Managing a fleet is no joke. It takes many puzzle pieces to fit together for proper fleet management. Fleet management is maintaining commercial vehicles in a proactive manner instead of just simply repairing them when they break down. This includes repairing and being proactive about tire maintenance.
Tire Maintenance is the name of the game in fleet management. Tires are the most important part of the vehicles. They bear most of the wear and tear because of the constant friction with the roads.
Properly maintained tires can have a long life, and the maintenance prevents tire blowouts. You need to keep a check on the tires of your fleet to keep your business safe on the road. As per RSA, 12% of cars have tire or wheel problems.
With rapid digitization, a number of fleet management software have crowded the marketplace, which has brought fleet management to your fingertips.
Content Summary
Features Of Cloud-Based Fleet Management Software
- GPS tracking
- Trailer tracking
- Asset tracking
- Fleet maintenance
- ELD compliance
- Edge computing
- Reporting
Instead of putting a lot of time and effort into fleet maintenance, one should take up a smarter approach by using fleet management software and employ cutting edge technology to manage fleets. The smart features like GPS definition can get work done more efficiently, keeping your business safe as well as efficient.
How Can You Ensure Tire Maintenance Safety?
Below mentioned are a few tips and tricks that reveal the true health of your tires –
Tire Pressure
Ensuring proper air pressure in the tire is crucial. Lesser of more air pressure leads to tire stress, irregular wear, loss of control, and accidents. Sometimes the tire loses half of its pressure and still does not appear flat. This obviously calls for regular inspection of tire pressure.
Every car manufacturer specifies the right amount of tire pressure, and it should be religiously maintained by the fleet owner to ensure road safety.
Maintaining the right tire pressure is key to keeping the tires in good condition.
Tire Alignment
The tire alignment can be misaligned because of a bad jolt or hitting a pothole. This can damage the tires as well.
Misaligned tires can be damaged easily and rapidly. And thus, it should be corrected as early as possible. Regular inspection of the tire alignment and correcting it at the earliest is good for the health of the tire.
A pulling car or vibration is an indication of the misalignment of the tires. Learn to see the indications and act accordingly. Additionally, get the tire balance check periodically.
Tire Maintenance: Check Your Tread
Tread is one critical part of tire maintenance. Tread of the tire gives traction nonstop and holds the road on curves. Additionally, the tread also drains out the water from under the tire.
To ensure proper tire tread, balance the tires by placing little weight on the rim of the tire to counteract heavy spots. Also, ensure that your car suspension is properly aligned or else it will shimmy as you drive.
These are three basic ways you can ensure tire maintenance, which is very important for better fleet safety and management.
Why Regular Tire Maintenance Should Be Prioritized
There are a number of benefits that proactive tire maintenance renders to your fleet business. If you are into fleet management, tire maintenance should concern you.
Read below to find out why regular tire maintenance is important for your fleet.
Safety Of Your Fleet
Safety is a major concern in fleet management. Tires are engineered to perform safely even with larger loads, but that would require keeping them in perfect condition. The tires of your vehicle should be in good condition to steer, stop, and drive properly.
A well inflated, aligned, and treaded tire ensures safety. Anti Lock brakes and traction control systems will not work well if tires are not inflated properly.
Additionally, a poorly maintained tire can be the main cause of accidents. Thus, tire maintenance is very important and should be proactively done.
Improves Mileage
Tire maintenance efforts can improve the mileage of the vehicles. The most common example is tire inflation.
An underinflated tire can lower down the mileage by 3%. For fleet managers, a 3% change in fuel cost is giant.
A properly maintained tire helps improve mileage, and it brings down your cost of fuel refilling.
Good For The Environment
This is directly related to the mileage of the fleet. Properly inflated tires increase fuel efficiency and lower the emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants from entering into the environment.
Cost Saving
A well-maintained tire has extended life. Thus, no frequent replacement of tires and cost savings for your fleet business. The amount of money that is spent on the maintenance of tires is an investment that pays off very well in the long run in the form of fuel efficiency and lesser replacements.
Lesser Breakdowns
Your vehicle is subjected to frequent breakdowns not only because of engine breakdown but also majorly because of poorly maintained tires. Yes, it’s true.
With regular tire maintenance, you can greatly reduce the breakdowns of your fleet, which will not only bring down repairing costs but also reduce the tension that a sudden breakdown brings. Thus, with regular tire maintenance, your fleet becomes even more reliable.
With so many benefits that good tire maintenance renders to your vehicle, it becomes absolutely imperative to keep your tires in good running condition.
These are the main reasons why regular tire maintenance is important for your fleet.
Final Thoughts on Tire Maintenance
The importance of tire maintenance is such that new vehicles come with what’s called a tire pressure monitoring system or TPMS.
Your vehicle runs on tires, and these tires suffer the most wear and tear. A proactive approach towards tire maintenance is a symbol of a smart and wise fleet management system.
You can also resort to the best available technology to manage your fleet better and smarter. It helps in your fleet business with better customer satisfaction and enhanced reputation.
