When it Feels Like Fleet-Mageddon Out There…Focus on Extending Vehicle Life Span
Imagine you have an important vehicle or piece of equipment down and need a replacement. Bad enough by pre-March-2020 standards, but now imagine you call your truck or equipment dealer and she or he says “it will take six to eight months to get a vehicle and the price has gone up drastically.” And, the few pre-owned vehicles available cost more than their original sticker price. Welcome to the future. How do you continue providing the transportation support your operation needs to do business?
DCI Fleet has a Wide Range of Services to Extend the Life Span of Your Vehicles
First the Silver Lining
Demand in many industries is rising right now and seemingly unstoppable. Whether it’s the release of pent-up need from Covid-19; growth due to government stimulus programs; or the normal boom and bust nature of our economy, demands for home improvements, construction projects of all sizes, and delivery and distribution of consumer goods are up. This is surely a good sign for business in the days to come as long as the supply chain remains intact.
Now the Cloud
Right now truck manufacturers are struggling to build enough vehicles to meet these demands. In our supply and demand economy this means the number of available vehicles is shrinking and prices are going up...drastically. The news is not encouraging. “Fleets Focused on Acquisition Challenges; More Trucks and Trailers Needed as Supply Chain Clogs; Class 8 Truck Orders Backlogged; GM shutting down production; A Sea of Incomplete Ford Pickups”...and on and on. Most of these issues will improve in the future, but that doesn’t help you get the job done today.
Winning in the New Normal
In an environment where new vehicles are difficult to procure its a winning strategy to focus on extending the life span of your current vehicles. It will give you time to plan for long lead times on replacement equipment. It’s also a good tactic because extending vehicle and equipment life pushes funds to the bottom line to help offset rising equipment costs. And, keeping up with maintenance pays an additional dividend in safety.
As is often said, “the best offense is a good defense.” Putting your equipment on a program to keep it in top condition will prevent breakdowns and keep it in the game longer so you can win the current war of attrition that is vehicle availability and costs. Making sure that minor issues are addressed before they become major problems is key to keeping vehicles on the road and repair costs down. Some of these issues can include making sure under-bodies are painted and staying after rust; repairing leaks and damage to flooring, doors, and ramps; minor bodywork from damaged corner caps and body rails through repairing damaged wall panels; and routine maintenance to axles, wheels, and hydraulics.
Servicing Fleets of All Types and Sizes Since 1989
Count on DCI Fleet to Extend Vehicle Life Span
DCI Fleet has partnered with top fleets since 1989 in the NJ, DE, and PA region to help extend the life span of their vehicles with best in class maintenance, service, and repairs. Keeping our customer’s vehicles in-service is what we’ve done since our inception. Services we provide include:
The global economy is tied together tighter than ever in this era of uncertainty. International supply chains can be temporarily shut down by seemingly distant events: a fire at a factory in Japan, port closures in China, raw materials shortages in Russia, or wherever there’s an outbreak of illness, all contributing to vehicle shortages in the US. One thing you can be sure of is DCI Fleet has the technicians, tools, and training required to extend the life span of your vehicles by keeping them in top condition. Call (844) 364-4023 or click for a free estimate.
