The 2020 pandemic had far-reaching impacts to including the downward trend of car and truck maintenance costs while vehicles sat idle and were not driven during many of the work-from-home mandates. With efforts to restore the economy, fleets are facing increased maintenance challenges.
One new trend includes longer intervals between preventive maintenance (PM) requirements, but at a higher cost due to the switch towards longer-lasting synthetic motor oils. And as vehicle replacement cycles have been extended, prices have risen with the need for additional PM services. With a national parts shortage, vehicles are spending more time off-line as they wait for parts on backorder. Additionally the price of tires has increased approximately 5% in 2021. This is further exacerbated with vehicles that have grown in complexity, and require more expensive repairs when malfunctions occur.
Lastly, labor rates and overall fleet maintenance expenses are projected to continue increasing, so fleet managers need to be prepared for the additional expenses they may incur.
- The average per unit cost per month of preventative maintenance has increased, but the cost per mile has remained stable since 2020
- Higher parts and commodity prices are driving maintenance costs up, in addition to shortages that can range from days to months
- Overall vehicle quality has continued to improve in 2021, and the industry is continuing to transition towards the use of electrical vehicles—in part due to the fewer number of moving parts
Article Source: https://www.automotive-fleet.com
Link to complete source story: https://www.automotive-fleet.com/10149391/top-7-maintenance-trends-in-cy-2021-and-2022
Photo Credit: GettyImages.com/M_A_Y_A
Disclaimer: In the News blog posts are Doering's take on the best content and the latest news in the Fleet Management Industry. Doering did not write the original source article.
