According to a UK service, maintenance and repair (SMR) top 20 released by epyx, brake pads and discs are the most common reason UK fleet vehicles enter workshops.
The table has been based on information from the company’s 1link Service Network platform. The platform is used by fleets totalling four million cars, vans and trucks, to buy and manage SMR from nearly 9,000 franchise dealers, independent garages and fast-fits.
The data shows the percentage of invoice line items for a range of SMR actions for a 12-month period from the start of September 2019 to the end of August 2020.
Brake discs and pads were by far the most common job, accounting for 16.3% of all SMR carried out. Completing the top five were windscreen wiper blades (5.6%), pollen filters (4.4%), fuel filters (2.2%) and batteries (2.0%).
The overall table revealed:
|
SMR action
|
Percentage of jobs
|
|
|
1 |
Brake discs and pads |
16.3% |
|
2 |
Windscreen wiper blades |
5.6% |
|
3 |
Pollen filter |
4.4% |
|
4 |
Fuel filter |
2.2% |
|
5 |
Battery |
2.0% |
|
6 |
Air filter |
1.9% |
|
7 |
Tailgate wiper blades |
1.7% |
|
8 |
Headlamp bulb |
1.7% |
|
9 |
Key fob battery |
1.5% |
|
10 |
Brake light bulb |
0.8% |
|
11 |
Number plate bulb |
0.7% |
|
12 |
Air conditioning recharge |
0.7% |
|
13 |
Diesel particulate filter |
0.6% |
|
14 |
Clutch assembly |
0.4% |
|
15 |
Parking brake |
0.4% |
|
16 |
Side bulb |
0.4% |
|
17 |
Spark plugs |
0.4% |
|
18 |
Headlamp alignment |
0.3% |
|
19 |
Wheel alignment |
0.3% |
|
20 |
Indicator bulb |
0.2% |
Debbie Fox, Commercial Director at epyx, said: “Simply because of the amount of data that is processed through 1link Service Network, this is probably the most authoritative table of its type available anywhere in the UK fleet market.
“In our view, it makes fascinating reading. Fundamentally, it shows the SMR tasks that UK fleets of all kinds deal with on a real world, day-to-day basis. They are not an indication of cost – that would be a much more complex subject – but they show why vehicles enter workshops, which has a definite value for fleet managers.
“For example, if you were running a major fleet and looked at this table, you could potentially conclude that encouraging drivers to adopt driving styles that produced less wear and tear on brakes and pads would be a worthwhile management objective, and look at ways to work towards this aim.”
Debbie added that part of what the 1link Service Network helps fleets achieve, is ensuring that these jobs are only carried out as they become necessary.
She said: “On one hand, the platform makes the processing of jobs much easier but it also acts as a control tool to ensure that SMR is carried out in line with fleet policies. For example, returning to the subject of brakes and pads, instructions are provided to replace at the wear level that the fleet specifies and this is evidenced by workshops retaining parts for inspection.
“Our account management team works very closely with customers to look at the way in which these policies are enforced and how they can be improved. For very large fleets, fractional gains can mean very worthwhile savings and there are always new ideas emerging, even in areas of SMR that are very well-established and well-understood.”
