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A guide to fleet maintenance for the festive season
We know that the festive season is a busy time for fleet managers. It's your responsibility to ensure every fleet vehicle is in good condition and ready to keep up with a demanding schedule. Every vehicle needs to be safe and reliable to keep your drivers, passengers and cargo secure and avoid accidents that could slow down your business.
Preventative maintenance is the key to a successful festive season for your fleet. Before your vehicles set out for the holiday season, read our fleet maintenance guide to guarantee the safety of your fleet vehicles and avoid any unnecessary mishaps on the way.
Tyre pressure and tread
- As your drivers may be on the road for long journeys, it's essential to make sure that the tyres of all your vehicles are safe, including spare wheels too. Check the owner's manual or vehicle handbook to find the manufacturer's recommended tyre pressure for the vehicle. When checking tread depth, make sure the measurement meets the legal minimum limit for your country. Besides the fact that you could receive a fine for not complying with the law, low tread depth tyres are also dangerous - lower grip levels increase the chances of skidding and the driver losing control of the vehicle. If you're preparing for winter, switch to winter tyres for better control on the roads when they're wet or covered with snow or ice.
Brakes
- Brake failure can be dangerous for your drivers and others on the road. Prioritise brake maintenance to keep your drivers, vehicles and other motorists on the road safe this festive season. Check for worn brake pads and rotors, and ask your drivers if they've noticed squealing sounds when braking or an increased stopping distance so you can find the cause and replace parts if necessary.
Battery
- The last thing you need is for your drivers to be stranded on the side of the road because the vehicle battery is dead. Preventative maintenance could help keep your batteries going for longer. Check for signs of corroded battery terminals and cables. Corrosion can prevent electrical connection and current flow, making it difficult for the vehicle to connect to the battery. Fortunately, it's easy to clean battery corrosion and get your fleet back on the road.
Lights
- Operating a fleet vehicle with exterior lights that aren't working is dangerous, but it's difficult for drivers to check their lights when they're always behind the wheel. Get your fleet maintenance team to check headlamps, fog lights, turn signals, hazard lights, and brake lights and replace any that aren't working before the festive season. It's imperative to make sure your fleet vehicles' exterior lights work if your drivers travel at night or in bad weather conditions.
Interior
- It's just as essential to make sure the interior is safe and ready for the long journey ahead. Check the interior lights, seat belts, heating and air conditioning systems, doors, and windows, and make sure everything's in working condition. While the windscreen wipers are on the outside, make sure they work so your drivers can see clearly and top up the windscreen wash. Make sure the vehicles are clean inside and that the seats are functional and comfortable for your drivers.
Vehicle emergency kit
- Even if you do everything you can to prepare your fleet, emergencies can still happen. Put together a vehicle emergency kit to make sure your drivers are ready for any situation. Your kit should include a flashlight, rescue blanket, first aid kit, high visibility vest, flares, and essential tools.
Check dashcams and tracking devices.
- Test your dashcams and tracking devices before the festive season to confirm that they're in working order. As dashcams and tracking devices are used to keep your fleet and drivers safe and to make sure they're getting to every job on time, you can't afford to have faulty devices installed in your vehicles. If you're looking for tracking solutions for your fleet, consider our vehicle tracking and dashcam software for your business.
