A healthy fleet is the key to a thriving logistics business. And you can’t keep a healthy fleet without regular vehicle maintenance. But with a few different types of maintenance at your disposal, it’s a little more complicated than it sounds.
One of the most popular types is known as preventive maintenance. This is built upon preexisting data – often based on recommendations from the equipment or vehicle manufacturer – to quickly resolve issues before they become more pronounced.
On the other hand, predictive maintenance relies upon real-time analytics that are collected by sensors or connected assets. With this information, fleet managers are able to predict when a piece of equipment or vehicle might require maintenance.
Ultimately, when it comes to your preferred type of vehicle maintenance, your mileage may vary. That’s why we’ve put together a guide on the differences between predictive and preventive maintenance, so you can make an informed decision about which type is better suited to your fleet.
In this guide
- Predictive vs Preventive Maintenance: At a Glance
- What is Preventive Maintenance and How Does It Work?
- What is Predictive Maintenance and How Does It Work?
- What Are the Benefits of Preventive Maintenance?
- What Are the Benefits of Predictive Maintenance?
- What Are Some Other Types of Vehicle Maintenance?
- Which Type of Maintenance is Better For My Fleet?
Predictive vs Preventive Maintenance: At a Glance
In this section, I’ll provide a quick breakdown of how these two maintenance models compare, head-to-head.
- Predictive maintenance is based on asset tracking and data analysis, while preventive is based on vehicle or equipment schedule/history.
- Both models follow a proactive approach.
- Preventive maintenance has a low upfront cost, but is more likely to lead to long-term cost inefficiencies. Predictive maintenance has a high upfront cost, but is more cost-effective in the long run.
- Preventive maintenance is much easier to implement, with few (if any) technical modifications required. With predictive maintenance, you’ll be required to replace some existing components.
- Predictive maintenance requires experts who are proficient with data interpretation, whereas preventive maintenance doesn’t require the same level of expertise.
Which Maintenance Model is Better For Your Fleet?
Fleets of vehicles are a special consideration. Generally speaking, I would say that predictive maintenance does not and cannot exist in a vacuum. To get there, organizations first need to have strong reactive and preventative maintenance procedures in place.
There is no predictive vs preventative maintenance in logistics. While predictive maintenance should be an aspiration, the real foundation is laid through reliable preventative practices, smart use of technology, and systematic knowledge transfer. None of which will become obsolete by moving to more predictive strategies. In fact, the opposite is true.
What is Preventive Maintenance and How Does It Work?
This form of maintenance follows a planned schedule of servicing, which is usually based around the recommendations of the vehicle or equipment manufacturer. In other words, the vendor will recommend that your asset is serviced once it has clocked up a certain number of miles or hours.
To carry this out, fleet managers will use meter readings to capture engine hours and mileage, or, alternatively, fleet management software which tracks and aggregates all your data. They will also perform regular inspections to monitor wear and tear and quickly mend issues before they become hazards.
Ultimately, preventive maintenance is premised upon risk reduction through consistent monitoring and care. By proactively addressing minor issues, you contribute towards the overall lifespan of your assets, eliminate downtime, and keep your fleet operating smoothly.
What is Predictive Maintenance and How Does It Work?
While both models are similarly proactive in approach, predictive maintenance is an altogether different prospect. Through the use of sophisticated technology, including telematics, electronic logging devices (ELDs), and other sensors, fleet managers can get up-to-the-minute information on vehicle and asset diagnostics, performance, and more.
Predictive maintenance typically comprises four stages. To begin with, sensors will gather asset data, which is then transmitted to a centralized database. From here, analysis is performed, increasingly through the use of AI and machine learning, to extract valuable insights from the data. Finally, these insights are used as the basis for action.
With this information, you can schedule maintenance when and where it’s needed. Rather than needing to perform regular inspections, you’ll get the required information at your fingertips. It requires a greater level of technical expertise, not to mention a higher upfront cost, but predictive maintenance is proven to be more cost-effective in the long run.
What Are the Benefits of Preventive Maintenance?
Preventive maintenance has a raft of benefits that fleet managers will want to consider. In this section, I’ll provide an overview of some of the biggest.
Much cheaper than other types of maintenance
Perhaps the single biggest plus point of preventive maintenance is the price. According to facilities and maintenance software provider FMX, unplanned maintenance can cost anywhere from three to nine times more than planned.
But beyond that, adopting a preventive approach means that you won’t have to invest heavily in new vehicle or asset tracking software, telematics sensors, and similar diagnostics devices, which can really add up.
