Sustainable maintenance: what it is and how to apply it in fleet management

Sustainable maintenance in fleet management is a practice that has been gaining more and more space in the sector.

This because, in addition to being a measure that helps preserve the environment, it can also generate financial savings for the company.

So, the idea is to adopt actions aimed at reducing fuel consumption, such as preventive maintenance of vehicles and the use of more efficient technologies.

In this way, it is possible minimize negative impacts on the environment and control costs at the same time.

In addition to the benefits for the image of its fleet management, since ESG is an increasingly relevant topic and consumers are increasingly attentive and demanding in relation to the posture of companies on these issues.

87% of the Brazilian population, for example, prefer to buy products and services from sustainable companies, as revealed by a survey by Union + Webster, and 70% of them don't mind paying a little more for it.

Thus, social responsibility is still a competitive differential in the market.

Therefore, if you are interested in giving sustainable maintenance a chance, read on and learn how to apply it to your fleet management.

What is sustainable maintenance?

Sustainable maintenance is a set of measures carried out without harming the environment.

In short, it's more than a lifestyle, it's a business management focused on reducing environmental impacts and exploiting resources.

Therefore, it is a concept that is directly linked to the practices of ESG in fleet management, representing the environment, society and governance.

The objectives are also similar, as they include eliminating waste and decreasing air pollution, taking into account these same ESG areas.

As fleet maintenance is a fundamental step in the transport and logistics sector, nothing could be fairer than doing it consciously.

For this, it is the role of managers to seek alternatives to optimize their routine and avoid damage to the environment at the same time.

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What are the benefits of sustainable maintenance?

As we saw earlier, sustainable maintenance is a two-way street, with benefits for companies and the environment.

Among the main benefits of ESG practices for fleet management, the following are worth mentioning:

• Decreased loss of assets
• Reduction in fuel consumption
• More productivity and less energy consumption
• Optimizing tire durability
• Increase in vehicle life

In that sense, still allows the identification of problems before they become more serious and expensive cases.

This not only avoids unnecessary expenses, but also extends the useful life of vehicles and ensures the health and well-being of your employees.

As a result, you position yourself as a company that cares about our planet's current and future generations.

How does deployment work in fleet management?

Invest in more fuel-efficient vehicles

One of the first steps is to assess the possibility of renewing fleet vehicles that have been in use for some time.

Cars that undergo frequent maintenance are giving clear signs that their efficiency is impaired. So your engines have to work harder to perform the same function.

Thus, have higher fuel costs, which impacts the emission of harmful gases to the environment.

Therefore, prioritize vehicles that are more sustainable and have a longer useful life of components. In addition, you also reduce expenses with unplanned corrective maintenance.

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Have a preventative maintenance routine

Side by side with investments in more economical vehicles, preventive maintenance management is the key to extending the durability of cars and generating the least possible expenses with repairs.

This is because daily inspections and service analyzes make it possible to understand the performance of vehicles and the operation in general.

As a result, in addition to a sustainable policy, it promotes resource savings and improved service performance.

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Properly dispose of parts and liquid waste

In the midst of maintenance, it is natural that worn or broken parts are removed from vehicles, which generally cannot be disposed of in common waste.

Therefore, it is crucial understand the guidelines behind proper disposal for each of the parts, as well as the tires.

One way out to make your work easier is to close partnerships with companies specializing in disposal.

It is noteworthy that waste such as lubricating oil, for example, is highly harmful to the environment. So, the most recommended method for its disposal is to return it to the refineries.

Optimize the routes

Another measure is the integral planning of the entire route. Therefore, evaluate the routing and find ways that do not put your operation at risk.

So you it reduces the chances of suffering from wear and tear and optimizes the time of your services.

To do this, analyze the times with the highest traffic to avoid traffic jams and pay due attention to load limits, since both increase fuel consumption.

Set sustainability goals

An important step in your maintenance management is setting goals for your teams regarding new sustainable practices.

First of all, define fuel consumption targets and other indicators that make sense for your fleet management.

Likewise, consider using less polluting fuel alternatives in your business.

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Align the new organizational culture

For faster and more effective results, it is imperative that the implementation of changes be accompanied by adequate training for teams according to their functions.

Drivers, for example, should know how to use a vehicle inspection checklist and understand the value of their contributions to the process.

Put ESG strategies into practice

As ESG practices include sustainable measures and resources in business management, some actions are essential:

• Environmental: fuel control, proper disposal of parts and waste, training of defensive driving.
• Social: investment in technology, definition of a risk management plan, monitoring of drivers' journeys.
• Corporate governance: structuring of a fleet policy, application of the culture in the company as a whole, control of fines.

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Monitor sustainable maintenance performance

One of the most important steps is to evaluate sustainable maintenance management frequently to verify your results.

Therefore, it is essential establish indicators that can measure the effectiveness of the actions adopted, as we saw earlier.

As much as monitor the level of satisfaction of employees who use the new vehicles and the durability of the equipment.

Such indicators must be monitored periodically, as this allows for adjustments to optimize your company's performance.

But make no mistake, we know that implementing ESG into your operations is not an easy task or an overnight change.

So, we would like to share a complete and free material to help you in this mission and to get results efficiently and quickly: