RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE GUIDE CHECKLIST

1. Understand your financial benefits of preventive maintenance


Regardless of the type of equipment that makes up your fleet, properly maintained vehicles reduce unscheduled repairs and downtime. Talk to your insurance supplier and they will happily ramble off a long list of ways you can save money with preventive maintenance. The good ones even tell you up front why it helps them keep down your insurance costs: accidents and breakdowns increase your premiums and rates. Some will just give friendly statistics such as:

  • Use the grade of motor oil recommended by your car’s manufacturer. Using a different motor oil can lower your gasoline mileage by 1% to 2%.

  • Keep tires properly inflated and aligned to improve your gasoline mileage by around 3.3%.

  • Get regular engine tune-ups and car maintenance checks to avoid fuel economy problems due to worn spark plugs, dragging brakes, low transmission fluid, or transmission problems.

  • Replace clogged air filters to improve gas mileage by as much as 10% and protect your engine.

  • Etc…

You can also visit your governmental regulatory site (e.g. SAAQ here in Quebec) and get the rundown of “mandatory mechanical inspections” and maintenance requirements for pretty much any type of vehicle. In many industries, such as public transportation, inspection stickers are only given once the vehicle is cleared through regularly scheduled maintenance programs and in the worst-case scenario, when defect repairs are done. On the more personal level, every vehicle owner’s manual includes the strongly recommended check-ups schedule for preventive maintenance. Remember that this is how manufacturers can give guarantees of quality on their products. They give you the ways to optimize the life-service cycle of your assets. We suggest you follow their advice.