Freightliner Fleet Maintenance: What Your Service Provider Should Be Able To Offer

With more than 15 million commercial trucks on American roads, you have to make sure your freightliners always perform well if you want to keep up with the competition. Here's what the fleet maintenance company you hire to keep your trucks in tip-top shape should offer:

Scheduled Onsite Tune Ups

The fleet maintenance company you decide to work with long-term should be able and willing to schedule tune ups for your trucks at the same time and come to your place of business to perform the work that needs to be done. This will allow you to have your freightliners serviced at one time and on a day when your business isn't operating.

Alternatively, you should be able to schedule tune ups in groups depending on when your trucks will be parked for any length of time. For instance, anytime you know you'll have two, five, or more trucks parked together for a couple of days for any reason, you could schedule a tune up for them during that time. This way, you don't have to take any trucks off the road and out of production just to keep them in good shape.

Action Plan Creation

In addition to offering onsite tune ups, your fleet maintenance service provider should be able to create a yearly action plan for each of your trucks so you know exactly when they need attention throughout the year. When the time comes to change the brakes or upgrade the air conditioning system, your service provider should offer you a series of appointment dates and times that are available so you can schedule the service at your convenience. This makes it possible to maintain all of your trucks without having to personally keep tabs on their needs throughout the year. The action plans created for your trucks may even include small services that are often overlooked such as:

  • Changing the headlight bulbs

  • Changing the coolant

  • Inspecting the windshield and windows for damage

  • Pressure washing the engine

Ask for a list of services the service provider you're considering hiring is willing to include in their action plans so you can be sure that all the services that are important to you will be included.

Emergency Roadside Repairs

Another service the fleet maintenance company you hire should offer is emergency roadside repairs. Different from roadside assistance where a truck would get towed to a repair facility, this type of service involves having basic repairs made right where the truck breaks down so it can quickly get back on the road and ultimately reach its destination.

For example, there shouldn't be a need to tow a truck just to have the alternator replaced. Your fleet maintenance provider should send a technician out with the necessary tools and parts to the location of your broken truck and get your driver back on the road again within hours.

Aftermarket Parts Access

You never know when you might want to upgrade your fleet of freightliners to accommodate longer hauls or to make drivers more comfortable while on the road, so look for a fleet maintenance company to work with that can get you custom aftermarket parts if you want to install them in the future. Special lighting, a new shifting system, gear shift handles, and more can be purchased from third-party companies to customize your trucks, and your service provider should be willing to find and order them for you if they aren't already kept in stock.

Contact a maintenance service company like Florida Truck & Trailer CO to learn more about freightliner maintenance and repair services you and your business could benefit from.


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