6 Key Elements of a Vehicle Maintenance Program

Customers that have a world class vehicle maintenance program share 6 key elements: operational planning, personnel and training, compliance management, parts management, recordkeeping, and preventive maintenance. J. J. Keller is here to help you make your maintenance program world class!

1. Operational Planning

  • Have a business plan containing the major objectives of the department.
  • Include all the major tasks that need to be completed.
  • Set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, and realistic within a given time frame.
  • Make sure what gets measured gets done.
  • Identify who is responsible for what.
  • Determine the financial impact (good or bad) of the maintenance department and the operational plan.
  • Use the FMCSA’s Safety Management Cycle or another model based on the LEAN principle.

2. Personnel and Training

  • Recruit and retain qualified and certified technicians for annual/periodic inspections, brake inspections, and A/C repairs.
  • Provide initial training and retraining for mechanics and drivers.
  • Make sure drivers know who to call when there is a problem and how and when to submit documentation.
  • Allow drivers to “red tag” equipment to alert other drivers and the maintenance team of needed repairs.
  • Celebrate success and share the savings. This need not be a “bonus” program; it may simply take the form of gas cards or certificates that recognize when an associate contributes to high-level objectives by executing their role well.

3. Compliance Management

  • Stay abreast of DOT, OSHA, and EPA regulatory requirements and follow them.
  • Track every roadside violation and repair request. Watching these two data sets can indicate a problem with the maintenance program or a problem with specific equipment.
  • Post CSA scores in multiple visible areas of the company.

4. Parts Management

  • Know sources for parts (new, used, rebuilt, and remanufactured), and warranties.
  • Track your parts and supplies inventory, costs, and reorder points.
  • Report cost by vehicle, work performed, or per mile.
  • Compare repair expenses to revenues generated and use this information to establish replacement benchmarks for each piece of equipment.

Learn how to get better fuel economy.

5. Recordkeeping

  • Have an electronic system in place that issues alerts for preventive maintenance and annual inspections, and which tracks repairs, inventory, and costs.
  • Maintain DVIR records for all post-trip inspections, not just when a defect is found.
  • Consider eDVIRS for drivers with the use of an Electronic Logging Device.
  • Track mechanics' hours.
  • Inspection & Maintenance Recordkeeping

6. Preventive Maintenance

  • Consider quarterly preventive maintenance (PM) reviews. It pays to have a qualified mechanic take a deeper look more than once a year. This will be an investment in “peace of mind” and provide lower overall operational expenses.
  • Based on the needs of the company, determine PMs by time, miles, or engine hours.
  • Have an established schedule for trailers, lift gates, and other special equipment, as well as power units.
  • Have an “inspection lane,” which is a designated lane or shop where vehicles enter or exit the facility. Drivers can bring up complaints and have them checked on the spot.
  • In place of an inspection lane (which may be too expensive or cumbersome for every fleet), use yard checks." This involves having technicians, at specified times throughout the day, “cruise” the yard and check all equipment that is newly arrived in the yard.
  • Conduct random “stakeouts” at customers, lots, or fuel locations, to observe your drivers. Track how many drivers do the required inspections.
  • Conduct pre-service inspections on new equipment or equipment that has been inactive for a while.
  • Contact the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that built the vehicles. Most OEMs have an inspection and preventive maintenance (PM) schedule available for the vehicles they build.
  • Establish “pull points” or “cut-off points.” This is a pre-determined “wear and tear” threshold that, when reached, is the trigger for the part or component to be removed and replaced.

Learn more about creating a Successful Preventive Maintenance (PM) Program.