Reduce idle times of commercial vehicles in a targeted manner

For transport companies and fleet operators, the downtime of a commercial vehicle is one of the most costly indicators of all. If a lorry is at a standstill, every hour incurs direct costs due to loss of revenue, rental vehicles or contractual penalties. There are also indirect costs due to disrupted supply chains and dissatisfied customers. The workshop is at the centre of this, as it plays a key role in determining how long a vehicle is out of action. Methodologically, the EN 13306 (terms of maintenance) provide the framework on which downtime reduction programmes are based throughout Europe.

Practical experience shows that unscheduled downtime usually takes significantly longer than planned maintenance. It is precisely this difference that has the greatest effect, which workshops and fleet operators can address together. This article therefore shows you how you, as a commercial vehicle workshop, can systematically reduce unplanned downtimes. In this way, you can also position yourself as a strategic partner to your customers. For parallel occupational safety, the EU Directive 2009/104/EC The European framework for the use of work equipment, which is concretised in the national occupational safety regulations.

The downtime of commercial vehicles refers to the time during which a vehicle is not in productive use. Instead, it waits for repairs, maintenance, parts or disposition. In fleets, this is a critical cost factor. This is because every day of downtime causes direct loss of revenue and indirect costs due to replacement logistics.

The true costs of a service life are often underestimated because only the obvious items are considered. However, a complete calculation includes far more than just the repair bill. If you want to delve deeper, you will find further information in the article on preventive maintenance.

Direct costs include repair costs (parts and labour), towing costs in the event of breakdowns, rental or replacement vehicles and, if necessary, overnight stays for drivers. Downtimes also have an indirect impact in the form of lost sales, contractual penalties for late delivery, reputational damage and additional scheduling costs.

The actual amount depends heavily on the vehicle type, usage profile and contract structure. The workshop and fleet calculate it individually. It is usually higher than the repair bill alone. As a result, the avoidance of unplanned breakdowns becomes a relevant factor in fleet operations.

For many fleet operators, the workshop is initially a cost factor. However, this changes as soon as the workshop becomes an active partner in reducing downtime. Commercial vehicle workshops that proactively monitor maintenance intervals, keep parts in stock and guarantee short lead times become a strategic competitive advantage for their customers. The result: greater customer loyalty, longer contract periods and predictable capacity utilisation. You can also find out how to shorten your lead times in the article Improve throughput times in the lorry workshop.

To reduce downtimes, you first need to know their causes. Experience from the Alltrucks network shows a consistent pattern in the causes of breakdowns.

Brake problems are in first place. This is followed by engine faults and exhaust aftertreatment, electrical faults and sensor failures, tyre damage, cooling and air conditioning problems and other mechanical faults. The decisive factor here is that the majority of these failures could have been recognised through timely inspection and avoided through preventive maintenance.

As a commercial vehicle workshop, you can actively contribute to avoiding unplanned downtimes of commercial vehicles. The key lies in three areas. Firstly, systematic wear monitoring is required for every vehicle entry - even for orders that have nothing to do with wear. Alltrucks partners work with structured acceptance and checklists from the network. Secondly, proactive communication of recognised risks to the customer is important. Thirdly, the ability to handle urgent repairs quickly and at short notice is important.

Digital vehicle files document every visit to the workshop. This creates a complete picture of the vehicle's condition over time, and wear parts can be planned in advance. For in-depth diagnostics, Alltrucks partners also use the Alltrucks multi-brand diagnostics / Alltrucks KTS Truck V3 (Bosch + Knorr-Bremse integration). A comprehensive overview of systematic maintenance strategies can also be found in our complete service guide for truck maintenance.

The following strategies are aimed at commercial vehicle workshops that want to offer their customers measurably shorter downtimes. Each strategy is described with specific implementation steps and expected results. If you would like to delve deeper into operational implementation, you will also find more information in the article on Order planning Further information.

The consistent reduction of downtimes is not just a service for your customers. It can also become a business model in its own right. Garages that position themselves as availability partners open up new sources of revenue and thus differentiate themselves from the price competition.

The traditional workshop business is based on a simple principle: vehicle breaks down, customer comes, workshop repairs. However, this model is reactive and susceptible to fluctuations. The availability model, on the other hand, reverses the logic, as the workshop assumes responsibility for the operational readiness of the vehicles. This can be done via maintenance contracts with guaranteed downtimes. Fleet management services with regular condition monitoring, night and weekend shifts for downtime-critical repairs or replacement components for faster repairs are also suitable.

Availability contracts are an established business model in the industry. However, whether and in what form this suits your own business is a strategic question. Concrete network components such as the 1 Premium Standard and the Alltrucks Fleet programme into the logic of your offer - please contact us. You can also find strategies for economic optimisation in the article Running a profitable commercial vehicle workshop.

Some garages go one step further and offer service life guarantees: a maximum repair time for defined order types, with a price reduction if this is exceeded. This sounds risky at first, but is calculable if the internal processes are right - especially acceptance, diagnosis and parts stocking. Whether such a model suits your own business depends on the order mix, staffing levels and fleet structure of your regular customers.

To control your downtime management, you need three additional key figures. Firstly, the average response time (how quickly can you pick up an unscheduled vehicle?). Secondly, the downtime rate (proportion of orders that are completed within the agreed time). Thirdly, the repeat rate (proportion of vehicles that return within 30 days due to the same problem). The latter should be as low as possible, as higher values indicate quality problems during the initial diagnosis or repair.

Consistent planning of your order capacities is crucial here. Our article on Order planning for commercial vehicle workshops also offers additional strategies and tools.