.
A proactive approach to vehicle management should be the best practice, not only to reduce maintenance and repair costs but to identify issues to fulfil your duty of care, supporting the safety of drivers and other road users.
Having a reliable service and maintenance partner to carry out these aspects is paramount.
Regular vehicle health checks are highly recommended to help minimise unwelcome surprises with unexpected repairs. As a service provider, we offer all customers a Digital Vehicle Health Check (DVHC), with no obligation to buy.
This seeks to identify issues and address them immediately if required or schedule rectification work at an convenient time in the future.
From brakes to tyres, suspension to exhausts, the DVHC allows fleet operators to stay on budget, avoid costly downtime, and have clear sight of what work is required to keep vehicles running.
After all, maximising uptime is at the top of any van fleet operator’s agenda. At ATS Euromaster (ATSE), in addition to vehicle servicing and maintenance programmes we always recommend a proactive approach to tyre management.
Identifying potential risks before they occur can prolong tyre life and minimise the opportunity for failure. Our Mastercare proactive inspection service, designed for van fleets, does all this and can be tailored to any fleet’s tyre policy.
The service is operated via our own mobile network of trained technicians. They record the condition of a fleet’s tyres and provides a real-time overview with recommendations for any remedial work that will minimise downtime in the future. These checks can be conducted at a time that is convenient to the customer, without impacting key operational hours of the day.
And as we continue to move into the digital era, it is common knowledge that data is power. It is therefore essential for fleet managers to have access to their fleets’ entire tyre work history.
ATSE’s Fleet Manager portal (SALIX) provides clear visibility for fleet operators so that they have a true log of all mobile tyre work carried out, not only as evidence of work, but to support vehicle maintenance planning and also identify and address costly driver behaviour.
What’s more, getting vehicles booked in as soon as tyre work is identified is vital to help minimise downtime and maximise driver safety. ATSE recently launched a new app to make booking tyre work easier for fleet managers and drivers, offering greater convenience and efficiency.
Both the Fleet Manager Portal and the Mobile Booking Tyre Assistant App support fleet managers in their day-to-day roles.
Using the mobile app, drivers can book appointments directly, driving business efficiency, and the portal gives fleet managers greater control of mobile tyre fitting, offering efficient booking, tracking, and reporting on all ATSE mobile tyre work, eliminating the wait for manual processing.
All in all, such apps help make the job of the fleet manager more efficient, easier and more convenient.
To be honest, in the current economic climate, for fleet operators, savings are everything, whether it be cost or time – it all adds up. Having a reputable service partner carry out LCV management promptly, in a manner that will ensure SMR work is completed to a high standard that minimises incidences of unexpected costs and repairs, is priceless.
Maximising uptime is key to a fleet’s success. That’s why scheduled van maintenance is vital, so that LCV fleet operators are better able to budget costs, keep vehicles roadworthy and above all else, maximise uptime.
