Preventive maintenance (PM) is the key to any successful maintenance program for commercial motor vehicles. Through preventive maintenance, vehicles are inspected, repaired, and maintained in such a way that defects are prevented from surfacing in the first place, before a violation or accident can occur.
If vehicles are only brought into the shop when they need something, the program is not preventive, it is reactionary. The problem with reactionary maintenance programs is that they are based on failure, i.e., you notice something has failed and you fix it. This type of maintenance program is destined to lead to down-time and the resulting costs of idle equipment.
A preventive maintenance program, on the other hand, brings vehicles in for inspection and maintenance on a schedule, and repairs any items that are at, or even approaching, an established cut-off point. This allows you to make repairs on your schedule, prevent violations and accidents, and keep the vehicles rolling.
Preventive maintenance is also an attitude, a commitment. It means being constantly on the lookout for things that might go wrong. It means getting the best, most cost-effective equipment for the truck and then taking care of it. This is much like preventive medicine that stresses good eating habits and regular exercise as a continuing prescription for good health and long life.
The PM philosophy is widely used, not only because it reflects a modern attitude of conservation — of using assets wisely — but because it saves money. No one can argue with the bottom line. As PM takes hold, the standard of excellence for a maintenance shop changes from getting the fastest repairs to getting the fewest repairs.
Note that the federal regulations require a “systematic” inspection, repair, and maintenance program, but they leave the details up to you.
The actual maintenance portion of PM is composed of scheduled and standardized inspections and maintenance. This is sometimes referred to as the vehicles’ “scheduled service,” or simply “service.” PM services are commonly designated as A, B, C, D, etc. As you move down the alphabet from A to B and so on, the PM service (and time required) increases in complexity.
PM A service is also known as a “maintenance check-out” or “safety inspection” and generally consists of a safety check and lubrication as well as checks of key components such as brakes, lights, tire condition and inflation, and fluids. It also includes checking and adjusting high-wear components. The normal interval for “A” service is between 1,500 and 2,500 miles on light vehicles, and between 5,000 and 10,000 miles on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
Typically, these PM As are scheduled at half of the oil change interval of the vehicle.
Note: Some companies use an “inspection lane” and perform an “A” service every time the vehicle returns to the maintenance facility.
PM B normally include all PM A items, and also include an oil and filter change as well as more in-depth checks of the engine and driveline. The normal interval for “B” service is 3,000 to 5,000 for light-duty vehicles and 10,000 to 20,000 for medium- and heavyduty vehicles. A PM B should also include a download of the ECM and action on any trouble codes or problems reported by the ECM (if applicable).
PM C service calls for both PM A and PM B service and more extensive service (i.e. alignment, scheduled component replacement, DOT annual inspection, and other scheduled engine and driveline component inspection or replacement). Normally, “C” services are scheduled annually. To make sure they are done in a timely manner, it is not unusual for carriers to actually schedule them at an 11-month interval.
PM D service is either a scheduled rebuild or replacement of a major component (e.g., engine, transmission, axle) or a “special” service. Examples of “special service” are seasonal service (winterization or summerization) and scheduled upgrade services. Scheduling of D services varies by company. The “D” designation may or may not be used, depending on the company.
Companies continue the lettering system based on their needs. Some companies go as far as PM L.
It’s important to remember to establish a PM schedule for trailers as well as power units. Trailers should be subject to the same PM program as trucks. Typical preventive maintenance scheduling for a trailer is:
T1 or TA services are scheduled every 3 months. This PM service includes an inspection and lubrication, including a check of (at a minimum) the lights, tires, brakes, coupling devices, safety equipment, and any other “systems” (refrigeration unit, sliding axles, etc.).
T2 or TB PMs are scheduled every six months. This PM service includes all the items of a T1 and a more in-depth inspection, as well as additional maintenance (pulling off hubcaps to check grease condition, retorquing lugs, etc.).
T3 or TC services are normally scheduled annually. These include all the inspection and maintenance included in a T1 and T2 service, along with more extensive maintenance such as an alignment or complete brake overhaul. Some carriers will also perform the periodic (annual) inspection required under §396.17 as part of the Type T3 service.
