Predictive Maintenance Software Transforms Food Delivery Fleet Management

A food service delivery company of 50 medium to heavy-duty trucks partnered with Pitstop to implement predictive maintenance software for better management of their truck maintenance, owned and leased fleet. The delivery company sought a single location to track and prioritize upcoming and present vehicle failures, improving its operations. By addressing these gaps in their processes, they could proactively act on alerts to enhance their fleet operations.

Challenge

Pitstop is an AI-powered predictive maintenance software that helps alleviate data overload and increase uptime while lowering expensive repair costs. Like many other fleets, the delivery company managed a schedule around preventive maintenance, periodically taking a vehicle for maintenance based on time or mileage passed while also reacting to unexpected failures.

Downtime causes significant interruptions to their delivery service, as their entire revenue model depends on their trucks’ ability to transport products to their final destinations.

With 50 medium to heavy-duty trucks in their fleet, relying on scheduled maintenance resulted in uncertain expenses and safety issues. Additionally, drivers were tracking equipment issues, which were prone to inconsistencies and human error. Moreover, vehicles within the fleet require regular inspections, which lead to compliance issues if assets are not maintained on time. Data overload problems begin with management’s lack of direction and knowledge on how data leveraging. Fleets have access to valuable fault code data, but the excessive amount proves overwhelming. To be successful, the delivery company needed a reliable and predictable approach providing insight into which vehicle faults should be prioritized.

Solution: Prioritizing DTC Alerts and Real-Time Notifications

Many medium to large-size fleets struggle to manage and prioritize DTC alerts in their workflow. At this delivery company, drivers complete daily inspections to report maintenance issues to fleet managers. Drivers would identify if an illuminated warning light, such as a check engine light, appeared on their dashboard. However, this does not provide enough insight. The light might indicate a minor problem, like a defective gas cap, or it could signal a more significant issue, like a misfiring engine. In many situations, this means the truck should go to a maintenance shop soon to fix the problem and turn off the light.

Pitstop’s predictive maintenance software uses vehicle sensor data to automatically identify DTC/SPN issues with priority, description, explanation, and causes. Pitstop’s platform categorizes all service issues as critical, major, and minor using proprietary algorithms. Critical issues need immediate attention, and major ones require inspection. Minors can be handled during the next service visit.

In one case, the fleet manager at the delivery company received a critical alert email for a vehicle with low battery voltage. Low voltage on a vehicle indicates that the alternator is not producing enough voltage to deliver adequate current to power the battery. After being notified, the fleet manager immediately called the driver to leave the vehicle turned on while carrying out the deliveries for the day and return to the leasing yard at the end of the day for maintenance. This alert avoided unnecessary downtime, as there may not have been enough current to start the engine. As a result, they completed their deliveries for the day while keeping operations running smoothly. The fleet manager knew precisely when to take action with priority alerts and descriptions from Pitstop’s real-time notifications.

Outcome 

Pitstop’s food and beverage fleet maintenance software was effectively deployed into the food service delivery company’s daily operations, allowing fleet managers to proactively act on DTC warnings. Updating the food service delivery company’s maintenance plan ensured they received the proper information to make better business decisions. Their improved fleet operations have enabled them to effectively deliver food to consumers while prioritizing their drivers.

About Pitstop’s Predictive Maintenance Software

Pitstop has accurately sent over 1 million predictive notifications to clients, saving each vehicle an average of $2000 yearly. Pitstop offers end-to-end support for the complete fleet management lifecycle through a simple interface with a fleet’s GPS/ELD provider, such as Geotab, Samsara, Verizon, etc. This proactive strategy saves fleet managers time while enabling them to make more informed and accurate business decisions.

Book a free demo with us today to learn more about how Pitstop may help you enhance your fleet operations.