UPT IME
A shift in understanding can impact your view.
Vehicle service will forever be evaluated
based on the cost associated with it, regardless
of the operator - whether it be a consumer,
municipality or commercial business. Th e
maintenance, or — eventually, and sometimes
unavoidably — the repair of that vehicle will
need to be completed one way or another.
For fl eet operations, it’s an evaluation of
cost to service the vehicle, versus the cost to
the business if a vehicle is not on the road.
When you service a vehicle at proper intervals,
you’re investing in the long-term success
of your business.
Th is view of vehicle upkeep as a necessity
versus an option makes all the diff erence.
Asset or expense?
I most recently reported on an industry — the
automotive aft ermarket — which focuses on
how best to encourage a vehicle owner to maintain
and repair his or her vehicle. Technicians
and shop owners are tasked with not only
knowing how and when to maintain or repair a
vehicle; they must also convince their customer
why it needs to be done.
When the technician talks with their
customer, he or she can run into roadblocks
trying to sell this service because consumers
sometimes view maintenance and repair as
four-letter words.
Fleets, on the other hand, have an inherently
diff erent view of vehicle service. Maintenance
and repairs are a necessary cost of operating
a profi table business. Completing the service
isn’t a question of if, but how and when.
If a vehicle isn’t on the road when it’s
supposed to be, it’s aff ecting your entire
operation.
At Fleet Maintenance, our goal is to provide
the answers to the “how,” “when” and “why”
— with information on the proper tools, equipment,
components and processes to promote
vehicle uptime. and help you run the most
effi cient operation possible.
As I make this mental shift from the automotive
aft ermarket to fl eet maintenance,
once again reporting on your industry, I look
8 Fleet Maintenance | November/December 2017
forward to focusing on these aspects of the
business alongside you.
Changing of the guards
Speaking of changes, we’ve made some
updates to the editorial team since the last
issue. While I may be a new face to some of
you, this isn’t the fi rst time my name has been
included on the masthead. I’ve been reporting
on the transportation industry in some form
for more than a decade, including four years
as managing editor for this very publication,
from 2010 to 2014.
Much of my professional experience has
been gained as a member of the editorial staff
for the Vehicle Repair Group - which consists
of Fleet Maintenance, Professional Distributor
and Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN)
magazines, along with the shared portal
website, VehicleServicePros.com. Needless
to say, I’ve been keeping an eye on this side
of the business for some time. I’ve also had
the honor of learning under David Kolman’s
tutelage, and most recently, as his counterpart
on the “tool and equipment” magazines
within our group.
But, now it’s time to fully dive back into the
maintenance world, and I appreciate every
opportunity to learn more about the diff erent
aspects of this industry again.
With that, we welcome a number of changes
within the editorial team. Our previous
managing editor, Sara Scullin, has been
promoted to editor of PTEN and Professional
Distributor magazines.
Filling Sara’s shoes, we welcome new
managing editor David Brierley. With nearly
10 years of experience in the publishing
industry, David also brings a unique perspective
with a vested interest in commercial
vehicles — because his family runs a locally
owned trucking business. And, lest we
forget the tried and true staff , assistant editors
Vesna Brajkovic and Stefanie Von Rueden will
continue to bring you the latest products and
reporting on the industry.
I plan to bring my perspective from the automotive
side of the business and, as an editorial
team, we will strive to continue delivering
useful and relevant content to our readers.
I hope we can learn from one another, and
I look forward to sharing insights about this
business with you.
A change in perspective
By Erica
Schueller
Editor-in-chief
» Maintenance and repairs are a necessary cost of operating a profitable
business. Completing the service isn’t a question of if, but how and when.
Photo from iStock
If a vehicle isn’t on the road
when it’s supposed to be, it’s
affecting your entire operation.
/VehicleServicePros.com