One of the largest continuous expenses for any waste management company is fleet maintenance. If care and attention isn’t paid to your fleet’s mechanical upkeep, you can end up spending more on repairs than you did on the initial purchase of your vehicles. That’s why we’ve put together this list of simple ways you can keep your fleet’s maintenance costs low and save money in the long run.
1. Make Preventative Maintenance a Priority
While the saying may be, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” the truth is that preventative maintenance is a key component of maintaining a vehicle’s health. Unplanned maintenance can cost anywhere between three to nine times more than scheduled maintenance. What sounds worse, a $60 oil change or a $6,000 engine problem? Preventative maintenance is also easier to schedule and plan around. If you know one of your side loader garbage trucks will be in the shop, for instance, you can assign other vehicles with similar capabilities to that route while it is out of action, rather than scramble and try to find a replacement when the original vehicle unexpectedly breaks down. An oil change should only take an afternoon, while a major engine rehaul can require days, maybe weeks, in the auto shop.
2. Stay Informed About the Needs of Your Refuse Trucks
Do you know which trucks in your fleet need an oil change after ten thousand miles and which trucks need an oil change at twelve thousand? Do you know which vehicles will absolutely require a transmission fluid change after 100,000 miles and which should have their fluid changed before that milestone?
You should! Depending on the scope of your fleet and business, you may have multiple different vehicles and models in service, and they will all have different maintenance requirements.
Even vehicles of an identical make and model might require different repairs at different times depending on the conditions they work under. Being better informed on your fleet’s needs will also make it easier to know what is necessary for their performance and what a repair technician is trying to upsell you on.
3. Work With Trustworthy Technicians
Tying into the previous point, make sure that you choose a repair shop that you can rely on. Modern advances in vehicle technology, such as automatic parking and blind spot detection, have created a talent shortage in the automotive repair industry as veteran technicians struggle to adapt. This means that it’s more important than ever to work with a repair shop that has a sterling reputation. This doesn’t just mean checking Yelp reviews, however. You’ll want to check certifications such as those issued by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). ASE-certified technicians regularly test and renew their certification every two years, ensuring that they will be up to date on your vehicle’s needs.
If you’re planning to expand your waste management fleet, Route Ready has a range of used refuse trucks for sale. Our team is always ready to help you forecast long-term truck solutions, and can happily provide you with a refuse truck quote depending on your requirements. If you have any questions, you can contact Route Ready to speak with a member of our sales team.