Suggestions for "cheap" fleet maintenance program

[JD3020]

Currently looking for something to make my shop life a little less stressful. I'm in a family business and i'm in charge of all our maintenance along with some other trucks/equipment/trailers from landscapers we work with. In total i'm responsible for 7 trucks, 4 SUV's, 4 skid steers, 2 excavators, a trencher, and 10+ trailers. The problem i'm having is i can't keep track of everything with my current "system". I have a list on my laptop with the filter and fluid specs for everything, but i can't access that from my phone or anywhere else. And every time i do maintenance/repairs i fill out a sheet but then i end up with a stack of papers in my toolbox. Basic things like oil changes are easy to keep track of but i end up losing track of all the other service intervals(final drives, hydraulic fluid change, hydraulic filters, diffs, etc...) The biggest issue is we don't have one central shop so i can't just walk out and check hours/miles on something when i want, and when i do check hours on something and realize it needs serviced i have to go back home to get on my laptop and pull up the info so i can get the right filter. Luckily we aren't putting crazy hours and miles on stuff so its not a major issue, but still a PITA for me to keep track of everything. I also have filters and parts scattered between 3 shops so its impossible to know what i have and end up buying parts i already have somewhere.


I'm currently demoing Fleetio and like it a lot, but it would cost us over $100/month for our current fleet and has features like GPS tracking that we don't need. I don't want anything super flashy or "integrated", just need to be able to set-up all my PM intervals, keep track of what i did and when i did it, fluid and filter numbers, be able to access from a PC and phone, and easily update hours/miles. Looking to see what else is out there before we spend any money.

 

[StreetGLi]

Use Google docs. You can access your spreadsheets from anywhere.

Sent from my LG-H873 using Tapatalk

 

[OccupantRJ]

An IPhone, along with an IPad. Everything that happens with the phone gets automatically mirrored to the IPad and also to the cloud for backup, no matter where each is. I use this method in my workshop activities and machine restorations to look up any piece of info on anything I own as needed, anywhere, at any time. I take pics of all data plates to pull up numbers for parts, etc. I have every vin, model, make, tag number, etc. of every vehicle In my immediate family.

I am sitting in my recliner waiting for the storm to pass. If I wanted to know the rpm of my lathe motor, I can pull up the data plate pic and get all details without venturing outside. A simple system and it works. I am preparing to engage a second IPad into things inside the shop so I can see the information easier on a larger screen. That will give 3 access points as needed.

 

[346ci]

I track maintenance on 40+ vehicles/equipment with a simple spreadsheet. Mainly oil, fuel filters and yearly inspections. It has lots of other info also but I have to update everything manually when a service is completed.

 

[nh_yota]

The easiest way is to use a simple online spreadsheet tool from Google Docs or Office 365 and set each tab as one piece of equipment. You keep track of the specs for the maintenance intervals and part numbers at the top of the tab and a work log at the bottom. Once you figure out the design you want to use, you can clone the first tab into however many you need for your inventory of equipment.

 

[yeldogt]

We keep track of around 15 vehicles. Having tried many different systems over the years -- most require too many inputs. Most new cars require 10k changes ..the older are 7.5 --- that's easy .. we track miles. We typically don't exceed the air filter miles in a year -- they all get changed in the spring including the cabin on a particular day. Buying the filters online makes them cheap -- I don't have to think about it ... I know they are done

Any service gets a label maker sticker created -- any major needed service gets another sticker. On the vehicle. I ask my employees to give things a check .. people end up being very good about checking oil levels -- walking around vehicles and checking tires.

I can walk up to any vehicle or equipment and know what's been done (and when) and what's coming up.

If I look at a vehicle that had pads at 40k -- it now has 70k .. I know to watch. Also my independent mechanic that does our work (oil changes as well) .. is very good at giving me updates on general stuff. I give him a fair amount of work .. so I expect that from him.

I typically do the filters myself ..

 

[lowe.joshua51]

I use an app on my phone called AutoCare, it works fantastic for me tracking our personal vehicles. I even made a 'vehicle' called my house to track filter changes in the AC, different repairs, etc. I see no reason why you can't track each piece of equipment through that app.

Edit: I have the paid version, I believe it cost $5 or $10 one time but there's no monthly cost.