Truck downtime disrupts business. Deliveries run late, customers become frustrated, and drivers are left with little they can do to ease the situation. Worse yet, you, the fleet manager, are responsible for both the internal and customer-facing communications amid the chaos.

There are some cases in which downtime is inevitable, however, there are many in which it can be reduced or even averted altogether. Here are a few helpful tips from the truck repair professionals at On-Site Fleet Service:

1. Keep up on Preventative Maintenance

There’s much more to keeping a heavy-duty diesel engine fine-tuned than getting a standard oil change. Your trucks should be scheduled for ongoing preventative maintenance to identify emerging issues before they become culprits of downtime. A thorough PM checkup can address dirty air filters, improperly inflated tires, slipping clutches and many other conditions that could cause a breakdown if left unfixed.

2. Schedule Overnight Repairs

At On-Site, routine repairs—including fluid changes, front end work, brake work, broken windshield wipers and more—can usually be scheduled ahead of time for the overnight hours. Preventative maintenance is typically an overnight task as well. This means your driver(s) can drop off their truck(s) at the end of the day and pick them up first thing the following morning, with no downtime at all. Learn more about overnight truck repair here.

3. Listen to Your Drivers

Oftentimes, a driver will bring a maintenance issue to the attention of the fleet manager. The fleet manager will hold off on repairs, either to defer the downtime or simply because they lose track of it on their to-do list. When a driver notifies you of an issue with their truck—small as it may be—make the call to get the vehicle into the shop at a reasonably convenient time. Otherwise, you risk abrupt and extended downtime if or when the issue worsens.

4. Don’t Wait for a Breakdown

It’s easy to fall into the “repair by breakdown” mentality, especially if your trucks rarely have issues. But, if you truly want to avoid downtime, you will keep your fleet in top shape with preventative maintenance and minor repairs. In other words, be proactive and consistent with your truck maintenance program. If you wait until you’re in a bind, downtime becomes more difficult to avoid.

5. Build a Relationship with Your Repair Shop

Our customers tend to stick with us for years and even decades due to our high level of service and communication. This allows us to become familiar with their vehicles, schedules and business needs. In turn, we’re able to work around downtime as much as possible. Schedule your first preventative maintenance checkup today. We’re confident that you’ll see why On-Site is The Better Choice for Truck and Bus Repair.