How telematics helps proactively capture vehicle defects and maintenance issues for a more productive fleet

Running a safe, productive, well-managed and maintained fleet requires everyone within your business to play a role and take action when issues arise.

To achieve that, you need the right tools and processes in place to ensure all areas of your fleet are managed and operating as they should be.

EROAD’s fleet management platform has your maintenance covered

One of the many ways EROAD can provide huge value to your business is by ensuring you maintain a healthy fleet at the same time as reducing the risk of unexpected repair costs.

With fleet-based businesses, maintenance costs can hit hard, especially when they are unexpected. Vehicle defects can also cause costly delays or vehicle down-time.

Without a proactive approach to fleet maintenance, you risk compromising your driver’s safety, breaching compliance and being up for costly emergency repairs and unplanned time without vehicles. 

EROAD’s smart telematics platform helps maintain a healthy, productive fleet by automating your service scheduling and defect identification processes to pre-empt problems so they can be rectified quickly. At the same time, it helps regularly maintain your vehicles to reduce the risk of safety issues or unexpected repair costs. 

It also takes the wealth of data your fleet generates every day and turns it into easy-to-understand reports and dashboards that provide actionable insights for your business to run a safer, more efficient and productive fleet.

EROAD’s Inspect helps drivers capture defects on the spot

EROAD’s Inspect  provides you with the ability to capture defects on the spot and action their repair to ensure they don’t become expensive issues down the road. This means your drivers can carry out pre and post-trip vehicle inspections - using either EROAD’s App on a mobile device or the in-vehicle Ehubo2 device - to record any defects that need to be fixed or maintenance to be completed.

Any items that drivers report as failed or need attention then feed straight into the defect portal to manage and monitor repairs. The Inspect portal is a fully auditable tool to help identify when faults were reported, when they are booked in for repair and when the repair was completed.

EROAD’s Inspect also enables you to create customisable inspection templates that match the requirements of your vehicles and assets. Any items that are reported by drivers as failed, or that need attention, then feed straight into EROAD’s defect board - enabling you to view, prioritise and action reported defects at any time.

You can generate reports that provide a full audit trail of defects which capture the original inspection record, along with its resolution and who actioned each item.

Not only does it make the process easier for your drivers to complete, and therefore more likely to be done properly, it can also serve as proof of your compliance with your health and safety obligations. It also helps deliver cost efficiencies, improves assurance levels, minimises liabilities and reduced vehicle downtown.

EROAD’s Service ensures regular maintenance scheduling

EROAD’s Service module also allows you to schedule servicing based on time lapsed, distance travelled or engine hours to ensure you’re compliant with your company, regulatory and insurance requirements.

It also means you can accurately keep a complete service history archive.

EROAD provides wheel safety alerts as an added safeguard

Wheel loss on a vehicle is a huge risk to your drivers, the public and your business – and failure to re-tighten wheel nuts after a short period of in-service running is a key risk factor. 

EROAD takes the guesswork out of when you need to re-torque wheels after a tyre change.  EROAD’s re-torque alerts uses distance travelled from our highly accurate in-cab unit the Ehubo2 to ensure your drivers know exactly when the wheel nuts should be re-checked for correct torque. 

An automated message will go straight to the driver in their cab – appearing on the Ehubo2 screen. This will let them know that a re-torque is needed and prompt them to complete the task as soon as possible. 

Fleet managers and despatchers are also notified to ensure nothing is missed.

EROAD creates wider benefits for your fleet

Using telematics to stay on top of your preventive maintenance schedules can also increase your fleet’s fuel efficiency, increase uptime and productivity, maintain your vehicle safety and ensures compliance with vehicle inspections. 

It also helps you stay on top of regulatory requirements and provide solid proof that your fleet is safely maintained and compliant in line with key safety legislation.

Better maintenance can also assist in reducing idle times as well as improve fuel efficiency. This helps you save time and manage costs – including reduced overtime caused by unexpected breakdowns and repairs – while operating your entire fleet more efficiently.

Like this blog? Check out all our Fleet Management resources »