Fleet maintenance: meaning, benefits, and examples

Published: August 15, 2024

Companies that rely on a fleet of vehicles understand the importance of keeping their assets in good condition. Fleet maintenance helps ensure smooth operations and minimize costs. What does that look like in practice?

This guide will explore the meaning of fleet maintenance. We’ll cover several of the benefits to help you understand its importance. Plus, we’ll look at best practices you can implement in your organization.

Fleet maintenance definition: What is fleet maintenance?

Fleet maintenance keeps vehicles in good condition, contributing to optimal operation. It can include everything from regular inspections to timely repairs. The goal is to prevent breakdowns and maintain performance. That reduces downtime and extends the lifespan of the fleet.

But fleet maintenance goes beyond routine tasks like oil changes and tire rotations. It's a complete approach combining skilled technicians and data-driven strategies to monitor and maintain the health of every vehicle in the fleet.

That said, managing maintenance for a large fleet can be challenging because each vehicle needs regular checks to allow for efficiency and safety. How do you uphold high vehicle care standards? This requires a balancing act: keeping vehicles on the road and pulling others for required maintenance.

Digital transformation plays a big role in fleet maintenance today. By using technology and data analytics, fleet managers can predict potential issues before they occur. This approach powers proactive maintenance and minimizes unexpected breakdowns, protecting your bottom line and your people.

Benefits of fleet maintenance

Implementing a fleet maintenance program helps drivers, customers, your business, and more. Let’s explore the meaning of fleet maintenance and the benefits that have the most impact.

1. Minimizing downtime

Regular maintenance helps prevent unexpected breakdowns. This reduces issues that can disrupt schedules and affect customer satisfaction. By identifying and addressing issues before they escalate, businesses can keep their vehicles on the road.

Every minute a vehicle is off the road costs money. That's why maintenance is crucial. It allows you to schedule repairs during off-hours, which reduces the disruptions to your daily operations.

2. Enhancing safety

Well-maintained vehicles are safer for drivers and other road users. Proper maintenance helps make sure components like brakes and tires are functioning correctly. Your drivers spend hours on the road, and safety should be a top priority.

Regular fleet maintenance can make vehicles more reliable, and therefore safer vehicles for your staff to operate. Focusing on fleet maintenance has a far-reaching impact, extending beyond just the immediate condition and functionality of the vehicles themselves.

3. Extending the fleet’s lifespan

Proper maintenance can extend the life of fleet vehicles. This can delay the need for replacements and maximize return on investment. Regular service and timely repairs can also prevent wear and tear.

Consider the effect across an entire fleet. If each vehicle's operational life is extended by even just a year or 2, the savings in replacement costs can make a big difference. This is also about the quality of performance throughout the vehicle's life.

4. Improving efficiency

Vehicles that have regular maintenance tend to operate more efficiently. Well-maintained vehicles also produce fewer emissions. That contributes to a smaller environmental footprint for the business.

According to the US Department of Energy, you can improve your gas mileage by 0.6% on average, up to 3% in some cases, by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. For a fleet of 100 vehicles, each traveling an average of 20,000 miles per year, that improvement in fuel efficiency could translate into thousands of dollars in cost savings each year.

Concerns about sustainability are also rising. That’s one reason why the United States has committed to 100% zero-emission truck sales by 2040, as indicated by Reuters. You can take sustainable maintenance steps today that also help improve fleet efficiency.

5. Complying with regulations

Many jurisdictions have strict regulations regarding vehicle maintenance. Noncompliance can result in costly penalties. In the US, for example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has safety and fitness standards.

Issues include:

Improper use and driving of motor vehicles
Inadequate inspection, repair, and maintenance of vehicles
Unsafe vehicles operating on the highways

Violating these standards can have several consequences. A proposed safety rating of “unsatisfactory” is a notice to the motor carrier that the FMCSA has made a preliminary determination that the motor carrier is “unfit” to continue operating. If a carrier fails to resolve the problem, they could also face hefty fines.

Regulations shift frequently. Fleet managers must keep up with the latest regulations to confirm that all vehicles and drivers meet standards. One way to support this is to make a habit of keeping the fleet in good working order.

Find out how Uber for Business can support effective fleet maintenance to ensure smooth logistics operations and boost customer satisfaction.

4 examples of fleet maintenance best practices

Now that we've explored the benefits of fleet maintenance, let’s review some examples. Below are 4 things your fleet maintenance program should include.

1. Scheduled inspections

Regular inspections allow mechanics to ensure that vehicles are in good condition for operation. These inspections typically involve examining critical components such as brakes and electrical systems.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires every commercial vehicle, including each segment of a combination vehicle, to perform these inspections at least once every 12 months. The motor carrier must retain the original periodic inspection report or a copy of it for 14 months from the report date.

2. Preventive maintenance

Following manufacturer-recommended schedules for maintenance tasks helps prevent mechanical issues. Preventive maintenance is an approach that addresses potential problems before they occur. This reduces the likelihood of breakdowns and costly repairs.

If you want to keep your fleet in top shape, you need to have a process in place for making sure all vehicles have maintenance. Reacting to maintenance issues will only create more problems for the business. Getting ahead of them makes it easier to stay on the right track.

3. Diagnostic tools

Many modern fleets use diagnostic tools and telematics systems to help monitor vehicle health in real time. Technologies like this can uncover potential issues. That powers proactive maintenance and minimizes downtime.

You can also use this kind of technology to streamline the maintenance process. By using connected sensors, for example, you can find mechanical issues before they trigger failures. This is a big improvement over manual diagnostics or pen-and-paper maintenance schedules.

4. Driver training

Providing drivers with training on basic maintenance tasks, like checking tire pressure, empowers them to identify problems early. That way, they can contribute to fleet upkeep. Driver training also promotes safe driving practices, which can reduce the risk of accidents.

According to Expert Market, 48% of people in the US fleet industry say driver safety is a top priority. An equal amount prioritize driver training, which boosts safety while increasing efficiency. Driver training can help keep your people and your assets out of harm's way.

Keep your fleet running smoothly with Uber for Business

Whether you’re managing a small fleet or a large-scale operation, prioritizing maintenance is essential. Investing in fleet maintenance supports reliable and efficient service. It can also protect your business’s bottom line and reputation.

Looking for more ways to keep your business moving? Uber’s Central dashboard allows you to request a ride for someone else—even if they don’t have the Uber app. Just enter your rider’s pickup and dropoff locations and request a ride for them. They’ll receive a text with trip details, along with a link that lets them monitor their trip.

By integrating Uber for Business into your operations, you can make it easy to get people from point A to point B. This complements your fleet maintenance efforts without adding unnecessary complexity.

Products and features mentioned in this article may not be available in your region. Please reach out to Uber for Business customer support if you have questions.