Commercial fleets need to budget for higher SMR costs, with vans running beyond normal defleet cycles.
Current supply shortages mean that fleets are increasing commercial vehicle replacement cycles and SMR costs are rising in line with the increased maintenance requirements, according to ATS Euromaster.
Its data reveals that the average spend has risen to £138 in the first quarter of 2022 – an increase of 17% compared to the figure of £118 pre-pandemic.
The tyre service and maintenance provider said the SMR rise was down to the additional work required to keep vehicles on the road, rather than the actual cost, although inflationary pressures may change this.
Mark Holland, operations director, added: “We’re seeing vans being run for longer than average lifecycles and double-shifted so the mileage and wear is increasing substantially. Meanwhile many of the vans we see at centre are from self-employed last mile delivery drivers who are driving up and down kerbs and so on, all day every day. In turn this means greater costs with wheel alignment, shock and suspension work and damaged tyres on a more regular cycle.”
Due to the extended lifecycles, ATS Euromaster says it has seen an uplift in the demand for consumables such as brakes, disks, pads and fluid, wheel alignment, puncture repair and shock and suspension maintenance.
But, the need for emergency repairs is also increasing due to longer lifecycles – and the downtime involved is adding to the rise in SMR costs.
Holland continued: “We’re seeing an increase for emergency and same-day service. And that’s simply because fleets have not kept their vehicles in tip top condition and preventative maintenance has disappeared.
“Drivers think they can just drop their van into our service centres for emergency attention. Whilst I would love that we could service every request ‘there and then’, it is not simply possible 100% of the time. At the moment we’re seeing an increase in drive-ins as well as forward maintenance bookings via a variety of channels such as the website or third party partners.
“So I’d urge all fleets managers and drivers to think ahead to ensure their vans receive proper SMR attention before it becomes a critical failure leading to that worst scenario of all – vehicle downtime and cost.”
