A change in perspective

Vehicle service will forever be evaluated based on the cost associated with it, regardless of the operator - whether it be a consumer, municipality or commercial business. The maintenance, or - eventually, and sometimes unavoidably - the repair of that vehicle will need to be completed one way or another.

For fleet operations, it’s an evaluation of cost to service the vehicle, versus the cost to the business if a vehicle is not on the road. When you service a vehicle at proper intervals, you’re investing in the long-term success of your business.

This view of vehicle upkeep as a necessity versus an option makes all the difference.

Asset or expense?

I most recently reported on an industry — the automotive aftermarket — which focuses on how best to encourage a vehicle owner to maintain and repair his or her vehicle. Technicians and shop owners are tasked with not only knowing how and when to maintain or repair a vehicle; they must also convince their customer why it needs to be done.

When the technician talks with their customer, he or she can run into roadblocks trying to sell this service because consumers sometimes view maintenance and repair as four-letter words.

Fleets, on the other hand, have an inherently different view of vehicle service. Maintenance and repairs are a necessary cost of operating a profitable business. Completing the service isn’t a question of if, but how and when.

If a vehicle isn’t on the road when it’s supposed to be, it’s affecting your entire operation.

At Fleet Maintenance, our goal is to provide the answers to the “how,” “when” and “why” — with information on the proper tools, equipment, components and processes to promote vehicle uptime. and help you run the most efficient operation possible.

As I make this mental shift from the automotive aftermarket to fleet maintenance, once again reporting on your industry, I look forward to focusing on these aspects of the business alongside you.

Changing of the guards

Speaking of changes, we’ve made some updates to the editorial team since the last issue. While I may be a new face to some of you, this isn’t the first time my name has been included on the masthead. I’ve been reporting on the transportation industry in some form for more than a decade, including four years as managing editor for this very publication, from 2010 to 2014.

Much of my professional experience has been gained as a member of the editorial staff for the Vehicle Repair Group - which consists of Fleet Maintenance, Professional Distributor and Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN) magazines, along with the shared portal website, VehicleServicePros.com. Needless to say, I’ve been keeping an eye on this side of the business for some time. I’ve also had the honor of learning under David Kolman’s tutelage, and most recently, as his counterpart on the “tool and equipment” magazines within our group.

But, now it’s time to fully dive back into the maintenance world, and I appreciate every opportunity to learn more about the different aspects of this industry again.

With that, we welcome a number of changes within the editorial team. Our previous managing editor, Sara Scullin, has been promoted to editor of PTEN and Professional Distributor magazines.

Filling Sara’s shoes, we welcome new managing editor David Brierley. With nearly 10 years of experience in the publishing industry, David also brings a unique perspective with a vested interest in commercial vehicles — because his family runs a locally-owned trucking business. And, lest we forget the tried and true staff, assistant editors Vesna Brajkovic and Stefanie Von Rueden will continue to bring you the latest products and reporting on the industry.

I plan to bring my perspective from the automotive side of the business and, as an editorial team, we will strive to continue delivering useful and relevant content to our readers.

I hope we can learn from one another, and I look forward to sharing insights about this business with you.