Truck downtime: 7 causes and how to avoid it

A truck out of service represents one of the biggest losses for fleets and transport operations, even more so when its unavailability is unforeseen.

Generally, these failures or breakdowns can happen unexpectedly, negatively impacting the planning of operations and routes, whether through delays in delivery deadlines or the overloading of other trucks in the fleet.

Learn more below:

• What causes truck downtime in a fleet;
• How a vehicle out of service disrupts transport operations;
• Strategies to avoid truck downtime and idle fleet vehicles.

What causes truck downtime in a fleet?

A truck being taken out of service in the fleet can be triggered by a series of factors.

Understand why you still have vehicles out of service in your fleet:

1 – Mechanical failures and irregular maintenance

Mechanical failures, such as breakdowns in the engine, transmission or brakes, are among the main causes of truck downtime in a fleet. They can occur due to the natural wear of components or to unforeseen events.

One of the reasons failures occur is the absence of preventive maintenance and regular inspections. Small issues can turn into major failures that leave the truck out of service for longer.

2 – Accidents

Collisions and road accidents are unpredictable events that can cause significant damage and take a vehicle out of service. The severity of the damage varies, but even minor accidents can lead to the need for repairs.

The fault for accidents can come both from driver behavior and from inadequate vehicle maintenance, so both aspects should be assessed and corrected as needed.

3 – Electrical issues

Electrical failures, such as issues in the ignition system or the battery, can prevent the vehicle from running. These issues often arise unexpectedly and can result in a truck out of service in the operation.

4 – Lack of replacement parts

The unavailability of replacement parts is a cause of repair delays and one of the common mistakes in fleet inventory management. When a needed part is not available, the truck may stay out of service until it is purchased.

5 – Aggressive driving

Speeding and harsh braking increase the wear of the vehicle's components and the risk of breakdowns. This usually happens when the driver is in a hurry or is unaware of the consequences of this more aggressive driving.

Remember that defensive driving training is indispensable, even for more experienced drivers.

6 – Refueling issues

Matters related to refueling, such as running out of fuel or issues in the injection system, can cause unexpected stoppages.

Proper refueling management and maintenance of the fuel system are important to avoid stoppages due to related issues.

7 – Manual management of fleet maintenance

Relying on paper maintenance records or outdated spreadsheets can result in inefficiencies and forgotten tasks.

Important maintenance tasks may be postponed, and keeping track of the entire maintenance history becomes a complicated process.

Instead, adopting modern maintenance management software that organizes plans, automates preventive maintenance by mileage or schedule and keeps a digital record of repairs can significantly reduce the risk of having trucks out of service.

This type of system can provide timely alerts for maintenance needs, simplify the process and reduce the chances that an important activity is forgotten, as long as the team keeps track of the notices and carries out the scheduled routines.

How does truck downtime disrupt transport operations?

A truck out of service affects fleet availability, causing interrupted deliveries and delays in operations. This can result in consequences that go beyond how the fleet works and impact the company as a whole: customer dissatisfaction and lost contracts.

The repair cost of a truck out of service is high, including labor, replacement parts and downtime. In addition, you need to consider depreciation and fixed costs, such as insurance, IPVA (Brazil's annual vehicle ownership tax) and annual vehicle licensing.

The unavailability of one vehicle can also overload other trucks in the fleet, increasing wear and the risk of failures in other vehicles.

Overall, a single truck out of service can cause a domino effect that harms the fleet's operations, finances and reputation.

Strategies to avoid truck downtime and idle fleet vehicles

Avoiding an idle fleet is one of the main goals in fleet management and vehicle maintenance, and achieving it requires regular and constant approaches. Here are the main ones:

Regular preventive maintenance

Set up a preventive maintenance schedule for each vehicle in the fleet, with regular inspections and service scheduling.

Preventive maintenance helps identify and correct issues before they cause stoppages that are costly in time and money.

Driver training

Provide drivers with continuous training on safe and efficient driving practices. This reduces vehicle wear and avoids issues related to driving errors.

Monitoring and telematics

Monitoring and telematics systems make it possible to track driver behavior, identifying inappropriate driving patterns more easily.

That way, you can take corrective action quickly and precisely, without spending much time analyzing the possible causes of the increase in trucks out of service in your fleet.

Replacement parts inventory management

Keep an adequate inventory of replacement parts to avoid repair delays.

It is important that the necessary parts are readily available when a vehicle needs maintenance, to avoid an increase in fleet idleness.

Route and operations planning

Plan and schedule transport operations efficiently, taking into account vehicle availability and avoiding overloading them.

Route departure and return checklist

The departure checklist is essential so that drivers can identify potential issues before starting their routes.

Likewise, the return checklist makes it possible to record service requests if the vehicle had an issue on the route. When the inspection is done digitally on a mobile phone, a request identified in the checklist can become an automatic work order, helping the workshop handle the issue without relying on loose notes.

Using an automated maintenance system

A maintenance management system has the features to schedule inspections and services, as well as to create maintenance plans per license plate.

In addition, automatic alerts for deadlines coming due in vehicle maintenance help you keep track of the activities that are important for the proper operation that avoids truck downtime, but execution still depends on the routine of the team in charge.

Maintenance history

Keep detailed records of all maintenance, inspections and repairs carried out on each vehicle in the fleet, something that helps schedule preventive routines more precisely and carry out more in-depth analyses of how each truck works and what it costs.

Ready to optimize your fleet's maintenance management? Download our e-book “Maintenance Management Manual” now and gain valuable insights to protect your trucks and keep your fleet moving. Download it for free here (in Portuguese).