As my mother used to say “Like it or lump it”: winter is here. Although, I must admit, even thinking about winter right now takes some motivation.
Given the harsh environment of winter operations, winter fleet maintenance planning and scheduling is a key component of your equipment maintenance log and can have a significant impact on the longevity of your equipment. Maintenance planning and scheduling does not have to be complicated, but it does need to be comprehensive and consistent.
It is recommended that winter fleet maintenance planning start in later summer/early fall. This will help you identify and prioritize maintenance and repairs that need to be addressed before the snow flies and those that can wait until it does. To avoid the unexpected, review each unit in detail.
Given today’s part shortages and supply chain problems, parts and shop supplies for winter preventative maintenance should be checked and ordered well in advance to minimize lead time, especially parts and supplies that are purchased or manufactured abroad, as well as those that are always prone to go on back order. Don’t forget the winter safety kits for all your vehicles!
Some companies opt to rely on the operator or drivers to report upcoming maintenance and use a fleet maintenance spreadsheet as part of their truck maintenance log. This method often yields less than favorable results and becomes more challenging as your fleet grows.
Fleet maintenance spreadsheets can only take you so far. Given the affordable cloud-based maintenance management software options on the market today for any size fleet, maintenance spreadsheets have become an obsolete method for fleet maintenance. If your fleet is larger than 20 pieces, or if you have checklists and handwritten forms, or if you have a wide variety of equipment types, you’re ready for a maintenance management software system. But beware! GPS is not maintenance management, and not all fleet maintenance software makes maintenance management as easy as Fleet Harmony’s cloud maintenance management.
If you do not have a winter fleet maintenance plan, now is the time. If you need help, consult the experts at Fleet Harmony Inc. - Canada’s Cloud fleet management software solution.
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