THE CAR AND TRUCK FLEET AND LEASING MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE
Heavy Duty Trucking magazine is hosting a free webinar on Aug. 29 about how fleets can stay on top of and even lower their maintenance costs.
A new report from the TMC/FleetNet America Vertical Benchmarking Program showed roadside failures rose 22% in first quarter of 2019 compared with the fourth quarter of 2018.
Average repair spend per unit increased 3-5% in calendar-year 2018, primarily due to higher labor rates and part prices. Also, PM costs were up due to the shift to more expensive synthetic oil and higher replacement tire prices.
On average, PM costs have increased due to higher labor rates, expansion of models requiring synthetic motor oil, and more expensive cartridge oil filters. One offset is that longer lasting synthetics have extended oil-drain intervals.
Upward cost pressures on replacement tires have emerged in 2018, due to higher cost for the commodities used to manufacture tires and the trend to larger diameter 17- to 18-inch wheels, which are more expensive to replace.
Citing the higher cost of crude oil, many major manufacturers of finished lubricant products increased prices from 5% to 8% in CY-2018. Plus, each model-year, more OEMs require the use of more expensive synthetic motor oils.
Despite high build quality, vehicle maintenance costs are trending up due to increased advanced technology content, skilled labor shortages, higher tire prices, and more engines requiring synthetic oils and high-capacity oil pans.
Vincentric has begun offering more in-depth maintenance data as part of its automotive cost-of-ownership database covering more than 45,000 vehicles, the Bingham Farms, Mich.-based data provider has announced.
SmartDrive and Geotab said a primary goal of their new relationship is helping to simplify the on-board technology footprint, giving fleets freedom to choose solutions that fit their business and their budget, and dramatically lowering the total cost of ownership.
Vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can add on average an extra $3,000 to the repair bill after a crash due to pricey sensors and their calibration requirements, according to new research from AAA.