3 Benefits to Using Fleet Maintenance Software

3 Benefits to Using Fleet Maintenance Software

Cost Effective- Fleet maintenance software allows your business to minimize unexpected repairs and can extend the life of your assets.

Flexibility- A variety of people working in different industries can benefit from the features offered by most of this type of software (mechanics, office personnel, business owners, etc.)

Quick Benefits- This type of software allows you reduce the amount of paper being used and reduces the effort associated with preparing physical documents. If you or your business is interested in a helpful, easy to use fleet maintenance software http://tatems.com/ specializes in this type of software for small and medium sized businesses.

Fleet Maintenance Software Improvements video for TATEMS 4.5.09

I'm a bit behind on getting these new features videos created.

The video below shows you what improvements we made to TATEMS Fleet Maintenance Software version 4.5.09

In the video I go over:

1.Changed the Update Odometer and Hours screen for a single peice of equipment

2. Changed “Force Update” button to read “Refresh on the Equipment Summary Tab”

3. Added new Work Orders report  called “Completed Work Orders by Equip Number w/ Complete By Date Criteria under reports->more reports->Report Type Work Orders

4. Added new ability to do bulk odometer and hours entries and import odometer and hours from an Excel spreadsheet under forms->Bulk Odometer And Hours Entry (See Preview Video)

5. Added Location and Dept/Area to All Equipment Based Reminders screens and Reminders Reports

6.Added Equip Description to Permits/Inspections Reminders Report

See a list of all our latest updates here:

http://tatems.com/updates/updatelist.cfm

We are actually up to version 4.5.12 so more videos with more improvements for the newer versions coming soon…

Thanks for watching!

3 Ways to Improve Truck Cornering

1. Slow Down: Approaching corners at increased speeds can amplify the level of difficultly in controlling your truck’s turn radius. Slowing down allows drivers to firmly grip the wheel, and steady control over the entire vehicle before an upcoming turn.
2. Power Through: When pulling a heavy trailer, keep a steady pull-power through any turn. Relinquishing that control to a truck’s trailing counterpart can cause loss of control over the whole vehicle. Keeping a foot on the gas from start to finish can help drivers avoid control lose.
3. Increase Anti-Roll Bar Size: Adding this larger bar in a truck steadies the truck’s center of gravity, and decreases potential body rolling on a closer-cut turn.

 

Looking for other trucking tips and tricks? Tatems has trucking management software to aid every need.

 

Video Preview of TATEMS Bulk Odometer and Hours Entries and Import

Check out the video below for a preview of the new Bulk Odometer and Hours Entry and Import features coming soon to TATEMS Fleet Maintenance Software

This new feature will be the next version update 4.5.09 of TATEMS Fleet Management Software out in a few days.

Please Like, Share or comment below.

All The Best!

Marc

Video of Top 9 Updates to TATEMS Version 4.5.04 released Nov 16 2013

Hi,

I just wanted to give you a quick video rundown of the top 9 updates out of about 24 updates released starting with version 4.5.00 through 4.5.04

Click here to watch a non-YouTube version of video

Here is the list that I go over in the video:

1)      Added Repair Codes Fields to Work Orders Labor and Parts Screens so that you can better categorize costs when multiple repair categories done in a single Work Order

2)      Added list of 15 Repair Codes and descriptions to Repair Codes List

3)      Added new report All Equipment Reports-Repair Codes Cost / Mile/km / Hour Report

4)      Added new report under Work Orders in More Reports called All Work Orders Repair Code Totals by Repair Code

5)      Added new report under Work Orders in More Report called: Work Orders Total Costs by Repair Code

6)      Added Dropdown List Maintenance choice for Repair Codes

7)      Added Work Orders List under forms menu to allow you to see all work orders in one sortable list that show you All or Completed or Non-Default Tax Rate work orders and be able to click to view/edit and work order in the list

8)      Added new Work Orders report under More Reports called: All Work Orders with non-default sales tax charged

9)      Added Edit button to Parts inventory screen to help prevent accidental overwriting of current parts in inventory and changed add button to prevent accidental scrolling to previous record

You can see all the updates here:

http://tatems.com/updates/updatelist.cfm

and I have added a new training video to the updates page where you can download the current update

http://tatems.com/updates.cfm

Thank you for your interest and please leave any comments below.

Marc Ready

Finding Solutions to Fleet Maintenance Cost Increases

Fleet Maintenance Cost Increases

There are going to be costs associated with any business. A survey done by GE Capital Fleet Services recently, shows that maintenance costs for fleets in the United States have increased by 7 percent for 2012. This has many fleet managers wondering just how much of an increase these costs will incur for 2013.

“In terms of monetary value, GE Capital Fleet Services found that monthly average maintenance costs for these vehicles amounted to $52.66 per vehicle, against $49.20 in 2011. Two of the most frequent elements within maintenance costs – oil and tires – both increased. GE Capital Fleet Services expects a further slight increase this year”.

Do Younger Fleets Help?

Studies have shown that while the cost for monthly preventative maintenance increased in 2012, younger fleet age did help to offset some of the increased labor and parts cost. The average car maintenance cost raised about $3.46 from $49.20 to $52.66 for each vehicle each month. Factors that influenced these costs include increased preventative maintenance expenses. Costs for oil changes increased although the frequency in which oil was changed decreased which helped to lessen the total impact.

Tires Play a Big Part

Tire expenses also increased, by eight percent and the cost of replacing tires increased by 15 percent. These increases are attributed to higher costs for manufacturing tires as well as larger rims which naturally mean more expensive tires. Overall, the quality of fleet vehicles has risen as well and continues to improve which has resulted in parts that last longer which ultimately means less frequent maintenance in the long run.

