Learn Secret Tips How to Reduce Truck Repair Shop Expenses

November 30, 2016

Keeping track of every expense in your company will give you reliable info for future coordination of your expenses. You trucks might need new tires, new belts, new trucks… YES these are necessary elements for continuous operation.

Maintenance check list includes:

• engine maintenance
• under the hood fluid levels
• chassis
• tire maintenance
• brakes
• drivability checks
• Cab/driver items

Are all this expenses necessary? Now that is a valid question! I am sure that at the moment you do everything that is in your power to keep your trucks rolling and in a great condition no matter the costs, but… when you repair your truck once, it most certainly will happen again, so find the place and team that will service your vehicle the best.

Plan your maintenance in advance to keep your trucks in good condition

The burden of every information and task that is going thru you is enormous. I one moment, in worst case scenario Murphy knock on your door and things might get scary. Everything that can turn wrong, it will. The defects will pile up, and cause stress and unpleasant situation. For you, and for your customers.

I am not trying to scare you. I am trying to be real with you and give you directions. Many of you have tasted this bitter scent and I am sure you fought like a gladiator to keep your company standing on its feet. And that is why are the best advisor on this matter. Follow your experience, and assist your fellow companies, prevent them from making the same mistakes.

Plan your maintenance in advance to avoid unexpected situations with your fleet vehicles. Being a step ahead in the process most of the time will give you the opportunity to prevent bigger damages or downtime. Still, no matter how prepared or careful you are, there will be unexpected situations, but fewer, and hopefully, not in the same time and you will be able to deal with them one by one.

Do everything to keep your vehicles on the road without technical obstacles, your trucks and their productivity are your company ambassadors, your representatives to the world, make sure they are in perfect condition and well prepared to present you in the best light.

• maintain you vehicles regularly
• supply them with proper seasonal equipment
• be prepared, and prepare your truck drivers to solve small breaks
• choose the best team to maintain your trucks

If you are buying new trucks upgrade for extended warranty

When we buy new things it is important to have enough time to test the products and to protect our investments.

The same goes for buying a new truck. Your financial investment is huge and along with that, loses can be bigger. Always aim to purchase trucks with extended warranty that will cover your major breakdowns in a longer period of time.

The trucks are exposed to extreme external influences more than other vehicles which can contribute to improper operation or malfunction of any part.

Make sure the warranty is backed by the manufacturer, not just by the dealership. This way you can use repair services at any dealership across the country, not just at the dealership where you bought the truck.

Read through the document carefully to see which areas are covered and what is included in the warranty. Often times it is wise to spend more money in the beginning because in most cases the price of an extended warranty is much lower than the price of the replacement parts, together with the labor cost for repairs in the future.

Benefits of extended truck warranty:

• Guaranteed ability to repair your vehicle
• Tailored extended warranties to fit specific needs
• Peace of mind
• Increased resale value

If possible, get a maintenance plan for unexpected situations from Penske or Ryder.

Driving well maintained vehicles is necessary to ensure delivery time, and minimize spending costs. To work without downtime of your trucks, you have to find the most reliable and most efficient partner to maintain your fleet. Penske and Ryder are the best in this field.

They upgrade their equipment all the time and invest in the technician’s automotive service education to be up to date with the new technical developments and possibilities.

They capture and analyze vehicle performance, offer online services for the trucks: momentary condition, repairs, possible breakdowns and potential failures of the vehicles to ensure your equipment is running at optimal levels.

You will be sure that you receive high-quality parts to run your fleet. You do not have to worry about possible breakdowns, now you can live that to the professionals. Having great maintenance team will give you relief, and chance to spend more time to serve your customers instead of running back and forth to find a proper maintenance service.

To prevent problems before they occur, it’s best to find the most suitable partner for your business

• nationwide network
• certified and trained technicians
• regularly scheduled maintenance
• detailed maintenance records
• 24/7 roadside assistance and support
• available rentals

Carefully choose the truck repair shop – get a quote first

Is this the best repair shop right for my vehicles? Your trucks are your main business assets, so you need to be very careful with your choice of repair shop and know what they can offer for you.

Knowing the lowest cost out there on the market and what they can give for your money, can only help your business.

Find the right place for you where you can get the best possible service for your money’s worth.

Get multiple quotes for expensive repairs

Smart thing to do is to choose the best possible repair shop for your trucks. You can do this by asking for quotes from different repair shops. This way you can choose the one which meets your requirements, and offers the best price/repair quality ratio for your vehicles.

Since we are speaking about expensive repairs here, make sure you get and compare at least five different quotes. There is always a cheaper way than what you already found, put some extra effort!

• contact multiple repair shops
• get as many offers as possible
• negotiate

Once you find your best option you can always try to barge for cheaper cost, you never know, it might work.

To reduce downtime cost, try cheap truck rental services (if your truck is not driving for a week you can lose up to $5k)

How can I deal with this issue? Regular maintenance and preventive daily checkups can help prevent major repair cost and downtime. Do not forget the stress when accidents and breakdowns happen.
Finding suitable repair service, scheduling vehicle for repairs, waiting to get your truck back… these activities will take up a lot of time, and stop you from performing your normal business activities, and unfortunately, put your company on standby, and you under great pressure.

You cannot afford to waste time off the road, instead, find cheap truck rental and save time and money.

Downtime cannot be predicted. It happens and you are left on hold. Do not wait for your truck to be repaired, it may take weeks and with every week without driving you are losing $5,000.

Don’t waste your time, you are making money when your truck is on the road. Find a cheap truck rental, suitable for the load, and keep the business running.

If you can’t afford your own maintenance, get an annual contract for maintenance and get up to 25% lower prices. This way you will cover all repair costs without paying more than you need to.

Having maintenance contract and maintenance packages will give you peace of mind, and safety. Choose the best combination of services suitable for your company and save time and money on annual base. You have a number of different maintenance options to choose:

• full repair and maintenance coverage of all mechanical and electrical components
• full labor cost coverage
• all ministry inspections and preventive maintenance
• coverage on all parts
• 24/7 road assistance
• pre MOT inspection
• annual MOT test fee
• oil and lubricants
• maintenance records

In most of the cases maintenance services with longer commitment will give you additional benefits; as a reward for your trust.

Conclusion

Having a maintenance plan gives you chance to deal with the obstacles at the moment when they appear and save you the trouble of looking for new repair shop every time you have a problem. Take a look at every process in your company, analyze at and be prepared for changes. And in time, see the positive results.
Just like you do periodical health checkups, to prevent bigger future complications, you should do regular truck maintenance. If you are taking care of your trucks, they will be functional and able to carry the loads you’re hauling. Find the best maintenance business partner and get the best from your business.
Make a long term strategy, gather all the information and be more effective in the future. That way you will save money you can invest in practical tools and processes which will lead you to bigger success.

About the Author: George Jurica Magoci

George Jurica Magoci – based In Chicago, IL has 15+ years of experience in trucking industry. Founder of fleet management software company, fuel management company and trucking company owner building a company with 100+ truck size from scratch. Trucking is in my blood and I know how hard working job this is and for that reason started writing blog about trucking industry to help people run their business easier on a day to day base.