Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/782964
commercial carrier journal | february 2017 61 EQUIPMENT: THIRD-PARTY MAINTENANCE Tapp says a contract's a la carte portion might highlight pre- ventive maintenance only, preventive maintenance and repairs, tires included or not, or washing included or not. "ere are numerous other menu items, such as fuel, fuel tax reporting, licensing, insurance, centralized billing," he says. "All of these would be value-added services wrapped around the operation of the fleet of vehicles." Data collection regarding the fleet's operational character- istics is important in building out the agreement's param- eters, Darakos says. "A fleet inspection is recommended and typically done on the front end," he says. "It helps level and set the relationship. A base- line is established, and any noted deficiencies would be discussed and addressed through a mutually agreed-upon plan." Dixon says it's oen easier for dealers to price contract mainte- nance for regional fleets due to the predictability that their trucks are likely to remain within a given dealership's footprint. For nationwide carriers, many OEMs offer contract mainte- nance through their dealer-based warranty systems and offer reciprocation services – meaning any dealer branded by your OEM can perform services at the predetermined rate, even if it's not "your" dealer. "No matter where you are, it's like warranty work," Dixon says. Turning to your dealer Dealer-based maintenance can be attractive for fleets because there's already a relationship between dealers and OEMs. For fleets that don't want to be locked into a contract, that history can be comforting when coupled with the OEM's brand equity that the dealer can provide. "Dealers get all the factory ties," Dixon says. "Whenever some- body buys a truck, there's always the hidden aspect of support." e hidden value of support oen reveals itself in instances when a dealer has to go to bat for a customer over an issue with an OEM. "If somebody uses a dealer for service operations, if there is an issue that might go outside of warranty – maybe it's in what I call the gray area, where it's not the unit's fault, it's not the customer's fault and it's not the dealer's fault – a dealer can get the involve- ment of the OEM rep," Dixon says. "A good dealer will call on the OEM and say 'we have to find a way to help this customer.' " Dealer technicians also have an advantage because they have more access to current training on their individual makes. "[Dealers] have the highest-trained technicians, and we spend the most money on training," Maudlin says. "All OEMs make you buy the latest and greatest tools and go through the most current training, and it's ongoing. at's part of what you sign up for when you get your franchise." Another benefit of dealer-based service, Dixon says, is the warranty that accompanies repairs beyond the part itself. "Since a dealer installed it, you get warranty on the labor," he says. "If a part fails, a dealer would replace it at no cost, but at some independent shops, the warranty would cover the part, but you'd have to pay again for the labor to fix it a second time." Recalls seemingly are part of owning any vehicle, and Dixon says by selecting a dealer-based maintenance service, a fleet has a partner ready to help manage that process. "When you bring a truck to a dealer, they look up any cam- paigns, even for trucks out of warranty," he says. "ose cam- paigns don't cost you any money." Selecting a service partner Darakos says fleets should evaluate a potential vendor's national parts pricing, OEM relationships, customer base and references, technician training and certifications, maintenance soware, fee structure and culture to determine if it's a process-driven envi- ronment that can be scaled to what is needed. "Partners can vary from organizations like TA or Speedco to dedicated maintenance service providers like Transervice," he says. "e service provider can either follow an existing mainte- nance program or schedule, possibly offering improvements, or leverage their relationships, industry knowledge and experience to develop the right program for the fleet. As a customer, you are paying for this expertise typically in the form of an agreed-upon service charge or a fixed fee." But simply farming out maintenance isn't likely to solve any issues if the fleet isn't equipped to organize the work and the trucks. "Fleets that are looking at outsourcing services should first see if they have tools internally to manage those," says Michael Riemer, vice president of product and channel marketing for Decisiv. "If you're a local fleet and you don't have a lot of choices, your first question should be 'Who is in my area, and what kind of services do they offer?' " Riemer says fleets should talk with vendors about the types of tools and capabilities they have to provide the information and transparency they need. "Do they have a communication method that's not just email- based?" he says. Before tackling a complex mechan- ical issue yourself, consider outsourc- ing your repairs to an expert.