Within the trucking industry, capacity is tight, drivers and technicians are in short supply, and consumer demand is up, so maximizing time and efficiency is critical, especially for maintenance.
“Fleets used to route equipment through their shops, but it is getting more and more difficult. They don’t have the labor to do the work,” said Paul Gildenhorn, Vice President of Sales for FleetNet America®.
Moreover, fleets need to maximize drivers’ time and keep equipment moving freight rather than driving to a technician. “Fleets may not have the manpower to take it to the shop and then pick it back up,” said Mike Adcock, Operations Manager for FleetNet America.
Fleets are increasingly taking advantage of FleetNet America’s OnYard service
That brings scheduled maintenance, such as preventive maintenance and running repairs, to fleets at their convenience. “It is designed for fleets that have domiciled units at a location that doesn’t have a technician’s support, or it is difficult to get a technician out to that location,” Gildenhorn said. “We’ll send a service provider out to do that.”
Ideally, service providers can provide maintenance once trucks come off the road. “If the truck is running from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m., we’re able to schedule that vendor to go out and service that equipment while the unit is down. So, when they get back in the morning, that truck is taken care of,” Gildenhorn said.
In some cases, customers will ask to have a maintenance technician in the yard on certain days of the week. “I see customers say, ‘I want the guy on the yard on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and he needs to check all trailers for a PM due, and if he sees a broken mud flap, he can fix it,” said Tim Moore, Vice President of TMCare® at FleetNet America.
The service is well suited for fleets with 35 to 40 pieces of equipment or more at the location.
“We like to see a certain amount of units to lock that vendor’s services in,” Moore explained, adding that one of the benefits of OnYard is that FleetNet America has a wide pool of service providers within its system, making it easier to secure a technician.
FleetNet America contacts the vendor, negotiates the rates, and coordinates the service. “When we call, we do get priority,” Gildenhorn said, adding that FleetNet America audits the invoice, keeps an electronic equipment file, and holds the vendor accountable. “You get all the benefits of a full scheduled maintenance program in a scheduled as-needed basis program.”
Customers also have access to a fleet manager who brings maintenance expertise and an assigned FleetNet America representative, so they’re working with the same people who get to know the customer and specific needs.
Making it convenient to service equipment is increasingly important as challenges in the transportation sector persist. “A lot of people are wearing a lot of different hats these days. Knowing you can make a phone call and do what you need to do, and your maintenance is getting taken care of at those locations is appealing,” Gildenhorn said.
Learn more about FleetNet America’s OnYard service by calling 877-559-9640.