Several factors are influencing maintenance decisions. Although the FLEET OWNER Aftermarket Monitor shows that most fleets still have facilities for performing maintenance procedures, the type of procedures they perform is changing.

Fleets with short turnover cycles (less than five years) are not likely to perform major overhauls on engines or drivetrains, since vehicles are under warranty and components will not likely require major overhauls during their ownership.

Aftermarket suppliers are offering new services to help fleets lower operating costs, so fleets continually evaluate operations, including maintenance practices. For example, the volume of repairs performed by a fleet must justify the investment in personnel and equipment. At the same time, fleets must compare the cost of outsourcing maintenance procedures, including downtime, with the cost of performing a given procedure in-house.

The difficulty of attracting good mechanics is also influencing the maintenance-management practices of fleets. Fleets must include the cost of attracting, retaining, and retraining mechanics when evaluating the cost of performing a repair in-shop.

Data from the Aftermarket Monitor suggests that less than 40% of out-of-chassis diesel-engine overhaul jobs are performed by fleets. Heavy-duty fleets (Class 8) are more likely to perform these overhauls than are midrange fleets (Class 3-5) because on average heavy-duty fleets are larger than midrange fleets. The volume of diesel-engine overhaul jobs performed by heavy-duty fleets is high enough to justify the investment in personnel and equipment; this is not the case for fleets running primarily midrange vehicles.

When it comes to oil-filter replacements, however, Aftermarket Monitor data shows that this job is more likely to be done in-house than outsourced. The volume is high, equipment investment is low, and it's a procedure that doesn't require a highly skilled mechanic.

In conclusion, there are two primary factors driving the change in the kind of maintenance done by fleets themselves: aftermarket suppliers are offering new services at prices that make sense; and a highly competitive business environment is forcing fleets to make structural changes in the way they do business.

The Aftermarket Monitor divides components into 15 major groups and sends out more than 4,000 questionnaires each month to commercial vehicle operators. Parts categories covered are diesel engines; gas engines; electrical and lights; air brakes, wheel seals and bearings; hydraulic brakes, wheel seals and bearings; manual transmissions and clutches; automatic transmissions; drive axles, universal joints and drivelines, and PTO drives; exhaust components and engine cooling systems; front suspension and shock absorbers; rear suspensions and springs; engine oil and filtration systems; tires; electronics, wheels and fifth wheels; seats, mirrors, tanks, and leak detection equipment; and paint.

For more information on FLEET OWNER's Aftermarket Monitor, call Chris Brady at Martin Labbe Assoc., 904-672-4413.

The following individuals recently received prizes for participating in last month's survey: Edward B Irvin, Irvin's Sawmill, Shirleysburg, Pa.; Edward Manzione, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; and Rob White, White Roofing Co., Eldridge, Iowa