Roadside breakdowns can be a major hindrance for fleets of any size. Repairing a vehicle on the side of the road is more expensive than regularly scheduled maintenance. A study done by FleetNet America reported the average cost per roadside repair rose from $311 in the fourth quarter of 2017 to $334 in the fourth quarter of 2018. In addition to costly repairs, roadside breakdowns put your drivers’ safety at risk.
In this blog, we discuss the main issues that cause roadside breakdowns and what can be done to keep your fleet moving.
What Problems Can Occur On a Route?
Your fleet can face many unpredictable delays on the road. The best way to keep your drivers safe when a vehicle breakdown occurs is to familiarize yourself with the most common problems that cause your fleet’s vehicles to breakdown.
Mechanical breakdowns result in small mechanical issues going unchecked for a long period of time. When these small issues become big issues, it’ll be too late to fix them when your driver is stuck on the side of the road. Taking the time to perform a standard, 30-minute inspection before and after a job will help you stay ahead of potential vehicle issues. In addition, using fleet management software will help monitor vehicle usage so you can make better-informed decisions about vehicle maintenance.
Fuel issues happen due to a leak in the tank, theft, or a mechanical issue being overlooked during an inspection. Since keeping an extra fuel tank in a commercial vehicle is not safe, fleet managers must take certain precautions and find the right technology for solutions.
Smart fuel monitoring technology that can monitor fuel usage in real-time can help mitigate low fuel levels. Also, while this issue isn’t entirely unavoidable, the right fleet safety technology can keep fleet managers in the loop when a breakdown occurs on route so they can make the necessary actions to make a delivery on time.
Tire failures make up a large number of roadside breakdowns in the U.S. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, an average of 33,000 accidents have occurred due to poor tire maintenance. These accidents threaten the safety of both your fleet drivers and other drivers who share the road. Tire blowouts and flat tires can increase maintenance costs, making it difficult for fleet managers to budget effectively.
Having full visibility of your vehicles can help you stay ahead of tire failures on the road. Fleet safety technology that offers a 360-degree view of the outside of your vehicles can give the context you need before a blowout occurs.
How Dual-facing Dash Cams Can Help Drivers with Roadside Assitance
Stay Ahead of Vehicle Maintenance with AI Learning
AI-powered dash cams use a combination of edge computing and machine learning to analyze data over time. This gives fleet managers context to improve safe driving behaviors and stay ahead of vehicle usage that causes wear and tear. How does harsh weather negatively impact your vehicles? Are you burning through fuel faster due to taking longer routes? Dash cams that learn as you drive form better data-driven predictions that help fleet managers address these questions. In addition to helping fleet managers come up with long-term solutions to manage roadside assistance.
Identify and Correct Aggressive Driving Behaviors
Inward dash cams can detect drowsiness, hard braking, and speeding. These risky driving behaviors can cause small problems that turn into larger problems for a vehicle. Through in-cab audio alerts, drivers can be reminded to correct their behavior in real time. With the right fleet safety solution, drivers can be recognized for positive driving and correcting compliance violations. This will help break bad driving habits and lower vehicle issues in the long run. Also, practicing driving defensively can prolong your vehicle’s life and increase your driver’s safety.
Clear Visibility Outside and Inside the Vehicle
Visibility can keep your driver safe when one of your vehicles is stopped at the side of the road. Having a 360-degree view of the vehicle can keep the driver safe by acting as a live security camera when they are on the side of the road. Fleet managers are also able to access dash cam videos quickly to check on a vehicle when it’s not in use. Inward-facing dash cams can actually exonerate your drivers in the event of a roadside breakdown showing that they were operating the vehicle safely.
Quick Access to Recorded Video
Safety and fleet managers can quickly access and review the breakdown event with fleet management software. By having a clear picture of the event, managers can better pinpoint what went wrong, how it was handled, and what can be done in the future to prevent the occurrence. The dash cam video also captures and sends alerts to the fleet manager so they are constantly in the loop. This gives fleet managers the ability to react quickly to breakdowns and take the appropriate actions.
Final Thoughts
Not all breakdowns can be avoided, accidents happen and some mechanical issues can be overlooked. However, taking precautions and making the best out of fleet safety technology mitigates the frequency of breakdowns. Take the time to learn more about fleet management solutions that will help your fleet improve safe driving behaviors and overall operations.