Don't forget the auxiliaries! Auxiliary power units (APUs), refrigeration units, wet kits, hydraulic pony engines, and idle reduction equipment all need to undergo the same scheduling process as the vehicles and trailers. The maintenance scheduling for these units can be rolled into the vehicle they are associated with. Examples would be servicing the wet kit on a vehicle each time the vehicle is serviced and servicing an APU as part of an annual inspection.
You can put checklists in the palms of your technicians by adding all your checklist in Inspection & maintenance app. To get started, create a free account ans request for demo.
Request a DemoUnexpected vehicle issues are a fleet manager’s worst nightmare, especially when multiple assets go down at the same time. Fortunately, you can prevent unplanned vehicle downtime from becoming a recurring bad dream by creating a truck preventive maintenance schedule.
And we’re talking about much more than just changing the engine oil at recommended intervals. Not sure where to begin? This ultimate preventative maintenance checklist will help you detect and fix vehicle issues before they take your truck drivers off the road.
Force Fleet Tracking’s product manager Ryan Hill shares his insights below to help you build an effective preventive maintenance schedule. We’ll also cover a few other essential preventive fleet maintenance topics, including:
Preventive maintenance, or “PM,” involves proactively inspecting your fleet vehicles to reduce the risk of breakdowns and keep the wheels turning.
A PM schedule is a fleet management tool that outlines what regular inspections and maintenance tasks you’ll perform on an asset. It also defines how often you’ll perform them.
Most preventive maintenance schedules use mileage and engine hours to determine when a vehicle is due for PM. Tracking both is important because commercial vehicles can rack up a ton of idle hours.
Commercial trucks require a wide array of regular maintenance tasks, including:
These are just a few examples. For a complete list of necessary maintenance, consult the manufacturer’s manuals for each of your vehicles. Also, don’t forget to top off or replace fluids and filters at recommended intervals.
Reactive maintenance involves fixing vehicles as they break—for instance, waiting until a tire goes flat to replace it. Another example involves waiting until a battery dies to buy a new one. Both are major no-nos in the commercial transport industry.
By contrast, preventive maintenance relies on periodic inspections to find and resolve issues earlier. For instance, if your team performs battery load testing during each oil change, you can determine when your battery is approaching the end of its service life and avoid a costly breakdown.
Vehicle maintenance software like Force Fleet Tracking makes being proactive even easier.
Force Fleet Tracking’s product manager Ryan Hill states that the platform “provides clients with the visibility they need to stay on top of maintenance.” For instance, Force has a predictive alert system that notifies you when your battery and air filters only have a few weeks of useful life left so you can replace them in a timely fashion.
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Investing in preventive maintenance promises to provide many benefits, including the following:
Taking a proactive approach to oil changes and other routine maintenance tasks will keep your equipment in better condition and help you squeeze every last mile out of your trucks. PM is the key to maximizing your return on investment and supporting the long-term growth of your business.
Waiting until a part fails will leave your drivers stranded on the side of the road. At this point, you won’t just be faced with repair costs, you’ll also incur productivity-related losses. If you don’t have your own mobile technicians, you’ll have to call a commercial wrecker, which will pile on even more expenses.
Luckily, PM significantly reduces the risk of breakdowns, saving you thousands in hidden costs and keeping your drivers on the road.
Keeping your vehicles in tip-top shape can improve their performance and fuel efficiency. Increasing each vehicle’s fuel efficiency by even a couple of MPGs can translate to thousands in savings across your entire fleet.
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When your trucks are stuck in the shop, they can’t be dispatched to serve your customers. And if you experience a wave of unexpected breakdowns, it’ll crater your asset utilization rate and hurt your bottom line. PM allows you to spread out downtime and maintain a high utilization rate year-round.
No one likes being stranded on the side of the road, especially not when they’re on a timetable. Even if you compensate drivers at their normal rate during downtime, they’d much rather be out there excelling at their job. With that in mind, providing your drivers with safe, reliable, well-maintained vehicles can be a huge morale booster.
Oil changes are required more frequently than any other type of recurring maintenance, making them the ideal opportunity to run through your PM checklist.
Consumer-grade vehicles typically require an oil change every 3,000–5,000 miles. However, it’s always a good idea to consult the owner’s manual to verify your vehicles’ recommended oil change intervals.
