TOP TIPS

The maintenance of a vehicle falls generally into three areas – mechanics, tyres and windscreens – and all three need to have a basic set of rules laid out when it comes to improving the cost-effective running of your fleet.

A drivers’ handbook is a must. All these rules should be clearly stated and drivers should sign to say that they have read and agree with its contents. That way, drivers can’t come back to you in the event of a problem and pretend they didn’t know.

UNDER THE BONNET

Where a van is used by a single driver, checking for faults is a pretty straightforward affair. However, where many drivers use one vehicle, it’s imperative to make one person responsible for checks. Even if this means paying that person a little bit extra, it’s a worthwhile exercise as your company can soon lose thousands of pounds if, say, an engine seizes up because no-one has
bothered to check the oil level for the past year. Checks are fairly simple and shouldn’t take long:

Every time the tank is filled:
Check oil level

Every 3,000 miles:
Check fan belt
Check hoses and cooling system
Check brake fluid
Check power steering fluid
Check transmission fluid if necessary
On top of this, obviously, if any other knocks, squeaks and rattles occur these should be reported immediately as early attention can save a great deal of cash.

TYRES

Tyres tend to be neglected more than any other item on the van. Close attention should be paid to them if they are to give good service.

The key to long tyre life is keeping them at the correct pressure – and this means a weekly check, along with a visual daily glance to make sure no foreign objects are embedded in them.

Peter Fairlie, group sales director of ATS Euromaster, said: “Tyres have to work harder if they are incorrectly inflated. Under-inflation of 20% (around 6psi in many cases) can reduce tyre life by 20%, massively increasing running costs.

“Tyres which are 20% under-inflated will increase fuel consumption by around 3%.”

All tyres begin to age and deteriorate when exposed to sunlight and atmosphere. Tyres which are six years old should be inspected professionally as ageing can increase the risk of a tyre failure.

And it’s not just a matter of economics. Fleets have a duty of care to make sure drivers are safe on the roads – and this includes tyres.

WINDSCREENS

Of all the maintenance areas of a van, the windscreen should be the easiest to check.

Any chips in the windscreen should be reported immediately – a repair costs around £70, whereas a replacement can be anything up to £1,000.

Drivers should be instructed to check their screens every day – it only takes a second. It’s worth doing as:

99% of screen breakages start with a small chip
One in four vans are currently driving round with chips that could be repaired
A repair can only be carried out on recently chipped screens
 

It is worth warning against the dangers of opting for cheap windscreen replacements. Some 30% of the rigidity of modern vehicles is in the windscreen and cheap screens sometimes do not fit properly. This means that in the event of an accident, the screen will pop out, meaning greater risk for the driver and passengers.

CONCLUSION

Vehicle checking as outlined here is a relatively simple matter, but it may not be so easy to put this theory into practice.

There are two approaches – carrot or stick – and either may work for your fleet.

The stick may involve disciplinary action if procedures are not followed and the carrot may include a small bonus or prize for the best-performing drivers.

In our experience, the carrot always works better.