Vehicle maintenance should be a top priority for any fleet owner. It can only be bad news when a vehicle suffers from a mechanical failure or a breakdown.

A breakdown means no work is getting done, despite the business still paying a salary. This hits productivity, which in turn hits the bottom line. Downtime is a serious obstacle to any fleet owner, and getting on top of vehicle maintenance is a great way to manage it.

Making sure you are on top of servicing your fleet, buying new models when a vehicle has had its day, and signing up to a breakdown recovery service are all good ideas. Of course, they cost money, so there is a balance to be sought – investigate what you can afford, but don’t underestimate the value of well-oiled machinery.

In addition, factor in vehicle maintenance when you are looking to insure your fleet. The cheapest cover may seem tempting, but it will only be third-party cover. That means if you have an accident, only the other driver will be protected. If your vehicle is damaged, you will have to stump up the full cost yourself.

Fully comprehensive cover for a business fleet is more expensive – but in the long run it could be worth it. If your vehicle suffers some damage, the costs to you will be lower.

When looking for insurance and maintenance services provider, shop around to get the best rice and consider price comparison sites.

Maintenance is also an issue when calculating the optimum replacement time, the point at which maintenance costs and dwindling fuel efficiency outweigh the cost of investment in new fleet vehicles.

If you’ve found this article useful then make sure you visit our complete A-Z of business fleet terms, which provides a complete glossary so you can make an informed purchasing decision.