Downtime is a significant cost to business and a result of unscheduled fleet maintenance. Many Fleet Managers accept breakdowns as a normal cost of business and most don’t even measure the impact. The cost of one unproductive driver is significant enough to erode profit margins; a non-productive work crew is a disaster for the P&L.
Lost productivity should be measured in hours not days and the most common problem according to research from Bupa Car Insurance can be easily avoided with a good scheduled maintenance program for your fleet.
Flat car batteries are the biggest cause of broken-down cars nationally with new data also revealing the most common vehicles needing to be rescued from the side of the road.
Bupa Car Insurance data shows the top three road assistance callouts related to dead batteries, flat tyres, and engine failure. Running out of petrol is also a common callout.
Bupa General Insurance General Manager Shannon Orbons said during the summer months, roadside assistance callouts increased.
“Car breakdowns can happen to anyone at any time, and many are often preventable, so it’s important to ensure your car is road fit before you drive off,” Mr Orbons said.
“We want our customers to be safe on the road and I encourage them to check the simple things like ensuring they have enough petrol in the tank, that their tyres are not bald and have enough air pressure and that the car has enough oil and water.
“While roadside assistance can help you in times of need, it can be overwhelming having a breakdown on a busy road, while dropping the kids off to school or feeling like you are the cause of an unintended traffic jam.”
Mr Orbons said roadside assistance helped people get moving again and take some of the stress out from a having a broken-down car.
“Cost of living pressures may be having an impact on car maintenance and servicing which is leading to some breakdowns, but with car insurance many drivers are having that peace of mind they’re covered if something goes wrong including having roadside assistance,” he said.
The top four causes of a breakdown are:
- Flat battery
- Flat tyre
- Engine failure
- Run out of petrol
IPWEA provides Fleet Managers with tips and resources on how to measure downtime for best practice fleet management in the Plant and Vehicle Management Manual (PVMM). There is also a fleet management KPI for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.
