With vehicle costs rising and budgets squeezed, many fleet operators are choosing to extend the working life of their LCVs rather than replace them on traditional cycles. While this makes financial sense in the short term, it’s not without some additional risk. 

Older fleet assets carry a higher risk of unscheduled maintenance events, costs and downtime. What’s more, service, maintenance and repair (SMR) costs for vehicles over four years old are up to 24% higher than newer vehicles, according to industry estimates. This makes diligent and proactive vehicle management a must to avoid increased SMR costs quickly eroding the savings gained from delaying fleet replacements.

Managing downtime risk through real-time vehicle monitoring

Operating ageing LCV fleets places far greater emphasis on closely monitoring vehicle health and being proactive with maintenance to maintain operational efficiency.

Connectedcare remote vehicle health monitoring, powered by Trakm8’s Insight fleet management platform, is an invaluable solution here. Connectedcare enables fleet managers to monitor the condition of their vehicles in real-time, identify issues early and schedule maintenance before those issues become costly downtime events.

Connectedcare provides real-time insights into battery health, fuel levels, odometer readings and diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) read directly from the CAN bus – delivering automated alerts the moment an issue is detected so that fleet operators can take action.

Extending vehicle life with driver behaviour coaching

Monitoring real-time driver behaviour data enables instances of excessive idling, harsh acceleration/braking, speeding and severe cornering to be identified, together with the drivers most prone to those behaviours.  

Highlighting these behaviours to the drivers responsible and providing appropriate coaching support to improve can dramatically reduce wear and tear on the vehicles – helping to reduce maintenance costs and extend their life.

Ensuring compliance with digital Vehicle Checks

By maintaining accurate digital records of servicing and walkaround inspections, operators can ensure that vehicles remain roadworthy and safe, even as they age beyond typical replacement cycles.

Trakm8 Insight’s Vehicle Checks solution enables drivers to quickly and easily complete daily vehicle checks digitally via their mobile device, with the information immediately available to fleet managers in platform reports.

Conclusion

With a data-driven approach, Trakm8 telematics transforms older fleets from
a potential performance risk into a well-monitored, efficiently maintained asset base. For fleet operators navigating tighter budgets and longer vehicle retention periods, investing in a strong telematics solution, such as Trakm8 Insight, is essential.