How to set repair priority in a company with several cars?

Rule No. 1: safety and legal compliance always come first

You start repair priorities with issues that affect the driver’s and other road users’ safety or the validity of vehicle inspections and approvals. Faults that may cause an accident or prevent a vehicle from passing its inspection should be treated as immediate.

In practice this means: brakes, lighting that affects visibility, leaks from critical systems and items required in the vehicle inspection. The source of this rule is the regulations on vehicle inspections.

• Immediate: faults that endanger safety or invalidate the vehicle inspection.
• Do not delay the decision until someone says “it might still be OK” - the legal consequences and risk of an accident are serious.

Assess operational criticality: which vehicle is key to the business?

After safety you look at what impact the loss of a particular vehicle has on the company’s operations. Operational criticality is a simple question: without which vehicle will you stop fulfilling orders, lose customers or significantly increase costs?

Examples: a vehicle handling regular morning deliveries has a higher priority than a car used occasionally for administrative commuting.

• Important: consider seasonality and scheduled jobs, because priority can change.
• If you have vehicles with similar roles, take into account their technical condition and availability of a replacement vehicle.

Simple points system - how to use it

For daily decisions a few criteria and a points total are enough. Score each criterion on a 0-3 scale (0 = not relevant now, 3 = very important). A total of 0-15 gives a clear ranking.

The criteria are simple and can be entered into a spreadsheet, a notebook or basic repair-management software (you don’t need a complex system).

• Criteria (0-3 pts each):
• 1. Safety and regulatory compliance (e.g. impact on vehicle inspection).
• 2. Operational criticality (how much the company’s work is disrupted by the vehicle’s absence).
• 3. Repair cost vs. downtime cost (is it worth investing quickly to avoid downtime).
• 4. Risk of rapid deterioration (will the fault worsen quickly).
• 5. Availability of parts/replacement (can it be repaired quickly or a substitute provided).
• Example interpretation of the total: 11-15 pts = immediate, 7-10 = high priority, 4-6 = planned, 0-3 = monitored.

Four decision thresholds - what to do at each level

Simplify decisions by using four thresholds. For each threshold plan concrete steps and a time limit so issues are not left unchecked.

Thresholds also help communicate priority to drivers and the workshop.

• Immediate: book the repair straight away, arrange a replacement vehicle if necessary; do not postpone. Applies to safety and compliance issues.
• High priority: schedule a date within a few days; consider expediting parts delivery or using a partner with short lead times.
• Planned: synchronise the repair with routine service to minimise downtime (e.g. during a periodic inspection).
• Monitored: observe and record, check at the next shift change or during routine service.

Documentation - a simple record that improves decisions

Short, regular records pay back quickly. Instead of waiting for a detailed system, keep a simple spreadsheet or program where you record: report date, fault description, repair cost, downtime and who carried out the work.

With a history you will spot vehicles that fail frequently and more easily decide whether to keep repairing or consider replacing the vehicle.

• What to record: date, symptoms, priority assessment, labour and parts cost, downtime, mechanic’s notes, date of next inspection.
• Practical tip: review the list once a month - this helps update priorities (e.g. when routes or contracts change).

How to reduce downtime - simple tools for a small fleet

Downtime costs money, but in a small fleet you have the advantage of flexibility. A few practical measures will get you back to work faster without major outlays.

Consolidating repairs and choosing the right service partners are the simplest actions you can implement immediately.

• Consolidate: schedule several repairs on the same day for vehicles at the same location to reduce travel and unproductive time.
• Service partners: have 1-2 trusted workshops you can book quickly with and negotiate priority handling.
• Replacement/rotation vehicles: plan one replacement vehicle for key routes or rotate vehicles between tasks to avoid service interruptions.
• Adjust communication: tell drivers which faults to report immediately and which can wait for scheduled service.

Caution and updating decisions

Priorities are not fixed. A route change, failure of a replacement vehicle or an urgent job can raise the priority of a repair previously classified as planned or monitored.

Regularly check the priority list and update records, especially before key work periods (season, promotions, standing contracts).

• Do not make decisions solely on the price of parts - include the cost of lost revenue and reputation.
• Do not postpone repairs affecting safety or the timing of the vehicle inspection - the legal consequences and risk are significant.

Summary

For a small fleet the best approach is simple, repeatable rules: safety and compliance first, then operational criticality, then cost vs. downtime and risk of deterioration. Implement a simple points system (0-15 pts) and four decision thresholds (immediate/high/planned/monitored), record repair history in a spreadsheet or simple program and minimise downtime by consolidating repairs, using service partners and keeping replacement vehicles. Review priorities regularly - the operational situation changes, so once-established rules need updating.