14 Feb Preventative Maintenance
It must be stated that good well maintained equipment and low cost are not mutually exclusive. Low cost maintenance can be achieved with a solid preventative maintenance program.
For a fleet maintenance program to capture the maximum return on investment of the asset it is necessary to perform maintenance in a methodical manner, on a timely basis. The maintenance must be documented in a manner where trends can be identified to capture manufacture’s and vender deficiencies as well as gaps within the maintenance process. Additionally, tires, fuel, labor, and vendor repairs are the high costs categories which provide the greatest opportunities for savings.
There are several different types’ maintenance processes however the preventative maintenance process is the most widely accepted, easiest to implement, and renders the best return on investment. The initial recommendation is to develop a preventative maintenance program that includes a step-by-step inspection process. Each mechanic whether internal or a vendor should be certified in the inspection process and held accountable to the methods.
For the PMI process to be effective and capture the maximum life of both the asset as well as the part, a PMI must be completed, the breakdown and safety items must be repaired and the maintenance items needed to be repaired or replaced in the future must be documented