“‘While we expect passenger car maintenance expenses to rise slightly in 2013, improvements in vehicle quality will present opportunities for fleet maintenance savings in years ahead,' said Eric Strom, maintenance and safety product manager for GE Capital Fleet Services. ‘As cost savings remain the largest area of focus for both fleet and executive management, we're committed to working with customers to identify and reduce costs across their vehicle fleets.'”

Fleet Maintenance Software Can Help

Fleet management can expect maintenance expenses to continue on the upswing, particularly for fleets that are not yet accepting vehicle replacement cycles. The number of miles driven will increase the chance of component failures that could cost thousands of dollars to repair. The individual costs for replacing things like tires, changing oil and other repairs will also likely increase over the next year. Many industry experts believe that the best way to keep these costs to a minimum is to implement a fleet management system. Software programs that aid with fleet management can be very beneficial in helping to keep costs down.

Another way to offset cost increases is to cycle older vehicles. Aging of fleet vehicles is a large factor in the increased cost of maintenance and vehicles with higher mileage risk even higher costs than average.

“Cycling older vehicles is a great way to mitigate increases in maintenance spends, but careful consideration must be made not only to maintenance, but all aspects of lifecycle costs. The market today is actually favorable to cycling in many cases, due to stronger resale markets as well as better technology that is increasing fuel economy.”

Preventative Maintenance Still Best Way To Save Money

Companies that are looking to keep costs to a minimum can find vast amounts of information on lowering costs. Those who do not have a software program for fleet maintenance are urged to find one. There are a number of programs on the market that will ensure that vehicles are maintenance on a regular basis. Preventative maintenance goes a long way in keeping overall costs down. As a general rule, preventing a mechanical problem is less costly and less time consuming than repairing one.

The Role Of Software In Effective Fleet Maintenance

Fleet maintenance software has proven to be an essential part of the decision making process for many companies today. Fleet managers are tasked with making a number of important decisions every day. Those decisions can be made easier and more precise with the right information. This is where fleet maintenance software comes in. The right software program can assist managers in making day to day decisions. Things like how often preventative maintenance should be applied and which specific vehicles should be taken from the fleet are important factors to consider and software can make these decisions a bit easier. In addition, quality fleet maintenance software programs can help to measure the overall success of the operating procedures for the fleet.

“Difficult tasks, like knowing if your maintenance policies are being adhered to, become very easy. Watching for indicators of fuel and part pilferage become quick to identify”.

With an easy to use quality software application, fleet technicians can spend less time worrying over administrative issues and more time actually working on their jobs. Drivers are able to keep technicians advised about the status of their vehicles which saves time. Software applications allow for information to flow much more freely throughout the entire operation. Software applications should be viewed as an investment that is designed to help with the overall operation. Quality programs will be flexible and will evolve as the company evolves.

Technology can ease scheduling for preventative maintenance and ensure that certain tasks are done as required. While there is certainly a manual method for managing fleets, these methods are becoming more and more outdated as technology continues to grow.

“Manual systems can be tedious and time-consuming to manage, especially for larger fleets. These days, technology is affordable even for the smallest fleet. Computerized systems are a more efficient method for gathering timely reports on all aspects of fleet management. Reports can be generated faster and more accurately, allowing the fleet manager to make timely proactive decisions”.

There are a number of reputable companies that offer affordable and quality fleet management software. Many companies today have information technology departments that can assist with specific computers or if needed, IT managers and staff can be hired on by the company. Regardless of how it is done, it is essential that companies choose systems that will meet their specific needs. Fleet operating requirements must be taken into consideration when choosing a system.

Companies should understand that while this fleet management software is designed to make certain tasks a bit easier, it can be easy to lose sight of important factors. It is important that managers keep in mind why they decided to initiate fleet management.

“‘It could be that you have too many trucks… or you want to reduce the cost of avoidable damage,' he says. Whatever it is, that's what you need to focus on as the primary objective, McKean says. ‘That doesn't mean you can't look at secondary issues, but you should identify priorities and then phase in others.'”

Fleet managers or company supervisors should consider every task and every option that is available when choosing a software program to assist with fleet management. There are different programs available and not all of these are going to meet every specific need. Time should be devoted to the specific data needed for optimal management. Although it may be easy to spend time with all information, managers should know which data is going to give them the most benefit and spend time focusing on the specific aspects of overall management that prompted the need for management software in the first place.

Update Video shows Auto Entry of Lower Interval Lube Service-Preventive Maintenance in TATEMS version 4.4.04

This new ability to automatically enter lower interval Lube/services that I posted about a number of months ago is now a reality in TATEMS version 4.4.04

In the video below I show you how to use the feature when it asks if you want to enter a lower interval Lube/service (PM) and also how you can have it automatically enter them without asking.

Enjoy and share if your inclined to.

New Work Orders Printout Format Added to Preferences in ver 4.4.04

We have added an extra Work Orders printout format. You can select the additional formatting option under Tools->Preferences->Work Orders/Invoices.

This new feature can be found in TATEMS Fleet Maintenance Software version 4.4.04 and later.

I show you the feature in the video below. Enjoy and share with your friends.

Air Disc Brakes Stopping Heavy Trucks Video

Here is a quick video of how well Air Disc Brakes can work on Heavy Trucks. Apparently Air Disc Brakes on heavy trucks are not in wide use in North America.

Even the guy pulling doubles stops really fast. Pretty impressive.  Looks like quite an improvement over non Air Disc Brakes