It's a Team's Life

Down, But Not Out

Down, But Not Out

As I write this week’s article, we are living out of a hotel room while our truck is in the shop getting some much-needed TLC. For nearly three weeks, we had been trying to get the truck in for preventative maintenance. That can be easier said than done when your preferred service center isn’t close to home and your routes don’t naturally take you near their location.

Yesterday, we finally got her in. We already knew we’d be here for several days because the list of needed repairs was long.

That situation got me thinking about the importance of maintenance and preparation.

Last week, I saw a post from an acquaintance whose truck had broken down and needed to be towed. The post detailed the roadside diagnostic fee, the towing expense, and the final repair bill. It ended by asking if anyone could help with the cost. I don’t believe it was intended as a serious request for financial help, but it did make me think about how they operate their business.

Since this was someone I had mentored last year, I started wondering if I had done enough to stress the importance of planning and saving for situations exactly like this.

So, what do you do to prepare for the day when your “money maker” is sitting in the shop while you’re stuck in a hotel room for days—or even weeks?

I’ve heard many drivers talk about the ways they prepare for inevitable repair costs. Some set aside a certain amount for every mile they drive. For example, a driver might save $0.15 per mile. On a 1,000-mile load, that would mean putting aside $150 for future maintenance expenses. Over the course of 100,000 miles in a year, that adds up to $15,000 in maintenance savings.

That maintenance fund should be considered a necessary part of any trucking budget. A truck is a machine, and the more it’s used, the greater the chance something will eventually break. The key is being prepared when it happens.

Another method is to look at your annual repair costs and break them down monthly. If you spent $20,000 on repairs last year, divide that by 12 months. That comes to about $1,666 per month. Personally, I’d round that up to $1,700 and make that my monthly maintenance savings goal.

It’s also important to remember that repair costs typically increase as a truck gets older. For this reason you should review your maintenance budget throughout the year to be sure that you have all that you need to cover the cost of not only the truck repair but the hotel room and meals too.

These are just a couple of ways to prepare for the maintenance costs that will eventually come. Preparation may not prevent breakdowns, but it can prevent panic when they happen.

Be prepared. Preparation saves stress, protects your business, and helps you keep moving forward.

Here’s to millions of safe, profitable, and PREPARED miles.

Kelly Plumb