Last Updated on February 23, 2024
Owning a commercial vehicle comes with plenty of financial responsibilities, like insurance, regular maintenance, and repairs. While insurance premiums can be pretty high, vehicle repairs can be some of your biggest expenses. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
There are many ways to save money on commercial vehicle repairs, and here are some of your options.
1. Import your truck parts from Canada
If you run a fleet of commercial semi-trucks and tractor-trailers, consider importing new truck parts from Canada. For instance, you can get just about anything you need for your fleet through Maxim Truck & Trailer and you’ll pay far less than what you’ll pay sourcing parts in the states.
The only stipulation is that if you need a part you can’t replace on your own, you’ll need to find a mechanic who will work with self-provided parts. Some shops won’t do this because it’s a liability. For instance, if you give them brake pads and calipers that are poor quality, and your brakes fail, they can be held liable for your accident.
If mechanics won’t work with parts provided by customers, the solution is to ask your mechanic to purchase the needed parts directly from the supplier. This way, the part will be in the mechanic’s possession the entire time and they’ll know it’s of high quality.
If you run your own shop, then you don’t have to worry about where your parts come from. In this case, make sure you have a good system to keep track of your parts inventory so you don’t waste space and money tied up in rarely used parts.
2. Find a good local mechanic
This goes without saying, but try to find a good local mechanic, but not necessarily one who works in a shop. It’s entirely possible to find a good mechanic who will work on a per-gig basis without being attached to a shop.
Often, you’ll find amazing mechanics who don’t want to work for anyone else, and they don’t have the money to start their own business, so they offer their services to local individuals. If your town has a mechanic like this, they’re probably well-known.
Although it’s cheap to get repairs done through a freelancing mechanic, just make sure you consider whether or not the repair needs to be covered under a warranty. For instance, having your oil changed is different from having your fuel pump replaced. Be selective about what you’ll have done by an individual vs. a repair shop.
3. Pursue all warranty claims
Whether you have a $20, $200, or $500 repair under warranty, always make sure you submit your claims to get reimbursed. Consider that over the course of ten years, you might have 50 warranty claims. If each claim averages $200, that’s $10,000.
You can do plenty with that money, including investing it in more marketing or upgrading some of your equipment. It’s up to you, but you won’t have that extra cash unless you file your warranty claims.
4. Shop around
Everyone has their favorite mechanic shop, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily the best or the cheapest around. If you haven’t considered other mechanics in the area, look around to see who’s getting good reviews and give them a try. You might find someone out of your city, but the drive could be worth it.
If you run a commercial trucking operation, it wouldn’t be unheard of to send your semi-trucks out of state to a specific mechanic. Many companies do this because semi-truck mechanics require a higher level of expertise than other mechanics.
5. Don’t skip preventive maintenance
One of the easiest ways to cut your repair expenses is to stay on top of preventive maintenance. Always make sure you get your oil changed as recommended, and get your tune-ups and other adjustments based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Don’t skip the small stuff, either, like keeping track of tire pressure, rotating your tires, making sure your tires are properly balanced, and having your drivers do a pre-trip inspection before they hit the road. Every single aspect of maintaining your vehicles is going to contribute to preventing major problems.
While you can’t prevent every breakdown, you can definitely prevent things that don’t need to happen. For example, checking fluids regularly will prevent you from burning your engine by running out of oil. Likewise, getting oil changes regularly will prevent you from ruining your engine with dirty oil.
Save every dollar you can
It’s worth making the effort to save wherever you can. Commercial vehicles aren’t cheap to operate; every dollar counts.