Fleet Maintenance

Whether you’re a large school district or a small church, managing a fleet is no small task. This is especially true as vehicle costs soar, budgets continue to tighten, and spare part costs remain high. A strong fleet maintenance program is essential for controlling costs, maximizing uptime, and keeping your team safe.

But even the best teams can struggle to maintain consistency, especially when driver-mechanic communication breaks down or teams don’t leverage an effective solution. 

We’ll break down some of the basics of fleet maintenance to help organizations understand best practices to keep their drivers on the road and their assets running smoothly. 

What is fleet maintenance?

Fleet maintenance is the process of inspecting, servicing, and repairing vehicles and equipment used in operations. The goal is to keep these assets in safe working condition, avoid unplanned downtime, and manage their lifespan.

Fleet maintenance applies to a wide range of industries, including K–12 schools, municipalities, manufacturing, construction, and churches. Assets like school buses, trucks, vans, and trailers are critical to daily operations. 

Well-executed maintenance helps reduce repair costs, improve fuel efficiency, increase safety, and maintain compliance with government regulations.

Why is fleet maintenance important?

When vehicles go down, your operations do too. It’s most often facilities teams’ responsibility to manage an organization’s fleet. Without a comprehensive facilities maintenance plan, your organization could face higher repair bills, unsafe driving conditions, and reduced productivity.

According to the publication Automotive Fleet, vehicle maintenance costs have increased by double-digit percentage points across the board due to replacement sourcing difficulties, automotive complexities, and shortages. 

Proper fleet maintenance reduces unplanned downtime and extends asset life. It helps prevent accidents and safety risks caused by mechanical failures, ensuring vehicles remain safe and operational.

Fleet maintenance often gets treated like an afterthought until a bus breaks down or a service vehicle won’t start. That’s when people realize how critical it really is.

Darin Porter, FMX Fleet Expert 

An adequate program also increases cost visibility and vehicle performance, making tracking trends and allocating resources easier. 

Organizations that stay on top of maintenance also comply with local, state, and federal safety standards, avoiding fines and delays. 

Benefits of fleet maintenance

Improved reliability

Regular maintenance reduces the risk of unexpected breakdowns and keeps vehicles on the road. This helps departments meet service expectations and avoid delays.

Longer asset lifespan

Servicing vehicles on schedule helps extend the life of assets and their components. Departments can get more years of use out of each asset before replacement is necessary.

Lower costs

Preventive maintenance is typically less expensive than reactive repair resulting from skipped tasks. It also helps avoid emergency service fees and costly roadside assistance.

Better budgeting

Tracking maintenance and repair data makes it easier to forecast future costs. This leads to more accurate capital planning and fewer budget surprises.

Increased safety

Well-maintained vehicles are safer for drivers and meet regulatory requirements. Regular inspections help catch issues before they become hazards.

More efficient operations

Fewer breakdowns mean less downtime and disruption to day-to-day activities. Teams can stay focused on their work instead of managing vehicle failures.

Types of fleet maintenance 

There are two main types of fleet maintenance: preventive and reactive. Most organizations use a mix of both, depending on their resources, asset lifecycles, and internal priorities. 

Preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance (PM) involves regularly scheduled inspections, fluid changes, part replacements, and other services designed to keep assets in optimal working condition. By addressing potential issues before they become major problems, PM helps reduce downtime and extend the life of your vehicles. This is the most effective tool fleet managers use to ensure their assets avoid unexpected problems. 

Preventive maintenance includes:

• Regular oil changes
• Tire rotations 
• Battery tests 
• Fluid top-offs
• Brake inspections
• Emissions checks

These tasks are typically scheduled based on mileage, engine hours, or calendar intervals. Modern fleet management systems can help leaders ensure their teams do not miss these check-ins and tasks. 

Reactive maintenance

Teams perform reactive maintenance after a vehicle breaks down or a component fails unexpectedly. While it may be unavoidable in some cases, relying too heavily on reactive maintenance can be risky and expensive. A breakdown could sideline a critical asset and force your team into costly emergency repairs or replacements.

According to the publication Fleet Maintenance, the average vehicle costs organizations between $450 and $750 each day it’s out of service. 

