ing the contract, we’ve got the customer operational,”
Mangione says. “Th e two key things are
to get unit numbers on the trucks so they can be
identifi ed in the system, and to get the trucks and
specifi cations in our system.”
Follow-up is crucial to the continued success of
any maintenance program, including contracted
services.
Communication with the fl eet manager, or
other management overseeing the maintenance
department for the business, is critical.
Many contract service providers provide this
continued monitoring in the form of regular
reports to confi rm the success of the program,
16 Fleet Maintenance | May 2018
and verify where changes can be made for
continued improvement.
Benefits to outsourcing
Contract maintenance providers have the added
benefi t of working on a larger scale. Th is aff ords
them the ability to receive discounts on parts
and equipment pricing, oft entimes passing that
discount on to customers. Contracted service
providers can review and assess more equipment
on a regular basis, and provide that feedback to
customers. Plus, standardized practices when it
comes to PM schedules and staff training across
the company also ensures operational consistency
for all facilities.
“In many ways, NationaLease operates as a
group purchasing organization,” Gallick says.
“We are buying parts and supplies at signifi cant
discounts. So even when we mark that part up –
let’s say a fi lter or tire, to a customer – they’re still
getting it at a price that’s usually better than they
can negotiate themselves.”
Working with multiple companies also gives
contract maintenance providers the advantage of
developing and maintaining relationships with
not only a number of diff erent fl eets, but also a
variety of vendors and manufacturers. Th ese relationships
aid in providing real-world knowledge
that can be applied to a wide variety of customers’
maintenance operations.
Because of this, contracted maintenance providers
can keep up on new vehicle technologies and
new tools and equipment.
In addition, the contract maintenance provider
can off er additional and continual training opportunities
for technicians and drivers, due to the
company’s familiarity with diff erent aspects of
the business.
Contracted maintenance providers may be
qualifi ed to complete warranty work as well.
“If you have a service provider that can fi le
warranty claims directly to the OEM, that tells
me the OEM has come to their facility, inspected
their tooling and practices and they approved it,”
» Having a well-established PM schedule for all vehicles in the fleet is critical. Contract maintenance
providers such as Penske can help optimize these schedules on behalf of the fleet.
Photo courtesy of E.Schueller
» Outsourcing maintenance to a third party
contracted service provider can provide
cost and process transparency to a fleet.
Photo courtesy of PacLease