Preventive maintenance (PM) expenses in CY-2020 were lower compared to 2019, primarily due to the pandemic-induced economic shutdown resulting in fewer miles driven as many fleet vehicles were idled.
November 5, 2020
The trend of increased PM costs per service will continue as more and more vehicles requiring conventional oil are taken out of service and replaced with models that require synthetics.
November 4, 2020
The trend has been to extend PM intervals due to the use of longer-lasting synthetic motor oils, but during the COVID lockdown many fleet vehicles were idled, decreasing miles driven, causing PM compliance to diminish.
November 2, 2020
For the past decade, more OEMs are recommending the use of more expensive synthetic motor oils, which is increasing the cost of each PM service. But the higher quality motor oil also allows the intervals between these services to lengthen, which is offsetting some of the additional per-transaction costs.
October 28, 2020
Average repair cost per unit increased in 2019, primarily due to higher labor rates. Also, PM costs were up as more units require more expensive synthetic oil. Tire price per unit, on average, increased 3% in the past 12 months.
March 17, 2020
Extending the oil drain interval to higher miles puts it out-of-synch with courtesy checks for tire wear and brake pad or rotor inspections. By extending oil drain intervals, there will be less frequent inspection of these wear items than what has occurred in the past.
March 3, 2020
The ongoing trend of increased costs per service will continue as more and more vehicles requiring conventional oil are taken out of service and replaced with models that require synthetics.
January 8, 2020
Truck fleet managers need to be diligent in tracking and documenting all PM work that comply with OEM recommended guidelines to ensure there is no PM variability.
December 20, 2019
Fleets are being impacted by a variety of inflationary pressures ranging from higher acquisition prices due to the proliferation of onboard safety equipment, to increased material costs pushing up pricing on parts, upfits, and replacement tires.
December 13, 2019
There are three key reasons why the transition to synthetic oils is occurring. They are the proliferation of smaller displacement turbocharged engines, escalating CAFE fuel economy requirements, and government regulations to lower tailpipe emissions.
December 2, 2019
Vocational vehicles are in the business of delivering goods and providing services. They are earning assets and to maximize their productivity, you need to minimize unscheduled downtime or offset downtime for routine PMs by doing the work during non-revenue-producing hours.
November 11, 2019
More OEMs are adopting more stringent motor oil requirements for new models increasing total PM costs, year-over-year, as more vehicles are required to use synthetic oils, which cost more than mineral-based oils.
October 18, 2019
Warranty recovery is more stringent requiring even greater documentation to support warranty claims. OEM loyalty and the availability of documented maintenance histories heavily influences post-warranty goodwill assistance.
October 18, 2019
Unscheduled vehicle downtime is not only a maintenance issue, it is also an accident-avoidance issue since, on average, 20% of a fleet’s vehicles annually incur downtime due to accidents.
October 3, 2019
Time in the shop, instead of on the road, means lost sales and less face time with customers, putting downward pressure on the bottom line. Downtime mitigation is key to controlling costs and helping to maximize fleet uptime.
June 5, 2019
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