Changing operating profiles and technology – not financial conditions – should lead fleets to revisit their preventive maintenance programs.

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Good fleet managers know that adopting a preventive maintenance program and blindly sticking to it forever is a mistake. PM programs are living, breathing things: They must adapt to changing technological demands. New vehicle systems require frequent re-examination and adjustment of PM practices.

Every truck fleet is unique with differing truck brands and models, geographic and environmental factors, and hauling applications that call for customized PM procedures. “Once, PM was thought of as a grease job and an oil change,” says Ken Eggen, vice president of fleet maintenance for Sibley, La.-based Tango Transport. “Now it is much more than that. It is when preventive maintenance is being performed on a tractor or trailer that you have the greatest opportunity to control cost.”

Mike Boarman of D.M. Bowman says that much of today’s equipment is far more advanced than in years past, and therefore the need for PM is greater than ever. “The only way to identify small problems before they become a major problem is to have a disciplined program,” says Boarman, director of maintenance for the Williamsport, Md.-based company.

Handling hidden costs
Cost is the driving factor behind many preventive maintenance programs. “We believe, and the data suggests, that following a structured PM program is critical to avoiding long-term problems with the vehicle and also reducing the amount of breakdowns,” says Michael Brannigan, Ryder System senior vice president and chief of operations for Fleet Management Solutions.

Brannigan says the direct cost of breakdowns is high enough, but the indirect costs of service disruptions that affect a customer’s business may be higher. That’s why Ryder focuses on “PM Currency” and “PM Quality” to avoid breakdowns and unscheduled maintenance that cause disruptions to customers’ business.

R.J. Molder thinks it’s easy to show the value of a PM program. “When you’re repairing something out on the road, it’s much more expensive than repairing it in your own garage,” says Molder, vice president of fleet services for North Canton, Ohio-based Kenan Advantage Group. “Anytime you’re sitting on the road, labor rates increase, and you’re also paying that driver to sit there and watch the technician work on his truck.”