Maintaining your vehicle fleet has always been vital to reduce costly breakdowns and to keep your business running smoothly, but right now paying attention to those maintenance schedules has never been so crucial.
Why? Because the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted global supply lines for all sorts of things, but especially for the vital semiconductors that modern vehicles are so dependant on.
All over the word new vehicle production has slowed right down.
Demand for new vehicles is strong, but supply is extremely limited. Some factories have shut down completely due to component shortages and pandemic outbreaks.
So if you’re waiting in line for a new car, van or truck for your fleet you could be waiting for a long time.
“Right now the fleet vehicle industry is seeing quite possibly the worst delays to new vehicle supply we’ve ever seen,” said Fleetcare CEO Nigel Malcolm.
“Order that new vehicle now and you might not get it until 2022, despite everyone’s best efforts.”
“That means that in some cases, businesses will be depending on vehicles that are getting on a bit, have a few too many kilometres on the clock and are really past their prime.”
“So maintaining those older vehicles becomes absolutely crucial. It’s really vital to ensure they keep operating safely and efficiently,” he said.
Maintenance schedules on cars need to be followed even though they may have seen a lot less use recently with the increase in virtual meetings.
That’s because when it comes to vehicle maintenance some things deteriorate with distance, while others deteriorate with time.
Delivery vans
With delivery vans it’s a different matter because they may have done a lot more work during lockdowns with home deliveries or other pandemic-related work.
“A lot of delivery vans will have been really hammered during lockdowns, and by the look of it we may not have seen the last of them,” Mr Malcolm said.
“So keeping them carefully maintained is essential while waiting for replacement vehicles, because no one needs downtime in a vehicle-dependant business.”
Maintenance has always been a crucial part of Fleetcare’s commitment to you, with a dedicated team of maintenance controllers working hard to keep your business on the road.
Never miss a service
Fleetcare will make sure you never miss that vital service by sending your drivers an email or SMS well before it’s due.
And because we work hard to get the best price possible for service rates, you can be sure that keeping those older vehicles safely on the road and running reliably won’t blow your budget.
To find out more about how Fleetcare can keep your business moving in the right direction in these uncertain times, contact us today on 134 333.