The rise of “Cuba syndrome” since the pandemic means fleets need to be collecting rapidly increasing amounts of data, says FleetCheck.
Keeping vehicles for much longer – something especially common for vans – requires greater amounts of information to both prove safety requirements and ensure efficiency, points out Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software specialist.
“Everyone is familiar with how restrictions on exports mean that motorists in Cuba have become expert at keeping extremely old vehicles on the road in good condition. While no one is working to keep 60-year-old Chevrolets running on a UK fleet, we have certainly seen an increase in, for example, the number of 8-10-year-old Transits owned by major operators. Following the pandemic, replacement cycles have been stretched considerably.”
He explained that the situation was placing new demands on fleet managers, and they needed to gather more data to ensure that core objectives were being met.
“Cuba syndrome creates two issues – ensuring your risk management responsibilities are being met, and vehicles remain operationally effective with downtime being minimised. Collecting greater amounts of appropriate data is the key in both of these areas.
“When it comes to risk management, you need to be able to prove that your cars and vans are being maintained to the highest standards, are fit for purpose despite their age, and that extending replacement cycles is not impacting on safety. This means keeping service, maintenance and repair records that are even more watertight than previously.
“Ensuring vehicles are in the best possible operational condition similarly requires large amounts of information. Older vehicles are inevitably less reliable but there are steps that can be taken and which, in some respects, require a fleet management rethink. For example, pre-emptive maintenance becomes much more important, and this means collecting data that helps you identify where failures are likely to occur before they happen.”
Peter said that there was a whole range of areas that came into play as vehicles aged that tended not to affect those on shorter replacement cycles.
“At the most basic level, even though they might have a two-year manufacturer service interval, it’s good practice to ensure that cars and vans are inspected by a technician every year at least. Two years is just too long for a vehicle heading into a six-figure mileage.
“Also, a whole host of potential issues arises. Some of these are obvious – suspensions and clutches are more likely to break – but there are also potential problems around parts such as dual-mass flywheels and electrical systems. Furthermore, in-life damage has a tendency to become more common. For example, hitting a pothole and cracking a spring is more likely when that spring is badly worn. Collecting and interrogating data about these incidents mean you will have more information that you can use to predict when these faults are likely to happen on other vehicles, with pre-emptive maintenance carried out where necessary.”
Drivers also had a greater role to play in ensuring that cars and vans were kept in the best possible condition, something that could require a shift in attitudes.
“Arguably, there needs to be a culture change here. Fleet managers all have stories about drivers ignoring dashboard warning messages for months or even years, but it is not just a question of making it imperative these are reported but also any other issues with the vehicle. Is it pulling to one side? Are the brakes catching? These can be indicative of major problems.
“Of course, driver walkaround safety check apps have a key role to play here in terms of providing a direct channel to the fleet manager in order to report any faults and should be uniformly adopted. Again, this creates larger amounts of useful data.”
Fleets additionally needed to ensure they were taking notice of any notifications surrounding the vehicle, something that was a health and safety legal requirement.
“This is not just a question of following up on any service and MOT test notices that you receive but that all manufacturer recalls are followed. As vehicles age, they tend to be affected by more of these, and they all need to be seen through to their conclusion.”
Peter said that it was very difficult to say how long Cuba syndrome was likely to persist among fleets, but a return to pre-pandemic replacement cycles was unlikely.
“Fleets have learnt that vehicles can be operated for much longer and, while probably the majority have added only a year or two to their formal replacement cycles. As a result, others appear to be experimenting with finding out how long they can keep vehicles on the road.
“Some of our customers also tell us that they cannot adopt electric vans in a practical sense and, given the ZEV Mandate, plan to invest in operating their current diesels as long as possible. There is no precedent for this in the fleet sector, we believe.”
About FleetCheck
Established in 2006 and based in Kemble, Gloucestershire, FleetCheck is one of the UK’s leading fleet software and management specialists, with a customer base of more than 2,000 customers operating in excess of 270,000 vehicles and assets. Its range of products, which are designed with an accent on ease of use and effectiveness, include the core FleetCheck fleet management software system, FleetCheck Licence Assured, FleetCheck Technician, and the FleetCheck Driver inspection app. The company also offers a wide range of affinity services designed to support fleet operational needs.
More details can be found at fleetcheck.co.uk.
