Tips to Make Parts Management for Your Truck Fleet As Easy As Possible
If you are starting or growing a commercial trucking firm, you likely already know that regular maintenance and repair for small issues will help save you money in the long run. One way to make sure you can avoid downtime when conducting repairs on your fleet is to have a variety of truck parts ready to go. But as your fleet grows and you take on more and more truck equipment or parts, it can begin to feel a bit overwhelming. Here's how to keep your parts list organized and your truck fleet out on the road.
Document Every Part in Your Warehouse or Shop
As your fleet grows and the number of spare parts you decide to keep on hand grows with it, you might understandably let one or two parts slip through the cracks. But this can be avoided if you start documenting your part list just like a retail store documents every last item in its inventory. Keep notes on every last part you have on hand, and anytime a part is used, make sure it's removed from the list. This will help you avoid a situation where you think you have a part available but then find out too late that you were wrong and have to keep a truck off the road while you wait for your part order to come in.
Label Your Parts Inventory Throughout Your Warehouse or Storage Space
To keep parts from getting mixed up or lost, label every bin or storage area throughout your business so that employees don't randomly toss a part or piece of equipment into the wrong bin. Having everything properly labeled will also allow you to quickly and easily find exactly what you need and get right back to work instead of going on a scavenger hunt through a box of mixed parts, wasting time while you try and find what you need.
Order Parts Before You Need Them from a Reputable Truck Equipment and Parts Firm
For best results, connect with a local truck equipment and parts supplier and form a long-term relationship. If you regularly replace certain parts at a specific interval, you might even be able to sign up for automatic shipments of that part every few months or once a year in order to ensure that all the parts you need are on hand at all times. Plan to have at least one of every possible truck part (within reason) sitting around, and you'll never have to deal with one of your trucks getting pulled off the road for an extended amount of time again.