Here at Great Dane, we believe in giving our customers the tools they need for their company to succeed. This is exactly why we developed our trailer telematics system, FleetPulse. From accurate mileage tracking to load monitoring, FleetPulse is an incredible tool to increase your fleet’s efficiency. Did you know that FleetPulse provides data that could also affect your maintenance costs?
FleetPulse and Trailer Maintenance
Say one of your trailers is having, for instance, an issue with its ABS system. Knowing the problem in real-time gives you more time to plan and schedule trailer maintenance. The FleetPulse system makes this possible by quickly alerting you of the maintenance issue and even giving repair recommendations. The system also allows you to locate the nearest service center and with one click, send the diagnostic information to the service center. Unlike any other trailer telematics system, FleetPulse contains the specs for each trailer. This means when you send your trailer to a Great Dane service center, the service staff can see the diagnostics information, and already know the parts required for the repair while the unit is en route, jumpstarting the time your trailer is down for maintenance.
Increase Uptime with FleetPulse
The preloaded trailer specs and real-time communication from FleetPulse can save the fleet valuable time, potentially cutting the repair duration down from days to hours—and uptime is everything for fleets. Less time in the repair shop means more time on the road, making deliveries.
Roadside Maintenance Costs More
Justin Garver, FleetPulse sales manager, says it’s important for fleets to keep in mind the cost difference between discovering an issue while the trailer is at its home base, or an issue arising once it’s out on the road. Garver points out, “Once that trailer leaves the facility, the mobile service repair bills are significantly higher, and your exposure to higher-cost incidents and liabilities goes up as that trailer gets out on the highway.”
Take, for example, a low tire pressure warning. Maybe the driver sees this warning while on their route but hasn’t communicated it to the maintenance staff. If that tire is re-filled when the trailer is back at base, no harm, no foul. But if it goes out for another all-day ride the following day, that could result in a blowout – and the much higher costs that go along with it.
“If we can provide data to a fleet that allows them to handle a maintenance issue before that trailer leaves the facility, they’re going to have significant cost savings,” Garver adds. In this scenario, Garver notes, you also risk issues with the shipper, if they unknowingly load a trailer with low tire pressure that went unreported. This may cause issues between the fleet and the shipper once the new driver notices the low pressure, as it may cause them to need to unload and then re-load the cargo.
FleetPulse Goes Beyond Improved Uptime
The ability to predict maintenance needs, rather than try and make a scheduled maintenance routine fit all equipment, is priceless. Repairs made at the shop are typically faster and far less expensive than roadside repairs. Equipment can be on the road for more time, protecting your company’s bottom line.
Beyond the repair aspect, predictive maintenance can help to protect drivers, can help to make sure customer deliveries are on time, can help to limit the amount of equipment taken out of commission, and potentially untangle serious logistics problems. Curious about how FleetPulse can help your business operations?
Read more about FleetPulse at fleet-pulse.com
