Corrective maintenance: meaning, examples and when to use it

Corrective maintenance is used when failures and defects harm fleet activities, preventing a vehicle from completing its routes.

In fact, many repairs address problems that could have been prevented, generating greater expense compared with preventive maintenance.

That is why, despite its importance in a transport operation, corrective maintenance should happen as little as possible in fleets’ daily activities.

This is what we will cover below. See:

• What is corrective maintenance?
• How does it work?
• What is the difference between corrective and preventive maintenance?
• What is the purpose of corrective maintenance?
• Why is it not the best alternative?
• When should you choose corrective maintenance?

What is corrective maintenance?

This type of maintenance is a procedure performed when a machine already has some kind of problem and requires immediate repair. It usually happens because of unexpected problems, a lack of preventive services, or accidents.

How does corrective maintenance work?

It works by correcting failures and breakdowns in fleet vehicles and can be either planned or unplanned. See the difference:

Planned corrective maintenance

Planned corrective maintenance happens when some type of defect is found during preventive vehicle inspections.

If this defect poses no risk to safety or the operation, its repair is scheduled and performed later.

Examples of corrective maintenance include engine overheating, excessive increases in fuel consumption, brake failures, and identifying bald tires.

Unplanned corrective maintenance

In this case, it happens after a vehicle failure or breakdown and focuses on correcting an immediate, urgent problem. For example, changing a flat tire.

In other words, it is needed when an operation is already underway and the vehicle cannot remain idle under any circumstances.

What is the difference between corrective and preventive maintenance?

Preventive maintenance is planned in advance and takes place regularly, unlike corrective maintenance, performed only once a failure has occurred and without any predictability.

We can say that preventive maintenance is a set of practices and strategies for controlling fleet vehicles, on the premise of keeping them performing at their best and avoiding premature asset loss.

It takes place based on an inspection schedule, with data from the fleet’s productivity and operating history.

Corrective maintenance, in contrast, has no schedule or forecasting parameter for control.

When a problem arises, the vehicle enters this corrective maintenance stage, almost always without prior planning.

What is the purpose of corrective maintenance?

It is natural for truck parts to start showing failures over time that compromise fleet productivity. That is where corrective maintenance comes in.

As the name suggests, the goal is to correct problems and failures in fleet vehicles. However, it is not always recommended.

Here is why:

Why is corrective maintenance not the best alternative?

Trusting that correction alone will meet your operation’s needs is a mistake. The reason: it is the most expensive option for the fleet, mainly because of the labor needed.

It also becomes a risk when it can shorten vehicle useful life and/or lead to repairs that reduce performance on routes.

Furthermore, among the types of maintenance, it is the only one that keeps a vehicle out of operation for longer. And when there are goals and deadlines to meet, the damage can be significant, both to fleet organization and company credibility.

When should you choose corrective maintenance?

The answer could not be simpler: only when it is planned.

Corrective maintenance is more expensive and less effective in transport operations. It should therefore be prioritized to happen only when damage is identified through the preventive maintenance routine.

Thus, the first step should be creating a maintenance plan. This lets you make the following clear to employees:

• What the vehicle prevention routine is and how to perform it;
• Which vehicle inspection schedule they should follow;
• How to fill out inspection checklists and generate work orders;
• When to contact the fleet manager to report problems.

Your maintenance plan will also include the tools needed, how to act in emergencies, the budgets and costs allocated to each service, and so on.

Analyzing the entire maintenance process is equally important. Therefore, defining your fleet’s performance indicators (KPIs) should be one of your priorities.

Also count on support from an intelligent system for your fleet’s maintenance management. Schedule a free demonstration to understand how it works.