What Is Fleet Maintenance?
Fleet maintenance is the continual process of ensuring all vehicles in an organisation are in optimal driving condition; ensuring maximum safety and efficiency.
The process of fleet maintenance includes fleet managers, drivers and repair technicians working together to create, develop and execute maintenance programs. These teams work to optimise engine oils and filters, transmission fluid, fuel system, tyres, glass, breaks, exhaust, cooling system, lights and many more aspects of a vehicle. Fleet managers oversee the entire operation, drivers diagnose their vehicles on a daily basis, and repair technicians carry out the maintenance work required.
Advantages of Fleet Maintenance
- Reduced operational costs – less fuel is used by ensuring high fuel efficiency in cars
- Reduced cost of repairs – by continually maintaining your vehicle performance, you will avoid the more expensive, larger repairs which would happen in the future otherwise
- Better outcomes in-vehicle testing – effective fleet maintenance ensures maximum performance of vehicles
- Environmentally friendly – reduced CO2 emissions as a result of reduced fuel waste
- Extended lifespan of vehicles through detecting problems in their early stages, before they become serious
- Reduced downtime in driving services
- Improved safety of drivers
Who Can Utilise Fleet Maintenance?
Any organisation that frequently utilises company-owned vehicles as a part of its business can benefit from a fleet maintenance program. These are organisations whose profitability depend on the health of their vehicles; for example, a broken-down car would lead to missed deadlines, unhappy customers and missed opportunities.
Truck Repairs
According to research from Trend Tracker, the market value for car body repairs in the UK is estimated to rise to £5.4 billion by 2023; a 14% increase from its value in 2018. This rise in market value is represented by technological advancements in automotive engineering and more extensive fleet maintenance programs. A recent study determined that 60% of new trucks on the road are covered by a repair and maintenance (R&M) contract.
As a result of this growth in the truck repairs industry, trucking companies and Fleet Managers are looking for more innovative, sustainable and efficient ways of handling maintenance tasks. One major way to improve fleet maintenance & truck repair capabilities is through the use of high-performance adhesives to improve the reliability and longevity of the repairs being carried out.
Adhesives for Fleet Maintenance & Truck Repairs
Adhesives have been shown to offer many advantages over traditional, mechanical fasteners.
Here we explore a range of adhesives ideal for fleet maintenance & truck repairs:
BETASEAL 1590CT
BETASEAL 1590CT is a moisture curing, glass bonding adhesive which is perfect for the replacement and repairs of windscreens. It can also be used for sealing doors, hatches and covers.
BETAMATE 2090
BETAMATE 2090 is a crash-resistant structural adhesive that offers excellent adhesion to automotive steels. It offers quick curing and is ideal for metal reworking and crash repairs in cars. It can also be used for door skins and headlight fairings.
BETAFILL 216, 217, 218
BETAFILL 216, 217 and 218 are joint sealants that offer excellent gap filling between panels. They can be used for internal floor replacements in trucks, such as that of refrigerated trucks. They are not UV-stable and therefore should be limited to internal vehicle applications.
Merbenit HM21
Merbenit HM21 is an elastic adhesive that offers excellent sealing properties. It is suitable for exterior panel bonding of trucks, as it is UV-stable.
Merbenit SF50
Merbenit SF50 is a permanently flexible adhesive that offers fast cross-linking at low temperatures. It can also be used for exterior panel bonding of trucks, as it is UV-stable.
Overall, industrial adhesives give fleet maintenance teams the opportunity to optimise repair and management processes; in turn lowering costs and boosting efficiencies which were previously problematic. As Fleet Managers and maintenance teams look for ways to keep fleets running smoothly whilst cutting costs where possible, adhesives hold huge potential.
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