Developing a preventive car maintenance schedule is key to keeping your fleet safe, reliable, on-road, and cost-effective. A car rental software enables car rental companies to create and implement an automated car maintenance schedule for their fleets.
Let us understand how maintenance schedule like tyre and oil change can help car rental companies to get a better return on investments (ROI).
1. Extended Vehicle Lifespan
Proper preventive maintenance helps to increase a car’s longevity and get the most out of the vehicle.
Maintaining the tyres at the proper pressure and rotating them regularly helps to increase a car’s mileage.
Apart from following the car manufacturer’s service schedule and recommendations, the maintenance teams may need to get their vehicles serviced more frequently, depending on the fleet’s needs.
A best car rental software helps fleet managers to stay on top of the maintenance schedules by automatically tracking key metrics, such as distance traveled, fuel usage, axle weights, tyre pressures, and engine hours.
This tracking makes it easier for managers to know when each vehicle is due for servicing and repairs, and ensure they do not miss a service.
The maintenance schedule also allows managers to wisely plan their vehicle use, operating budget, and staffing requirements.
Adhering to maintenance schedules helps vehicles to stay in good working condition for a longer duration, thereby boosting the vehicle’s ROI.
2. Reduced Vehicular Repair Costs
Routine maintenance helps managers to not only detect problems before they become more severe but also save money over time. This is because getting vehicles serviced regularly costs lesser over time than delaying service until a problem arises that needs costly repairs.
For example, frequent oil changes cost lesser than having to replace the whole engine due to delayed oil change.
Moreover, when a vehicle undergoes a major technical problem, the business loses extra money on top of the cost of the repairs.
When even a single vehicle from the fleet is taken off the road for a longer duration to get extensive repairs done, the resulting unplanned downtime amounts to wasted wages and delayed rentals, both of which reduce the bottom line.
A car rental software maintenance features provide reports containing detailed information on the status and condition of every vehicle in the fleet. These maintenance reports alert managers about potential problems so they can be addressed before they become serious.
3. Reduced Operating Costs
Neglected or poorly-maintained vehicles consume up to 50% more fuel, leading to higher fuel costs.
Moreover, under-inflated tyres may reduce mileage by 10%, leading to fuel wastage.
A car rental management software helps to monitor tyre pressure periodically and alert managers when maintenance is required.
Well-planned maintenance schedules help to keep vehicles in prime working condition longer and run at top efficiency, increasing their resale value.
In almost all cases, buyers will pay more for a well-maintained vehicle than a broken-down vehicle. So, it is important to keep complete records of every oil change, tyre pressure adjustment, tyre rotation, etc., for the vehicle to show at the time of sale.
4. Improved Roadside Inspection Outcomes
Fleet maintenance helps to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations. The FMCSA carries out the roadside driver and vehicle inspections to check any out-of-service (OOS) violation.
As per FMCSA statistics, many of the top ten violations can easily be prevented through regular maintenance.
Since vehicles are not allowed to operate until the issues are corrected after an OOS violation, the businesses lose time, productivity, and profit in addition to the penalty amount.
OOS violations also reduce companies’ CSA scores. Car rental companies with poor scores are unlikely to be hired, damaging their business more than the money they lose on serious repairs and downtime. Therefore, keeping vehicles well-maintained also helps to improve CSA scores.
From a liability perspective, if any underlying problems are detected in a post-accident investigation, then the court may rule against the company for negligence.
5. Electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (e-DVIRs)
Drivers play a critical role in fleet maintenance. Well-trained drivers conduct pre/post-trip daily inspections to satisfy the Department of Transportation (DOT) inspection report requirements. They also help to identify warning signs and detect problems early.
The online car rental software electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (e-DVIRs) allow drivers to easily complete and submit daily vehicle inspections online using an in-cab tablet.
The device electronically records details of pre- and post-trip inspections and automatically sends a digital report to fleet managers, alerting them about any potential problems in real-time and enabling them to plan suitable repairs and service.
Conclusion:
The benefits of car rental business software go beyond helping managers to plan optimized routes or record HOS for drivers. It offers a complete telematics solution, including engine analytics and maintenance schedules, that play a critical role in keeping the fleet healthy.
E-DVIRs and diagnostic reports provide key insights that would otherwise be difficult to track manually.
Moreover, based on the diagnostic information, managers can plan service maintenance accordingly to prevent minor issues from getting worse and save fleets from losing money on costly repairs and extended downtime.
So, are you ready to implement car rental software program and use the maintenance schedule to get a better ROI?