Common fleet maintenance tasks

To avoid reactive maintenance stemming from breakdowns and subsequent repairs, fleet managers create task lists to keep their vehicles in working order. Fleet maintenance tasks can vary depending on the type of vehicles in your fleet, how they’re used, and how old they are. Some of the most common tasks include:

• Performing oil and filter changes at regular mileage intervals
• Replacing worn brake pads and checking for rotor damage
• Rotating and replacing tires and checking alignment
• Testing and maintaining batteries and electrical systems
• Flushing and refilling coolant systems as needed
• Inspecting belts, hoses, and suspension components
• Addressing check-engine lights and fault codes
  

What to include in your fleet maintenance plan

A solid fleet maintenance plan should outline how your organization will manage vehicle upkeep across the entire asset lifecycle—from acquisition to retirement. It’s the most essential part of fleet maintenance. 

“One of the biggest mistakes I see is teams not sticking to a maintenance schedule, especially after the newness of a vehicle wears off.”

Darin Porter, FMX Fleet Management Expert 

That plan should start with a complete inventory of all vehicles and major components. This ensures that nothing falls through the cracks and that every asset is accounted for.

It should also include standard maintenance schedules based on manufacturer recommendations. Following these guidelines helps prevent early wear and tear and keeps vehicles in peak condition.

A reliable system for logging completed maintenance and tracking upcoming work is essential. This keeps the team organized and ensures employees don’t miss tasks. The plan should outline clear guidelines for inspections, driver reports, and escalation procedures to catch and address issues quickly.

There should also be a defined approval and budgeting process for extensive repairs to avoid delays and unexpected expenses. Finally, the plan needs a method for capturing costs and reporting on fleet trends. This will give leadership the insight needed to make informed decisions.

Key fleet maintenance analytics to track

Data is an integral part of the decision-making process. It helps leaders track a department’s progress, measure its success, and set meaningful goals. In fleet maintenance, there are a few key metrics that every transportation department should focus on to do its best work:

Total cost of ownership (TCO) 

Track all costs associated with each vehicle including purchase price, maintenance and repair expenses, fuel costs, downtime losses, and depreciation, to understand actual asset value over time.

Preventive maintenance compliance 

Measure how consistently teams complete scheduled maintenance tasks (oil changes, inspections, brake checks) to reduce unexpected breakdowns and prolong vehicle life.

Vehicle downtime and availability

Monitor how long each vehicle is out of service due to repairs or maintenance, and track fleet availability rates to minimize operational disruptions.

Repair frequency and types

Analyze how often repairs occur and what components or systems fail most frequently to identify patterns and address systemic issues.

Fuel efficiency and consumption

Track miles per gallon (MPG) or fuel usage per vehicle to detect inefficiencies, flag underperforming vehicles, and evaluate the impact of maintenance on fuel economy.

Parts and inventory usage

Monitor parts consumption rates, inventory turnover, and stockouts to optimize ordering, reduce delays, and manage costs effectively.

Labor hours and costs

Track technician labor hours spent on repairs and maintenance by vehicle or task to manage workforce efficiency and labor expenses.

Work order completion times

Measure the average time it takes to complete maintenance and repair work orders, aiming to improve turnaround and reduce fleet downtime.

Compliance and inspection records

Maintain detailed, audit-ready records of inspections, safety checks, and regulatory compliance to mitigate liability and ensure legal adherence.

Asset lifecycle and replacement forecasting

Use historical data on maintenance costs and performance to predict when a vehicle should be retired or replaced for optimal ROI.

How fleet maintenance software brings visibility

Modern fleet maintenance software gives your team visibility into the condition, performance, and costs associated with every asset in your fleet. Whether you’re managing five vehicles or 50, the right system can help you cut costs, reduce downtime, and streamline communication between maintenance staff and operations leaders.

With fleet maintenance software, you can:

• Automatically schedule preventive maintenance based on mileage, hours, or time intervals
• Track service history and view real-time data on every asset
• Log issues and assign work orders with priority levels and due dates
• Monitor repair costs and generate reports for budgeting and planning
• Store inspection records and maintenance logs for compliance purposes
• Track fuel consumption and vehicle costs

These capabilities help your team stay proactive by giving them a clearer picture of what’s happening across your fleet.

A data-driven approach to fleet maintenance helps your team avoid surprises, reduce costs, and make smarter decisions. Whether you’re managing school buses, municipal service vehicles, or delivery vans, a centralized system helps you track what matters and stay ahead of potential issues.