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Fleet management: The value of engine diagnostics
As a fleet manager, keeping a handle on your commercial vehicle engine diagnostics helps save your business money. With this data you can assess vehicle health, schedule proactive maintenance, and control operational costs. In today’s economic climate, every dollar counts, and a renewed focus on diagnostics will help you keep business costs down.
Here, we’ll expand on the benefits of comprehensive vehicle health monitoring. This will include discussing how proactive maintenance scheduling provides you with efficient cost control and extended fleet longevity.
The fleet manager superpower: Telematics
Learn the value of telematics for building a more efficiencient fleet.
The importance of fleet vehicle diagnostics
Automotive maintenance costs continue to escalate due to supply chain issues and the continued strain of tariffs and global trade wars. In 2024 AAA conducted research into vehicle ownership and found that the average annual maintenance cost for passenger vehicles increased to $1,234, representing a 12% jump from the prior year. Rising labor costs and an increase in the necessity to purchase parts from outlier suppliers are impacting maintenance schedules, increasing service delays.
Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) give fleet managers visibility into the current state of their vehicles, helping them determine their condition and usage, and when to take them off the road for necessary service.
Fleet managers gain comprehensive insights and data through DTCs and maintenance alerts delivered by telematics, empowering them to increase operational efficiency and minimize maintenance expenses.
How DTCs and maintenance alerts augment fleet management
According to Automotive Fleet, in Q1 2025 the average service cost per vehicle reached $105.87. This was a 2.6% increase from Q4 2024. Parts costs have gone up as well with a 15-25% increase since 2022. With the technician shortage continuing to impact fleet management, labor costs also continue to rise at 8-15% annually.
DTCs and maintenance alerts based on the current condition of a vehicle present an opportunity to reduce the per-mile cost of maintenance and repair for small, medium, and large fleets in these ways:
- Prioritization of repairs: DTCs provide information about the severity of a problem, helping fleet managers prioritize repairs based on the urgency and potential impact on vehicle performance.
- Reduced downtime: By addressing issues early on, fleet managers can minimize unexpected breakdowns and reduce downtime for vehicles, ensuring they remain operational for longer stretches.
- Optimized maintenance schedules: DTCs can help fleet managers optimize maintenance schedules. Instead of relying on fixed intervals, they can tailor maintenance based on the actual condition of each vehicle.
Reliable vehicles not only help keep drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians safe, but can improve employee and customer satisfaction, too. By reducing the stress of vehicle maintenance on drivers and management, everyone has time and energy to focus on growing the business.
Proactive fleet monitoring with WEX
WEX telematics enables proactive fleet monitoring capabilities by providing near real-time, accurate data on vehicle health, usage, driver behavior, and more.
Collect valuable, accurate, and current vehicle-level data across your fleet. Reporting and insights are all presented in one central platform to help you schedule preventive maintenance, increase driver safety, and reduce operating costs.
For additional benefits, consider integrating telematics data with your WEX fleet card to amplify the advantages of both GPS tracking and fuel management. If you want to go even further, dash cameras can help enhance driver behavior monitoring and overall on-the-road safety.
Ready to learn more? Get started today.
All fleet cards are not the same, and different types of fuel cards suit the needs of different kinds and sizes of businesses. View WEX’s fleet card comparison chart to see which fleet fuel card is right for you.
WEX speaks the language of small business operators. Whether you’re looking to modernize your insight and reporting efforts, save on fuel costs or take advantage of the latest GPS tracking technologies, WEX offers solutions to simplify the business of running a business. To learn more about WEX, a dynamic and nimble global organization, please visit our About WEX page.
Learn more on how to better manage your business:
Sources:
Aftermarket Matters
Element Fleet Management
Polytron Direct