Getting sick suddenly is a very uncomfortable and difficult situation. In addition to having to put work aside for a few days (or weeks), you have to be willing to pay some additional costs for medicines and consultations so that well-being is restored.
Therefore, to prevent diseases from making us “surprise visits”, it is necessary to carry out routine consultations, in order to check how our health is and what to do to prevent diseases.
Just like us, cars also need this attention to avoid adverse situations. This care is the automotive review, which provides much more safety for the vehicle and the driver, in addition to reducing the chances of equipment failure during a trip.
If there is damage to any part of the vehicle on the way, the damage can be much greater, since solving the problem urgently is more costly. The fact that a compromised part causes damage to all the others gradually makes the situation even more serious and can compromise the entire vehicle.
Therefore, we have prepared this material to explain how important car inspection is to ensure the full functioning of a company's operations, how this should be done and what are the benefits of keeping vehicles in good condition to be used. Good reading!
What are the types of car review?
Car review: what are the main points that small fleet management should pay attention to?
Small fleet management tips Take care of your vehicles
What are the types of car review?
One of the efficient fleet management is the one that is concerned with the overhaul and maintenance of its vehicles.
Basically, the main purpose of this strategy is to solve the problem before it appears, which would happen, commonly, in the middle of the road.
This preventive care is done through meticulous, detailed and routine planning, to balance expenses and ensure traffic safety.
There are three types of vehicle review and all of them are necessary, depending on the situation that the manager needs to work around:
- Preventive review: a routine procedure is carried out by qualified mechanics to check the health of the car and the state of each of its parts. Aspects such as utility, vehicle type, mileage, and the useful life of the car and parts are taken into account.
- corrective review: when the vehicle has reduced performance or the driver notices a malfunction in some part, the corrective inspection takes place in order to restore the good condition of the car. This is also important when the car suffers from an external agent, such as accidents.
- Predictive review: encompasses the application of technology to monitor the performance of vehicle parts and the useful life of each of them. For this, the preventive review depends on data collection through thermography, ultrasonography, ferrography, vibration and pressure analysis, for example. With this, it is possible to have the maximum performance of your vehicle, as well as the effective prevention of possible failures and surprises during some route.
An important objective of the manager is to prevent the corrective review from being a frequent practice.
This is because this procedure solves a problem that has already happened (that is, the vehicle is already compromised or damaged), which means removing a car from circulation and reducing fleet productivity. In addition, corrective maintenance is more costly and time consuming.
Although it is presented as necessary in some accident situations, it is important to have an approach that aims to reduce the number of cars directed to the mechanic for this purpose.
When choosing where to stay, with the preventive and predictive revision, together, preferably, the manager can prevent a situation from getting worse to the point of withdrawing the vehicle from operation.
Therefore, keep reading to understand how to apply car reviews in practice to ensure the full functioning of each vehicle in your fleet.
Car review: what are the main points that small fleet management should pay attention to?
Vehicle overhaul is a complex process that involves many details, which vary for each type of car.
Thus, the main points of attention in vehicle maintenance are:
- Oil change: one of the most common actions in preventive maintenance, the oil change has its deadline defined by the car manufacturer, but generally comprises the period of six months or every ten thousand kilometers driven.
If this is not done, the vehicle will have its useful life reduced, since all components are affected if the oil change is neglected, especially the engine, since the oil is responsible for the lubrication of the parts.
- Brakes: another point of attention in preventive maintenance, The functional and responsive braking system is indispensable for road safety.
In the diagnosis, the fluids (which must be changed annually), discs, pads and other parts that make up or affect the braking system are checked. Even if the parts are not damaged, it is recommended that they be replaced every ten thousand kilometers..
- Filters: an efficient inspection cannot fail to check the condition of the air, brake and fuel filters, in order to prevent dirt from damaging the vehicle's internal parts. It is recommended to change these parts every ten thousand kilometers run, but it is worth checking what the automaker recommends.