Semi trucks, for example, can go much longer without an oil change. Most semis will only need an oil change every 10,000–25,000 miles.
When planning your oil change and PM, consider both the vehicle’s mileage and engine hours. If a vehicle is under the mileage threshold but has accumulated many engine hours, you may want to do PM a little early.
PM is typically required during each oil change. However, not every preventive maintenance task will need to be performed at every appointment.
For instance, your maintenance personnel should inspect a vehicle’s air filters and brakes at each PM session. However, the filter should only need to be replaced every 15,000–30,000 miles.
Like PM for consumer vehicles, semi truck PM schedules should align with the manufacturer-recommended oil change interval.
If your manufacturer recommends changing the oil in your semi trucks every 15,000 miles, you should perform all other preventive maintenance at the same time. This approach makes it easy to keep up with all PM tasks.
That said, a lot can happen between PM sessions, especially if your manufacturer recommends preventive maintenance every 25,000 miles. As such, your drivers must do their part to keep fleet managers in the loop about the state of the fleet.
Specifically, your drivers need to run through a pre-trip checklist before every shift. Some common checklist tasks include:
If drivers detect any abnormalities, they must report them immediately. Safety issues are of particular concern—if a vehicle is deemed unsafe to drive due to issues like bald tires or malfunctioning safety equipment, it needs to be serviced right away.
Routine maintenance is very affordable, especially when you consider the costs of a breakdown. For semi trucks, PM sessions are classified as either “dry” or “wet.”
Dry PM includes:
Wet PM includes all of the above, plus an oil and filter change. Dry PM typically costs around $100 per session, while wet PM costs between $300 and $450.
Comparatively, tow truck companies typically charge between $250 and $500 just to hook up a semi truck to their rig. They then charge a variable mileage rate that ranges from $20 to $50 per mile driven.
Let’s say you skip a PM session and it leads to one of your trucks breaking down.
You call a commercial wrecker that charges $400 to hook up and $40 per mile. They transport your truck 30 miles to the nearest service station for a total cost of $1,600 ($400 hookup fee + $1,200 in mileage fees). And that doesn’t include the outstanding repairs and PM services you skipped!
The bottom line is PM is quite cheap when you consider all of the costs associated with a truck breakdown.
First, you must determine what metrics to track and how to monitor them.
We recommend tracking vehicle mileage and engine hours. While you can do this manually, it’s typically a tedious, error-prone process. Instead, implement fleet maintenance software. Hill calls fleet maintenance software a “true game-changer” for fleet managers, as it “takes the hassle out of tracking vehicle health and performance while helping to extend the service life of assets.”
Fleet maintenance software like Force tracks all manner of valuable data about vehicle performance, including fuel efficiency, idle hours, vehicle location, mileage, and more. Once your software is up and running, you’ll have no problem tracking your chosen vehicle maintenance metrics.
After deciding what to monitor and how to track it, your next step is to create a checklist for your maintenance technicians.
This checklist should feature standard practices for every PM session, including inspection guidelines and maintenance tips. At a minimum, your checklist should include the following tasks:
It’s also wise to coach your maintenance technicians to be proactive. Under the traditional reactive maintenance model, technicians are encouraged to hold off on repairs until absolutely necessary. The preventive approach focuses on avoiding more costly issues by addressing maintenance needs up front.
For instance, imagine that the tires on one of your trucks have reached the end of their useful lifespan. While they have a few thousand miles left in them, there’s a chance they might not make it to the next PM.
Under the PM model, you should replace them now to reduce the risk of a roadside service call later. While you might spend a little more on the front end, you can save thousands by avoiding a breakdown.
Creating a truck preventive maintenance schedule is a huge step in the right direction. However, to maximize the benefits of your PM strategy, you need a maintenance tracking solution like Force Fleet Tracking.
Force’s mission is to simplify vehicle maintenance by maximizing fleet visibility. Force features a true plug-and-play device that you can connect in seconds. Once you plug Force into your vehicle’s OBD-II port, you’ll start receiving real-time vehicle performance and location data.
Force also offers predictive maintenance alerts that notify you when one of your vehicles is due for PM, along with monitoring air filter status, vehicle fuel efficiency, and battery status. When your battery is expected to die within one to two weeks, Force will alert you so you can prevent a breakdown.
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