Certified Mechanics for Your Equipment

February 26, 2015

Author: Kody Fitzjerrells, Sales Executive

When it comes to the Safety Measurement System (SMS) and keeping your fleet up to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) standards, making sure your fleet lasts longer, runs better, and is more efficient, it may be a great idea to have certified mechanics you utilize or actually have on staff.

There are many benefits for this; the first one being time. If you have a mechanic onsite and it’s 6:00 at night they can be there working on your tractor while a mechanic down the road would already be at home for the night. Another big benefit is cost. When it comes to services outside of your company, it will always be more expensive because there needs to be margin so the mechanics’ business can make money as well. Lastly, regular certified maintenance on your vehicles can help them run longer and more efficiently. Constantly monitoring your fleet and checking for issues that could hamper the fuel economy of a tractor can pay major dividends long term.

Now let’s talk about how having certified mechanics on staff can help with SMS alerts as well as insurance costs. Within the industry of insurance today, underwriters are heavily utilizing the SMS BASIC information and it is affecting rates for motor carriers. Vehicle maintenance is one of these BASICs which can include items like tires, lights, wheels, and brakes. Many of these items can be quickly taken care of and in turn save you money on insurance premiums by having a positive effect on your rates. This shows an insurance company’s underwriter that you take care of your fleet’s maintenance, care about the safety of your equipment and in turn, your company.

Being a proactive motor carrier is truly the key. A certified mechanic on staff or one that you can trust, along with drivers performing pre- and post-trip inspections could definitely have a positive effect on your company’s bottom line.

Resources:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – Vehicle Maintenance BASIC Factsheet

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