How Fleet Maintenance Software Helps Oil Well Drilling Companies Cut Costs

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How Fleet Maintenance Software Helps Oil Well Drilling Companies Cut Costs
The proper use of fleet maintenance software is essential in reducing costs and improving quality. Fleet maintenance software allows scheduling and tracking of vehicle maintenance, tracking of parts inventory, control labor costs, and ensure equipment remains on the road and operating. Additionally, it helps a company stay in compliance with federally mandated requirements to keep detailed records on vehicle records under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety and Accountability initiative.

Maintenance is one of the critical elements in a fleet's CSA rating. The CSA numbers are percentiles based against other fleets' similar ratings. One thing that fleet maintenance software can provide is historical data to do trend analysis which helps quantify savings and identify where productivity improves.

Using maintenance software for inventory control helps identify obsolete or unused inventory. Knowing which parts are not being used or are obsolete opens them up for conversion to cash either through exchange or return for cash. This can realize liquid assets for the company which can then be reinvested in new inventory which maintenance software trend analysis will have provided data on so purchasing will know what is actually being sold so needs to be replaced.

Another benefit of the inventory control feature is that it will identify parts that the company may not have realized were still in inventory so that they can now be sold.
Tracking routine vehicle maintenance schedules ensures all vehicles in the fleet are kept in top operating condition. This keeps the fleet moving and maximum profits rolling in to the company's bottom line. Fleet maintenance software can also be used to schedule out maintenance check-ups if there is an issue with cash flow. It also provides a company the ability to budget vehicle maintenance costs out long-term to help with cash flow issues as well.

The reduced maintenance costs resulting from using fleet maintenance software are because:.
� The repair technicians have clear instructions to repair each unit.
� Rework is reduced by over 85 %.
� Vehicles make it from one routine maintenance to the next without a breakdown.
� 80 % of all repair work is scheduled work instead of emergency repair work.
� The company knows which units are high cost and why.
� All repair decisions are based on facts.
� Inventory is reduced by 30 % and is maximized for efficiency.
� Identifies obsolete and unused parts and saves money.
� Identifies and tracks problem drivers and inventory.
� Decreases vehicle downtime because of out-of-stock inventory.
� Helps with price comparison for both repair and inventory purchase.
� Prevents duplicate purchasing of inventory because current inventory is accurate.
� Reduces excess inventory because cross references parts.

Fleet maintenance software is evolving every year. Lately the software has seen three major changes. First is the need for more reporting, especially on consumables in maintenance that are sold in high volume. Directors of fleets are tracking how their assets are using equipment and when use is unusual and how to respond when this happens.

Second is using the software for comparing efficiency by measuring indirect vs. direct costs. Direct are the costs which can be attributed directly to the activity that takes place in maintenance and indirect are idle labor.

Third is the increase in the need for compliance and for drivers inspecting their vehicles. Fleet maintenance software helps make this process more efficient through the application of electronic processing and reporting.

Using maintenance software also helps a fleet manager think ahead when scheduling routine vehicle maintenance which minimizes downtime and repairs. This saves the company money.

Consistent, proper, and preventive routine fleet maintenance extends the life of each fleet vehicle and of all fleet asset.

Transitioning to software management of fleet maintenance reduces the use of paper which reduces any associated effort required to prepare, update, compile, retrieve, or disseminate that paper. It also saves costs associated with purchasing the paper and reproducing reports.


Most fleet maintenance software is user-friendly and most companies provide training and frequent updates. The packages are not exorbitantly expensive and the savings realized through efficiencies in inventory controls and repair costs more than make up for the initial investment costs. There are many companies offering maintenance software packages, but it is important to choose a company with a reputation for reliability and with extensive experience.

All of these benefits make a strong case for using fleet maintenance software in managing a company's vehicle maintenance operations.