Your 30/60/90-Day Maintenance Plan for Fall

Winning winter starts in September. The goal is simple: fix predictable failures before they strand vehicles on a frosty morning. Immaculate Kinetics works with mixed fleets—school buses, work trucks, vans, and passenger vehicles—across Central PA to design fall PM programs that deliver uptime. Use this 30/60/90-day playbook as your template.

Days 0–30: Baseline and Stabilize

• Asset triage: Rank vehicles by mission criticality (A/B/C). Address A-assets first—route leaders, snow-response trucks, prime movers.

• Battery sweep: Load-test and record CCA for every asset; replace marginal units and clean grounds.

• Cooling system checks: Pressure test, verify freeze protection, and inspect belts/tensioners.

• Brake & tire snapshot: Measure pad/shoe thickness, rotor/drum condition, tread depths, and note mismatches for later rotation/replacement.

• Filter & fluid refresh: Replace fuel and air filters on diesels; top off washer with winter blend; bring oil services current for the highest-use units.

• Parts forecast: Build a min/max list of high-failure parts (batteries, alternators, belts, tensioners, wiper blades, filters, lamps) and order ahead to beat supply delays.

Days 31–60: Optimize and Protect

• Alignment & suspension: Correct pulls, vibration, and uneven wear to extend tire life through winter.

• Fuel management: Coordinate winterized diesel deliveries and additive plans; schedule bulk tank draining and polishing if needed.

• Heaters & defrost: Replace weak blower motors and heater valves now; confirm mirror and rear defrosters.

• Lighting upgrades: Restore lenses and aim headlights; consider LED interior lights for buses to improve morning boarding visibility.

• Telematics & DVIR integration: Ensure fault codes, mileage, and DVIR defects flow into your work order system for quicker action.

Days 61–90: Harden and Document

• Failure reviews: Look at last winter’s road calls—what failed, when, and why. Update PM task sheets accordingly.

• Spare strategy: Prep hot spares (fueled, charged, with current inspections) for peak season.

• Training & SOPs: Refresh cold-start procedures, jump-start safety, and emergency roadside protocols.

• KPI dashboard: Track PM compliance, road calls per 10,000 miles, mean time between failures, and defect close-out time. Visibility drives action.

Shop Workflow Tips

• Evening PMs: Inspect and stage parts after routes end to minimize daytime downtime.

• Checklists that stick: Keep PM sheets short, specific, and seasonal—techs move faster when tasks match the month.

• Communication cadence: Hold a 10-minute stand-up each morning to review open safety defects and top priorities.

An organized fall is the cheapest winter insurance you can buy. If you need help building or executing this plan, Immaculate Kinetics can tailor a PM cadence, stock list, and KPI dashboard that fits your fleet and routes.