Maintenance labor costs are simply a fact of life for anyone who owns and operates a truck or manages a fleet. Maintaining a truck is one of the most vital factors in determining a vehicle’s lifespan, and it can also be a safety issue when on the road.
There are plenty of ways to set maintenance labor cost expectations, including evaluating a truck’s age, service history, and environmental factors. Unfortunately, as the coronavirus pandemic has proven, unexpected circumstances have a way of throwing a wrench into the best-laid plans.
Expect the Unexpected
When the unexpected hits, maintenance labor costs can suddenly change since things like truck repair and general fleet maintenance may need to occur more or less frequently. Changes in supply chain demands may necessitate that a truck logs more miles than in previous years, but these changes may also result in a truck remaining out of service for longer than usual.
Tips to Help You Plan Costs
Although you can’t predict things like a viral pandemic, you can have plans in place to deal with rapidly changing truck repair and fleet maintenance costs. Below are some things to consider when putting together an emergency budgeting protocol:
- Utilize Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards to have quick access to the vitals of a particular truck’s status
- Provide ongoing training in maintenance concern identification procedures for drivers
- Partner with maintenance professionals in various parts of your service area to reduce travel time and expenses if a truck needs repairs away from home.
- Follow routine maintenance schedules to avoid surprise repair issues that may affect your maintenance labor costs down the road.
- Make the most of the pricing by shopping from different vendor choices to lower costs.
Maintenance labor cost issues are unavoidable, but you don’t have to let them become a burden. Having a plan to tackle twists and turns that come up along the way is an essential part of working in the trucking industry. Thankfully, you have the power to take control of your costs by working with your team to address maintenance concerns early and often.
