The Best Fleet Maintenance Software

What is Fleet Maintenance Software?

Fleet maintenance software helps businesses keep their vehicles running smoothly. As a type of maintenance management software, this solution provides preventative maintenance reminders and tracks previous repairs on your entire fleet of work vehicles.

Unlike fleet management software suites, which cover acquisition and telematics, maintenance solutions only focus on issues related to vehicle repairs and improvements. This makes fleet maintenance software ideal for smaller businesses which want to focus on maintaining their vehicles and don't need all the extra bells and whistles offered by a full management solution.

Features of Fleet Maintenance

• Maintenance history: Store data on all past vehicle maintenance in one easy to access location
• Predictive maintenance scheduling: Plan for maintenance service in advance by using algorithms to determine when parts need to be replaced
• Preventive maintenance tasks: Reduce the likelihood of costly repairs by performing maintenance in advance of vehicle breakdowns; set and receive notifications for preventive tasks to upgrade vehicles
• Work order management: Keep records of past work orders and generate new ones based on recommended service
• Parts database: Organize your parts inventory to know where your vehicle parts were sourced and where you can order more when replacements are necessary
• Vehicle compliance management: Ensure all your fleet vehicles are road-ready and meet the latest safety regulations based on your state or federal requirements

Fleet Maintenance Software Benefits

Using a fleet maintenance software can provide many benefits for your fleet operations:

Longer-lasting Fleet Vehicles

The main benefit of fleet maintenance software is keeping your vehicles in optimal condition. Whether you have cars, vans, trucks, or heavy machinery, continual use takes an incredible toll on your fleet. By using a fleet maintenance system, you can keep tabs on which vehicles have been in service longest and need the most work to stay running.

Predictive maintenance applications help you further the lifespan of your fleet. These tools estimate when you'll need service based on vehicle make, model, and usage. You can even account for other factors such as mileage or hauling tonnage. By analyzing every variable, you can rotate your fleet vehicles to ensure equal usage.

Lower Operating Costs for Fuel and Repairs

A missed oil change can cause permanent engine damage. A broken truck chassis can limit your hauling capacity. And balding tires can lead to dangerous accidents for your drivers. If you continually put off necessary repairs, your vehicles will slowly break down until they are detrimental to your bottom line.

Fleet maintenance software helps you set advance reminders to perform preventative maintenance tasks ranging from oil changes to full system checkups. Instead of playing catchup with service, you can know days, weeks, or months in advance when to schedule diagnostics and other basic services.

Additionally, real-time fuel tracking shows how efficient your vehicles are. Using this data, you can determine which vehicles are better suited for shorter deliveries or which of your old trucks don't have enough power to haul anymore.

Reduced Downtime for Maintenance

If your business depends on a fleet, you can't afford a lot of downtime whenever something goes wrong with a vehicle. Every work order for replacement parts takes valuable time to fulfill. By using predictive maintenance applications, you can reduce downtime for maintenance services by planning ahead.

For example, if you know you'll need to replace balding tires, you can check your parts database to see where to order a new set at the best price. You can have the fresh tires ready before a tire pops or goes flat. Planning ahead when ordering replacement parts lowers downtime if you only ordered after repairs were needed.

Keep Vehicles Compliant with Road Regulations

There are many Department of Transportation (DOT) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations designed to keep the road safe. If you operate a fleet, you need to know them. What are there rules about how much weight trucks can haul on different roadways along your delivery route? What are the state regulations for vehicle emissions? What will a broken taillight cost your company in fines? Fleet maintenance systems help you stay on top of the repairs and upgrades your vehicles need to remain compliant.

Vehicle compliance can change based on state and federal regulations. If your trucks need to haul goods across state lines or country borders, you need to know the full extent of the law to avoid expensive fines.

Fleet Maintenance vs Management: What's the Difference?

As mentioned before, there are a few key differences between fleet maintenance and management. Fleet management software provides many additional tools like route optimization and telematics. While these logistical applications are helpful for businesses which rely on regularly scheduled deliveries, they're not necessary for other vehicle-based business models. If you only need to know when to schedule and perform vehicle maintenance, like emissions testing, a fleet maintenance software is likely a better option for your company than a full fleet management suite.

For example, a pizza delivery restaurant would want a fleet management system to optimize delivery routes for their drivers to reduce the wait time between the initial order and final delivery. GPS-tracking would ensure drivers are on time. Since pizza delivery drivers use their own vehicles, they would have to handle their own maintenance scheduling.

In contrast, a pest control service with company-owned 5 vans and 5 trucks would want to use fleet maintenance tools to ensure all vehicles are up-to-date and in good condition. Route optimization is not necessary since there aren't the same time constraints for pest control as delivery food.