When a vehicle is in use it requires constant maintenance such as oil change, tire updates, alignment fixing, engine repairs, etc. An organization may own and use a number of vehicles and it becomes difficult to remember the maintenance details of all the vehicles. Therefore, to manage the maintenance schedule a vehicle maintenance log is maintained.
What is a vehicle maintenance log?
A vehicle maintenance log is a spreadsheet to record all the relevant information of the vehicles in use. The individual details of the vehicles are recorded separately over the lifetime of the vehicles. The log indicates the vehicles’ condition and the repair work and hence is updated from time to time. It documents the vehicle descriptions, the maintenance works the vehicle has gone through, the needed maintenance in the future, the regular maintenance, etc. The organization can easily list down the vehicle maintenance details in this log, which is easy to change, update and manage.
What are the advantages of a vehicle maintenance log?
There are many benefits of maintaining a vehicle maintenance log, such as:
- Record of the maintenance history.
As this log records all the details since the time of the vehicle’s purchase, all the history can be reviewed by viewing the log. This information can help in making different decisions, such as when to sell off a vehicle, when a vehicle will be deemed unfit, etc.
- Improved management of vehicles and their maintenance schedule.
The management of the maintenance of the vehicle becomes better when the information is listed down in the log. It helps in tracking the schedules and the due dates and highlights the approaching maintenance dates as well.
- Track vehicle performance and vehicle condition.
The state in which the vehicle is currently working can be reflected through the details recorded in the vehicle maintenance log. For instance, if a vehicle is requiring constant maintenance, and causing unnecessary costs, it means that the vehicle is not performing well, and may need to be discarded.
- Indication of the vehicle’s worth.
If the organization wants to sell off a vehicle, this log can help it to assess the value and market price of that vehicle. The depreciation value can also be evaluated through the information stated in this log.
- Aids in the avoidance of accidents.
If a vehicle is well maintained, accidents can be evaded, and lives can be saved.
What are the main components of a vehicle maintenance log?
The components of such a log can vary as per the requirements of the user and owner. However, generally, the following components are recorded in the fields of these logs:
- Date of the data entry.
- Details of the vehicle, including name, model, description, warranty, date of purchase, etc.
- Vehicle mileage.
- Type of the maintenance required.
- Date of the last maintenance.
- Due date of the next maintenance.
- Charges.
- Remarks, if any.
- Signature of the person, who enters the data in the log.
- Signature of the authorized person.
