Any company with vehicles in use needs to have a fleet maintenance log. The more vehicles you have the more this is needed. With multiple vehicles it can pay to purchase fleet maintenance software and track maintenance.

While scheduled regular maintenance is needed for all sized fleets, the more you use your vehicles the more maintenance they will need. While it should be common sense too often we get busy with other things and we forget how long it's been since vehicles were brought in. Vehicles such as tow trucks that are subject to wear and tear - and inspections! - MUST be maintained. This is not just an option - a truck that is taken off the road can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars while the situation is fixed.

Even those with just one or two vehicles can miss a maintenance appointment or forget to have inspections done. The more vehicles you have the better your fleet maintenance software or logs needs to be. This need not be an overwhelming expense. Whether you have a fleet of long distance semi-trucks, a small fleet of tow trucks, a rental car lot or handle maintenance needs for 2-3 companies regular proper tracking of what needs done when can save untold money and down time. A $5-10 filter can result in a hundred dollar call when you least need a problem.

While smaller companies might be able to get four or five vehicles in for service at the same time, larger companies normally need to alternate. Taking 100 vehicles off the road means no money, so you need to rotate. When you split these into five or six groups it becomes more difficult to track - and is where a good fleet maintenance software program can really shine, saving you time and money. This is not a luxury - this is a 24/7 employee reminding you that there's 5 that need oil changes, 2 have license renewals due and four others have inspections coming up soon. A good program allows you to key in your own custom qualifications.

Service schedules alone can save you money if tracked on these programs but good ones go the extra step, allowing for easy reporting of expenses which keeps accountants happy too. It tracks fuel use and expenses which as fuel costs soar is enough to justify the cost of a good program.

Proper maintenance allows for longer vehicle life, and if you find a few vehicles are not efficiently keeping up it's easier to have statistics before replacing them. Additionally, these vehicles are of greater value because they've been maintained and you have an easily printed copy of the service records to give the new owner.

A good vehicle maintenance log system pays. It saves fuel, vehicle wear and frustration from preventable breakdowns. It allows for a higher resale value when you reduce your fleet or phase some vehicles out to be replaced. Finding a good fleet maintenance program is money in the bank and - with the time and aggravation savings - time with your family. Add both of those together and it's an excellent reason to invest in a good software program.