When to upgrade your fleet
An essential component of providing top customer service is having a fleet with updated and reliable vehicles.
Image Supplied by MasterDrive
If your fleet is made up of cars which are costing more in their service and repair bills and which make you seem unreliable to customers, they could be costing you much more than the cost of updating your fleet.
According to the MD of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, below are a few tips to know when you need to update your fleet:
1. If the car is older than five years
Depending on the make, warranties start to run out around the five year mark. After this, there is much greater risk and consequently expenses when things start to go wrong.
2. If there is more than 100 000km on the clock
While this wouldn't ordinarily be considered excessive mileage, studies have been conducted which show that your maintenance costs on the vehicle increase by 30%.
3. Outdated safety features
It goes without saying that if your fleet lacks basic safety technology such as airbags, you should seriously consider upgrading. It can also be worthwhile to upgrade to get some of the new or more advanced safety technology. Extra airbags, rearview cameras and Bluetooth connections can also play important roles in increasing safety.
4. Exterior damage
Certain damage to the exterior of the car can threaten its structural stability. Scratches in the pain can cause unseen damage to the body if it rusts, a major dent in the bumper reduces it effectiveness and damaged doors are dangerous in a collision if the side impact bars have been compromised.
5. Increased maintenance
If you are increasingly finding your fleet in for repairs or stuck on the side of the road, this is also costing you in terms of your overall reputation. Do not develop a reputation as an unreliable company because of your fleet.
Your company also stands to benefit from reduced costs and increased value when you dispose of the vehicles which have reached a certain age or mileage. It is for this reason that MasterDrive has partnered with Dealers Online, in the form of FleetMaster, to provide a convenient way to dispose of your old fleets before upgrading. It is an online auction platform which handles the disposal of vehicles for you, ensuring you get the best value while reducing the time demands of upgrading fleets.
FleetMaster provides a convenient portal on the website where you can link to their service and dispose of vehicles quickly, efficiently and economically way as well. Visit www.masterdrive.co.za to see more
About MasterDrive
MasterDrive is an Advanced Driver Training company with a core focus on Defensive Driver Training. We are a dedicated team of Driver Education and Safety Awareness Practitioners capable of supplying and customizing any course to suit your company or individual needs. The aim of MasterDrive is to become the leading provider of preventative driver techniques that set new benchmarks, promote life and improve profitability for all. We define global driver standards in road safety, through innovative products and professional training excellence.
AVIS FLEET SERVICES created MasterDrive in 1999. MasterDrive intends to improve existing driving skills to reduce costs in three key areas: vehicle maintenance, fuel usage and crashes. These are three of the biggest expenses to a company’s bottom line. This is a successful entity on its own and now supplies a variety of Advanced Driver Training courses not only to AVIS but to a host of other companies and individuals as well.
MasterDrive is now proudly involved in ARRIVE ALIVE, STAY ALERT, STAY ALIVE, as well as many other road safety initiatives. In association with like-minded organisations that are committed to road safety, MasterDrive strives to host a variety of campaigns.
