Waiting for something to break down before getting it repaired is risky and expensive. Unexpected breakdowns, emergency repairs, and vehicles out of service are not just inconveniences; they represent real losses that could be avoided.
Technology already allows us to anticipate problems before they happen. Come and understand how preventive maintenance combined with telemetry can transform the way you care for your vehicle fleet.
You will take this with you:
- Preventive maintenance is not about waiting for something to break down. It's about anticipating and acting at the right time, neither too early nor too late.
- There are different types of maintenance. Understanding each method is the first step in choosing the most suitable one for your operation.
- Telemetry is the driving force behind intelligent maintenance. With data, you move away from guesswork and start making strategic decisions.
Browse the content:
What is preventive maintenance?
What is the difference between preventive and predictive maintenance?
How does preventive maintenance work?
Types of preventive maintenance
Telemetry and preventive maintenance in fleet management.
How to use telemetry in maintenance planning
What is preventive maintenance?
Preventive maintenance is a proactive strategy that involves inspections and component replacements at planned intervals , before vehicle failures occur.
Instead of waiting for something to break before fixing it, you follow a schedule based on manufacturer recommendations, considering mileage driven and time elapsed since the last repair.
What is the purpose of preventive maintenance?
Preventive maintenance would align with the saying: prevention is better than cure . Its goal is to generate lower costs for emergency repairs, greater safety for drivers, and a fleet that spends more time on the road and less time out of service.
What is the difference between preventive and predictive maintenance?
The names are similar, but preventive and predictive maintenance work in very different ways.
- Preventive maintenance follows a fixed schedule.
You base your maintenance, replacements, and servicing on time or usage intervals, regardless of the vehicle's actual condition.
- Predictive maintenance is condition-based.
The system continuously monitors the vehicle's parameters and only triggers alerts when it detects that something is out of the ordinary.
The advantage is that you avoid both unnecessary maintenance (replacing parts that are still in good condition) and unexpected breakdowns. This means savings, increased availability, and strengthens the safety culture within the fleet.
How does preventive maintenance work?
In general, the functioning of preventive maintenance depends on some key elements: data collection, registration of maintenance plans, and scheduling.
Collection of operational data
The telemetry devices installed in the vehicles capture information about mileage, usage time, location, driving behavior, and other relevant operational data.
Each piece of information is recorded and sent to a platform , which promotes data-driven fleet management that monitors everything quickly and intelligently.
Read more: 8 fleet management challenges that telemetry can help you overcome
Registration of review plans
The maintenance schedules recommended by the manufacturers are registered in the system, defining which services should be performed and at what intervals (mileage or time).
You can use the standard plans or customize them to suit the reality of your operation, creating different plans for groups of vehicles or specific vehicles.
Alerts and scheduling
When a vehicle is nearing the point of needing a service or component replacement, the system generates automatic alerts . You receive information about which vehicle needs attention, what service should be performed, and its urgency, allowing you to schedule maintenance at the most appropriate time.
Types of preventive maintenance
There are different types of strategies that can be applied within preventive maintenance. Each one is built on the concept of planned maintenance, organized and programmed in a unique way to prioritize different operational needs:
Time-Based Maintenance (TBM)
It occurs at scheduled intervals, usually according to the manufacturer's recommendations . Such as changing fluids every 6 months or a complete service annually, regardless of mileage.
Usage-Based Maintenance (UBM)
Consider vehicle usage metrics to determine the maintenance schedule . For example, oil changes every 10.000 km driven, or brake pad replacement every 30.000 km.
Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)
It uses embedded devices to collect operational data , such as mileage, location, driving patterns, usage time, and driver behavior.
This data is cross-referenced with preventive maintenance plans to generate automatic alerts when vehicles approach their recommended service intervals.
Telemetry also identifies risky behaviors that accelerate mechanical wear, allowing drivers to be guided and maintenance needs to be anticipated.
Read more: Fleet maintenance: how to reduce costs with telemetry
Systematic preventive maintenance
Here is a schedule of standardized actions , such as routine cleaning and lubrication, performed consistently to prevent premature wear.
Telemetry and preventive maintenance in fleet management.
By combining telemetry and preventive maintenance, you create an intelligent system and have a complete overview of how the fleet is being used.
- Tracks actual mileage.
Knowing exactly how many kilometers each vehicle travels allows for precise calculation of when each maintenance is due, without relying on manual notes or the odometer.
- Identifies usage patterns
Understanding how and where vehicles are used allows for adjustments to maintenance plans. A vehicle that travels on dirt roads needs more frequent servicing than one used only on urban paved roads.
- Detects risky behaviors
Sudden acceleration, hard braking, and speeding not only increase the risk of accidents but also accelerate mechanical wear. Telemetry identifies these behaviors, allowing drivers to be guided and maintenance needs to be anticipated.
- Optimize the maintenance planning
With data and historical information on the usage of each vehicle, you can accurately predict when each one will need servicing and schedule maintenance during periods of least operational impact.
- Reduces operating costs
Having control over maintenance costs and avoiding unnecessary repairs on vehicles that are rarely used, while also not missing the right time to replace heavily used vehicles, results in significant savings.
- Increases security
Ensuring that each vehicle receives maintenance at the appropriate time means saving lives. A brake system that is serviced on time or tires that are replaced before they are completely worn out can prevent serious accidents.
Read more: Tire wear: learn how to check and prevent the 8 main types
How to use telemetry in maintenance planning
According to the State of Fleet Management 2025 report , 72% of fleets use dedicated maintenance software, but integration gaps still exist.
The Golfleet maintenance module was developed precisely to transform maintenance management from reactive to strategic and connected to the reality of fleet management.
Read more: Maintenance Module: Golfleet's reliable alert for when it's time for vehicle servicing.
With its integration into our telemetry system , you always know when it's time for your maintenance checks, where they will be done, and how much they will cost.
- Automatic review plans
Golfleet automatically loads the manufacturer-recommended plans for each vehicle. If you prefer, you can customize these plans or create something from scratch , for the entire fleet or specific groups of vehicles.
- Status by vehicle
Information about upcoming service dates, which vehicles are up-to-date or overdue for servicing, cost estimates, and a complete service history are easily accessible. With the creation of schedules and the setting of alerts, nothing goes unnoticed.
- Detailed history
Each maintenance record stores complete data about the vehicle and the workshop, as well as a detailed breakdown of the status and cost of each item or part . It is possible to attach images and documents, such as reports, receipts, or any relevant file.
Read more: How to transform telemetry data into intelligence with Golfleet
- Focus on productivity
We know that good maintenance management requires data, including historical information. Therefore, this module offers tools to facilitate the import, export, and bulk editing of this information.
During AHEAD 2025, Angélica Vila, senior fleet analyst at Atlas Copco, shared a success story from the group and the results after integrating telemetry across all vehicles:
- Reduction of operational load
- Control of vehicle arrival times at repair shops.
- Approval time up to 2 hours faster
- Less idleness
- Driver safety
Read more: Reducing infractions in fleet management: Atlas Copco's success story
If you didn't participate in any edition or would like to revisit it, we share the lessons learned from the event in Panorama AHEAD 2025 , a complete guide to advancing fleet management.
The future of fleet maintenance has already begun.
Combining telemetry and preventive maintenance reduces expenses, increases vehicle availability, improves driver safety, and frees up time to focus on what really matters: growing the business.
It has never been easier to have complete control over the condition and maintenance costs of your fleet. With Golfleet, maintenance management becomes a strategic differentiator for your company.
