Tip Sheet | Efficiency & Productivity 

4 steps to save your technicians time and improve fleet efficiency

3 min read

Proper lubrication based on your fleet’s specific needs can improve uptime and improve your bottom line. 

To help, our Mobil Delvac™ experts — many of whom were once technicians themselves and belong to the Technology Maintenance Council (TMC) — are offering exclusive tips and insights into reducing expenses and enhancing your fleet’s efficiency for the long haul.

Read the tips below or download here

1. Consolidate your lubricants where possible.

a.    If your fleet uses more than one grease, engine oil, or coolant, you may have room to consolidate.

b.    Not all greases are designed for every application across heavy duty vehicles. Your number of greasing PMs, and as a result, your spending, can reduce by switching out grease for heavy duty trucks with Mobil Delvac™ Xtreme Grease.

c.    Many fleets use a range of trucks and may be using both 15W-40 and 10W-30 engine oils to reduce fuel consumption. However, operators may be able to use premium 10W-30 CK-4 oils even with older trucks.

2. Consider switching to extended life products. 

a.    Extended life products simply mean less planned maintenance for your technicians, which translates to improved uptime. 

b.    Fleets that own and maintain equipment for the long haul (five or more years) often spend more than one hour per truck each year to maintain coolant. In these instances, a phosphate-free, silicate-free, nitrite-free and borate-free, ethylene glycol-based coolant such as Mobil Delvac™ Extended Life Coolant can go a long way. 

c.    Different OEMs recommend 2x the service interval for fully synthetic drivetrain lubricants — such as Mobil Delvac™ Synthetic Gear Oil 75W-90 versus mineral fluids. Not only do these fluids improve technician availability, but they also help reduce fuel consumption.

3. Used oil analysis can free up valuable technician labor time.

a.    Not all 10W-30 CK-4 oils maintain their fuel economy benefits across their service interval.

b.    Oil analysis can help determine extended oil drain capabilities and give you the ability to monitor the oil’s viscosity. This ensures that the oil maintains its fuel efficiency properties across the drain interval, saving on fuel and increasing technician availability.

c.    This oil analysis can help monitor for contaminants that may be wreaking havoc on your fleet’s efficiency. Internal coolant leaks and excessive fuel dilution are among the leading causes of equipment downtime, adding unnecessary maintenance costs to your fleet. Oil analysis can be used as a cost-effective tool to combat issues without adding to your technicians’ planned maintenance time.

d.    Mobil Serv℠ Lubricant Analysis (MSLA) helps you look for these issues. Similar to regular check-ups at the doctor, regular in-service oil analysis is essential for understanding engine and oil condition. Our Mobil Delvac™ fleet consultants use MSLA to help you identify issues such as contamination and abnormal engine wear.

4. Provide your technicians with ongoing training

a.    Mobil Delvac™ is here to help with whatever you need 24/7, but we want you to feel empowered to be your own expert. As the fleet manager, you can ensure the proper recruitment, training, and continuous education of your fleet employees.

b.    Some ideas for consideration include: active involvement with local schools, improvement of technicians’ benefits, hiring according to skill and not just resume content, investing in off-the-job training, and finding your technicians a mentor.

c.    Check out this talent recruiting and retention tip sheet for more information.

For more information about how to improve fleet management and save your technicians time, or if you want to connect with one of our experts, visit this page.

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