In truth, the only costs (aside from regular fleet running costs) will be hiring asset inspectors who are qualified to keep an eye on your fleet’s health. This will vary depending on the size of your fleet and other factors, but it’s estimated that preventive maintenance can deliver cost savings in the region of 12%-18%, according to asset management solutions provider Brightly.
Increase asset lifespan
Fundamentally, preventive maintenance is about keeping your fleet running for longer, without needing to resort to replacing vehicles or other assets, which can be highly expensive. By identifying problems quickly, preventive maintenance enables you to stamp them out before they escalate.
What’s more, by making sure that your vehicles are topped up with the supplies they need – such as oil, coolant, healthy tires, and more – you can reduce the demands that are placed on them.
Reduce downtime
One of the main advantages of preventive maintenance is the impact that it will have on your fleet efficiency. In other words, by performing regular checks on your vehicles and assets, you can act quickly to resolve any issues – and thus keep your fleet running for longer.
Downtime is one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of a successful fleet. According to telematics provider Platform Science, it can incur costs of between $448-$760 per vehicle, per day. For smaller companies, in particular, these numbers are simply unsustainable.
What Are The Benefits of Predictive Maintenance?
On the other side of the coin, predictive maintenance comes with its own set of benefits. Here are some of the main ones.
Monitor efficacy of a vehicle’s repair
One of the really neat things about predictive maintenance is that it can monitor whether or not a vehicle has been successfully repaired. Vibration analysis, oil analysis, and thermal imaging are all cornerstones of predictive maintenance and are used to gauge how good a repair was – and estimate when another one might be required.
This helps fleet managers to optimize their repair scheduling, as well as making sure that your vehicles aren’t hitting the road before they’re ready.
Higher cost savings in the long run
Because predictive maintenance relies upon sensitive monitors and precise data, there’s a reduced margin for error when it comes to assessing when and how a vehicle or asset needs to be repaired. Meanwhile, preventive maintenance has the potential for human error.
While you’ll initially have to spend big on sensors and other vehicle tracking software, it will pay dividends in the long run. It’s thought that predictive maintenance could save you as much as 8%-12% more than preventive maintenance, according to figures from industrial maintenance services provider Advanced Technology Services.
Improved workplace safety
Workplace safety is the biggest concern for fleet managers, with accidents representing both a danger to human life and a potential financial catastrophe. One of the key points of predictive maintenance is that it can help to significantly improve vehicle and driver safety.
Unlike preventive maintenance, which is built upon manufacturer recommendations and subjective judgement, predictive maintenance uses highly tuned sensors to give you a complete picture of your fleet’s health and diagnostics.
In other words, the potential for human error is massively reduced. When safety is on the agenda, the value of this peace of mind is incalculable.
What Are Some Other Types of Vehicle Maintenance?
Of course, preventive and predictive maintenance are by no means the only approaches available. In this section, I’ll take you through some of the other types of maintenance that a fleet manager might choose to deploy.
Reactive maintenance
Sometimes known as corrective, reactive maintenance is the process of repairing vehicles or assets only after they have broken down. Proponents argue that it works out as cheaper than predictive and preventive maintenance because of lower overall downtime.
The most typical example is probably emergency maintenance, such as when a truck breaks down on a highway and needs to be towed.
Prescriptive maintenance
This is a very technical type of maintenance that relies upon machine learning to detect issues, prescribe fixes, and facilitate repairs. In order for the model to be effective, you’ll need to train a machine learning model on historical sensor and service data. This will mean that it becomes better at detecting potential faults before they arise.
Which Type of Maintenance is Better For My Fleet?
Ultimately, the type of maintenance that is better suited to your fleet is a very personal question. It depends upon a variety of factors, including number of vehicles, distance traveled, value of cargo, and more.
For smaller, cost-conscious operations that don’t carry out too many miles, the better option would probably be preventive maintenance. This is because it doesn’t command too high a cost upfront, meaning that you won’t have to dig deep into the budget to get up and running.
At the other end of the spectrum, larger fleets that process a high volume of trips will get the most benefit from predictive maintenance. With predictive maintenance, you’ll be required to stump up funds to make sure your vehicles are equipped with the right tech — but you’ll recoup your losses in the long run.
You’ll also enjoy a greater level of insight, and you can rest easy knowing that the health and safety of your drivers is being looked after. In larger fleets with hundreds of drivers, it can be difficult to have oversight of all of your operators’ safety.