A successful fleet management strategy begins with proper maintenance. A functioning fleet relies on parts and equipment that are up-to-date, in top working condition and compliant with safety regulations – particularly when it comes to brakes, lights and tires. Operating with damaged or malfunctioning equipment can lead to unplanned maintenance, costly downtime and potential roadside safety incidents.
In this blog, MICHELIN Connected Fleet outlines how proper brake, light and tire maintenance can keep your fleets moving forward while supporting your bottom line and safety on the road.
Brakes play a critical role in truck and trailer performance. Without properly maintained braking systems, you put your driver and vehicle safety at risk, increasing the likelihood of collisions and roadside incidents. To lessen the number of incidents resulting from brake failure, fleet managers should incorporate regular maintenance and part testing into their fleet management strategy to identify potential brake issues before they escalate into further incidents.
Consider implementing a proactive maintenance plan to monitor truck and trailer health, including brake performance. Using connected fleet technology provides you with an in-depth analysis of brake functionality and informs you when it is time for repairs or replacements. You can also analyze how your brakes affect your vehicle’s fuel usage. If you are operating with sub-par brake systems, your drivers are increasing the fuel consumption needed for slowing down and stopping. Armed with connected fleet data and technology, you can stay one step ahead of brake damage or malfunctions, mitigating costly downtime, supporting fuel economy and ensuring continued safety for your drivers and vehicles.
Lights are another truck and trailer component that can directly impact fleet productivity and safety. When your vehicle lights, such as your headlights, taillights or side-marker lights, burn out or experience wear and tear, replacing them quickly and efficiently is imperative. However, this can lead to downtime needed for maintenance repairs, slowing productivity and increasing operational costs. Damaged or broken headlights and taillights can also increase the risk of roadside incidents, putting your drivers, vehicles and others on the road at risk.
When it comes to light maintenance, consider investing in high-quality options that will lead to long-term savings. Upgrading to higher-quality headlights and taillights can support positive outcomes needed to boost your operations, including reduced unplanned maintenance events, decreased downtime, increased cost savings and, most importantly, enhanced safety. Fleet managers can also rest assured that light upgrades will improve the lifetime of their vehicles, ensuring reliability and efficiency.
Tires keep your trucks and trailers moving forward, so it is crucial that they are regularly maintained and monitored. Just like vehicle brakes and lights, driving with overworn or underinflated tires can lead to potential risk factors like collisions, breakdowns or emergency roadside service incidents. Consider implementing connected fleet technology with tire temperature and pressure monitoring alerts (TPMS) to help prevent tire issues from happening in the first place. TPMS are systems that continuously monitor the air pressure inside your tires to identify if and when pressure falls or rises below or above a recommended level. Your driver then receives an alert so they can pinpoint any issues. Fleet managers and drivers can identify when tires are under-inflated or over-inflated, helping prevent further risks from escalating.
TPMS can also support fuel efficiency by reducing increased fuel consumption caused by rolling resistance due to under-inflated tires. The more fuel your drivers use because of underperforming tires, the higher your business’s operating expenses rise. Additionally, because TPMS constantly monitors tire pressure, you can maintain inflation levels and extend the lifetime of your tires, supporting costs and operational productivity.
Keeping maintenance at the forefront of your fleet management strategy helps create a culture of safety and productivity while supporting your bottom line. And this starts with maintaining your truck and trailer brakes, lights and tires. These components directly impact vehicle performance, so when they are not functioning properly, you run the risk of unplanned maintenance, increased fuel consumption, costly delays and potential safety risks. MICHELIN Connected Fleet has the connected fleet technology expertise to ensure your vehicles are in optimal shape. Ready to jumpstart your vehicle maintenance strategy? Contact us today for more information.