5 Things Every Business Should Know Before They Buy or Lease Their Vehicles. Please fill out the form to download the PDF.
When it comes to your fleet of company vehicles, regular maintenance is key to smooth operations. Keeping track of maintenance expenditures can be difficult if not almost impossible to manage without a fleet maintenance software or database. Think of your own personal vehicle and off the top of your head list out all the work its ever had on it and when. Not as simple as you would think, right? Now try recalling information like this for a fleet of vehicles. Keeping track of receipts manually and staying on track is difficult without a software that can keep all this reported and organized in a meaningful way.
Leasing Associates through its Maintenance Management Department offers a complete and effective fleet maintenance system to its clients who operate medium to large fleets of passenger cars and light trucks.
The system features clear and concise fleet reports for management as well as direct notification to vehicle operators of past due maintenance procedures.
The program is designed to minimize the involvement of the client’s management personnel in daily vehicle problems while maximizing supervision and uniform maintenance procedures.
A complete maintenance history of all expenditures for each unit is stored in a real time database. Necessary information is automatically displayed, and maintenance history is reviewed each time a vehicle operator or repair facility calls. This enables our maintenance consultant to provide accurate advice to the vehicle operator and to effectively communicate with the maintenance facility. This information, together with purchase orders and vendor invoices, is also available to the client.
Leasing Associates has toll-free telephone lines that are answered by personnel in the fleet maintenance department. Drivers and repair vendors will speak directly with service consultants without delay.
Routine maintenance, oil changes, tire rotation, transmission service, etc. is pre-authorized by preventative maintenance coupons. Preventative maintenance services and their mileage intervals can be custom designed to fit each client’s unique requirements.
Coupons are honored at all our national repair vendors as well as many independent shops and new vehicle dealer service departments located throughout the country.
There is no need for a service facility to contact our office when performing those services listed on a coupon. This streamlines the procedure for the repair shop and adds flexibility to the driver’s schedule.
Maintenance items not listed on a coupon and all repairs are authorized by purchase orders issued by experienced maintenance consultants.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss driver concerns before vehicles are taken in for repair. This way we will be able discuss the problem(s) with the driver and review the repair history for possible warranty recovery. We will then be able to recommend the specific vendor or type of repair facility that should be utilized for the repair(s) needed.
In accordance with instructions in coupon books and service cards, when the vehicle reaches the repair facility, we will be contacted for repair authorization before any work is performed. Our service consultant will discuss the symptoms and required repairs and, if established national pricing does not cover the repair, negotiate pricing with the repair facility based on established automotive industry guidelines.
Current odometer information is essential to receive the full benefit of our preventative maintenance system and to produce accurate management reports. To assist our clients and drivers supply this information in an accurate and timely manner, we can utilize our Tri-branded national fuel card program to download fuel purchases and odometer information directly to each vehicle record. To encourage our clients to use this system, we offer our clients a fee reduction when our tri-branded fuel cards are utilized.
Reports furnished to the Client Include:
This report summarizes current and life-to-date expenditures in dollars and cost-per-mile for each unit. At the client’s option the reporting may be on a divisional basis. It is prepared on approximately the tenth of each month – to allow inclusion of mileages and expenses from the previous month’s activity. Data found in this report is also available in Excel format via E-mail.
Those clients electing reports on a divisional basis will also receive a summary report comprised of all division totals on a single report.
A report produced on a quarterly basis, which indicates those vehicles that based on time/mileage parameters, will need to be replaced during the next twelve-month period. It automatically adjusts for changing driving patterns.
All maintenance/repair charges are listed with rental charges for each vehicle on a single comprehensive invoice on the first of each month. The invoice format uses the same guidelines and divisional subtotaling as the Maintenance Report. It also includes such information as driver’s name, vehicle description, and date of acquisition.
Terminated units are retained in the system, at no charge, for a three-month period following the date of termination. This ensures that all activity relating to the unit has been processed. At the end of this period, this report is prepared setting forth the actual termination date, net proceeds of sale, and gain or loss on termination. The standing cost is adjusted by the amount of gain or loss to provide a final, complete recap of the vehicle’s cost.
A letter will be sent directly to an individual vehicle operator when our records indicate that a specified mileage has been exceeded since the last oil change and associated maintenance. The letter reminds the driver of the importance of preventative maintenance and requests information about the last service if our records are not up to date.
If the vehicle mileage has not been updated for over sixty days a letter requesting current information will be mailed to the driver. As most mileage and fuel information comes through Wright Express, the letter also asks for the information from the driver’s fuel card to verify our card/vehicle cross-reference information.
A self-addressed envelope is enclosed with each letter to encourage driver response.
The monthly Fleet Management report indicates which drivers were mailed letters and a recap of all letters is included with the monthly reports.