- Cooling system: the engine temperature must be maintained at 90ºC and the cooling system is responsible for ensuring that this happens, as if overheated, the engine loses its useful life or even melts other more sensitive parts. We are talking about the hoses, radiator and a specific fluid (demineralized water and additive that must be changed once every two years). The inspection makes sure that it is in full working order and that there are no leaks.
- Tires: Of course, a complete overhaul cannot leave out the tires and their overhaul is scheduled. The wear of these parts and the non-calibration increase fuel consumption, in addition to putting the driver at risk of accidents.
Read more: Tires: tips and care
- Alignment and balancing: alignment ensures that the angle of the wheels is in a proper position, while balancing is concerned with ensuring that there is no instability in displacement. Both must be done according to the activity of each vehicle.
- Electrical system and battery: fuses, lights, headlights and battery need attention at the time of overhaul. For example, faulty lights and headlights on an active vehicle are grounds for fines, in addition to being unsafe for the driver. In the case of the battery, it is necessary to check that there is no oxidation of the poles or dirt, as this part needs to be in excellent condition.
- Other relevant aspects in a preventive review: engine spark plugs, timing belt, suspension, radiator, gearboxes, mirrors, seat belts and windshield wipers.
Faced with so many details and criteria to carry out a vehicle overhaul that provides good results for the company, it is necessary to have some tips in order to facilitate and optimize the process. Continue reading to find out more!
Small fleet management tips Take care of your vehicles
The vehicle needs its parts to be in excellent condition to function properly and avoid situations that may cause headaches.
So, here are some tips on how to small fleet management must act to ensure the best maintenance of its vehicles:
- Create reports with the car's history: It is important to document all information about the vehicles in your fleet. Aspects such as brand, car type, model, year of manufacture, mileage and revision dates are relevant to be included in this document.
With a telemetry system, it is easier to control mileage and schedule preventive inspections.
Read more: step by step to create your light fleet policy
- Pay attention to how vehicles are driven: A detail that goes unnoticed by many small fleet managers is how drivers behave in traffic.
The way in which the vehicle is braked or the frequency with which it asks for fuel are data that can signal recklessness on the part of the driver. Monitor this information to create internal policies, reduce maintenance and unforeseen expenses, and optimize processes.
- Rely on technology to keep track of vehicles: Technological tools are essential for efficient fleet management, as they are able to provide relevant information about vehicles, drivers and routes taken, in addition to provide a telemetry system to monitor the performance of each vehicle.
Read more: What is the ideal technology for my fleet?
- Don't think of preventative and predictive reviews as expenses: A very common misconception among managers of small fleets is saving on maintenance or even not carrying it out.
Such a strategy generates surprise expenses much higher than the savings that were illusory made, not to mention the inconvenience and disappointment, for the company and customers, when the work was not completely carried out and interrupted by the malfunction of the vehicle. Review is investment and guarantee of well-being and complete work for all.
- Carry out the review with qualified people: there is another group of managers, those who differ from those mentioned in the topic above and recognize the review as important, but are not willing to pay a lot for it.
This strategy will also be costly in the future, as the superficial review is as harmful as not performing this procedure, precisely because it conveys a false sense of protection. Count on the best professionals in the field who use technology for predictive and complete maintenance. So your vehicle, driver and operations are safe.
- Don't forget the documentation: Vehicle documents also need review and updating. Again, technology can be helpful in doing this.
- Think of the best routes and routes: With the help of a fleet management system, prepare the best routes to avoid unnecessary trips or even eliminate roads in poor conditions, with excessive curves or with a high rate of traffic jams.
Read more: Unpaved roads: a challenge for fleet managers and consultants
- Keep an eye out for naturally wearing parts and mandatory equipment: it is natural for vehicle parts to wear out, especially tires, windshield, lubricant, timing belt, filters and brake pads. Also, make sure that the mandatory parts are inside the vehicle, such as the fire extinguisher, jack, wheel braces, spare tire and documents.
These actions are fundamental to reduce unnecessary costs with unexpected breakdowns, even more so those that happen during the execution of a job.
More than that, these precautions are essential for your company to contribute to safe and conscious transit.
Do you want to know how technology can help you even more in preventing accidents and damage to your fleet and boost your results? Then access our free eBook:
