Penny Stoolman, managing director at Prestige Fleet Servicing, shares her top tips to manage an ageing vehicle fleet, helping businesses to minimise downtime and cut running costs.

Penny Stoolman, managing director of Prestige Fleet Servicing

A fleet manager’s key priority is to keep vehicles safely on the road, while reducing unnecessary downtime and streamlining costs. However, operating a fleet of ageing vehicles can make this remit more challenging.

Indeed, ageing fleets require more servicing and, on average, consume more fuel. They may also fail to comply with new legislation, such as clean air zones (CAZs) and also have a greater risk of breakdowns.

However, older fleets have become more commonplace over the past 18 months. Some fleet operators have increased vehicle lifespans in response to the challenges of sourcing new vehicles during the pandemic, while others are focusing on the 2030 ban on all new petrol and diesel vehicles and calculating the best time to transition to electrification.

Whatever your reasoning, an ageing fleet can prove challenging unless correctly managed. However, by taking a focused approach to preventative maintenance in the short-term, you can effectively minimise risks, while enjoying the financial benefits of keeping older vehicles operational for longer.

1. Building a picture

Do you know the maintenance schedule of every vehicle in your fleet? To build a clearer picture, you’ll need to review the history and documents of parts replaced. Each model should have an inspection and service record and details of current mileage and fluid levels.

Decide on a trigger point to schedule maintenance activity, i.e. every 5,000 miles, and create software service reminders for each vehicle. Follow your OEM’s recommended maintenance plan, if available.

 2. Planning ahead

There are a number of forward-thinking procedures you can put in place to ease the management process throughout the year, including pre-planning servicing and MOTs. Taking advantage, for example, of forward booking options can minimise vehicle downtime. At Prestige, we offer a 90-day forward booking facility, working with operators to optimise their vehicle testing schedules.

Your fleet’s needs will also change in the colder months. Vehicle batteries rarely last longer than five years, while heating, lights and windscreen wipers add to a vehicle’s electrical load in winter. We also recommend 3mm of tyre tread in the colder months. Doing a pre-winter vehicle check to replace worn items will ease unnecessary costs.

3. Driver training

Did you know that driving style can impact fuel usage? Fleet driver training can reduce fleet management costs by increasing fuel efficiency, in addition to boosting driver safety. Teaching employees best practice driving habits, such as accelerating and braking more gently, not only improves safety figures, but can also prevent wear and tear, while saving on fuel.

4. Is your fleet grey?

Ageing fleet issues apply to grey fleets too. While many businesses don’t focus heavily on grey fleet management, it’s important to remember that if a vehicle is being used for business travel, employers are responsible for ensuring that it is adequately maintained and safe. Poorly maintained vehicles can cause costly business downtime issues and, more critically, leave employers widely exposed under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007.

Failure to properly manage service intervals, collisional damage and uninsured losses in the event of an incident can result in unplanned downtime and expense. The impact of absenteeism also counts as business downtime, and reputational damage should also be considered.

If you’re not already doing this, it makes sense to start putting some procedures in place. Businesses should request evidence of recent taxation, proof of insurance, including business cover, servicing and an up-to-date MOT. Scheduling insurance, MOT and road tax reminders will help you remember key milestone dates.

5. Retrofit for compliance

The costs of driving through areas with Clean Air Zones (CAZ) in place, or pending, can be substantial for businesses with older vehicles. But did you know that your vehicles could be eligible for a retrofitting grant? For example, businesses in the Portsmouth area that need to drive through the city’s CAZ are being offered grants by Portsmouth City Council to retrofit or upgrade vehicles. Meanwhile, the Energy Saving Trust’s Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme certifies retrofit technologies that meet government standards to help keep vehicles in use for longer to allow fleets to cut replacement costs.