A Mixed Fleet
A fleet that includes a range of operating vehicles, trucks, and heavy equipment, in general, is referred to as a “mixed fleet”. These pieces of machinery frequently come in various weights, sizes, and other requirements.
Most owners of mixed fleets prioritize functionality above brand allegiance. By doing this, one can maintain leadership positions in a market that is currently not very friendly while yet being competitive.
Setting up a Mixed Fleet
Most owners of mixed fleets prioritize functionality above brand loyalty. Doing this will enable them to implement the best and most affordable market solutions. Using a mixed fleet can be difficult for brands, despite the advantages.
By providing you with the right machine that offers value for your money, having the right data will help you avoid making needless financial losses. The residual value of a machine can be determined using a variety of modern tools.
A lot of information must be collected in order to calculate the value of machines. You can calculate the machine's actual residual value by adding up factors like operating costs, capital expenditures, acquisition costs, amortization costs, and maintenance costs. Because sometimes a machine can cost too much and not be able to produce enough, data should be integrated seamlessly so that you can determine the true value of the machine.
Things to Consider
- Identifying and Understanding Challenges
- The first step is to understand the struggles experienced by your organization. What is the problem that needs to be fixed? Measure the issue in terms of resources (time, money, and materials) before you diversify your fleet.
- Know Your Machines
- Revisit your inventory. Establish the stakeholders and gain an understanding of the operations, data usage, and decision-making.
- Cost and Value
- Identify the cost of the machines you’ve inquired about and benchmark their specifications and performance to get the most value out of them.
- Logistics
- How long does it take to move the machine from point A to point B?
- Desired Outcome
- What do you hope to gain from having a mixed fleet? Determine the ideal solutions that will help to alleviate the pain points you find.
- Oil Analysis
- You can predict and avoid unexpected equipment failure with the help of an oil analysis, which will alert you to any impending equipment issues.
Managing a Mixed Fleet
Having different machines from different brands can be a challenge to manage, but modern technology such as Fleet Management Applications or Telematics can help you monitor, maintain and manage the said machines.
- Why Telematics is Good
- A mixed fleet can be optimized in a number of ways by using telematics. The efficiency of your mixed fleet can be significantly improved through the automation of telematics data collection.
- Switch from performing reactive fixes to performing preventive maintenance by using real-time data. You will maintain full operation as a result of this, giving you a competitive advantage. The four main areas of location, utilization, fuel, and oil should receive the most consideration.
Aging machines or trucks are challenging too, but instead of spending high maintenance costs and using outdated technology may cost you more. The best way is to sell these used machines to generate additional cash flow for the purchase of new machines or support other parts of your operations.