5 steps to solving root causes and increase uptime

Here are five key insights we’re seeing in the field on what’s slowing uptime—and how to fix it. 

1. Uptime issues usually start long before a failure

A breakdown may seem sudden, but in most cases, it didn’t come out of nowhere. One of the most common root causes we see is a lack of timely preventive maintenance—especially leading into cold or hot weather. Skipping or delaying preventive maintenance can set the stage for failures at the worst possible time.

Drivers’ behavior also plays a bigger role than many realize. Fleets that monitor habits like hard braking, cruise control usage, and speeding—behaviors that directly contribute to vehicle wear and tear—tend to see fewer breakdowns. The most successful fleets go a step further by tying driver incentives to safety and maintenance metrics, creating a win-win for performance and reliability.

2. More data isn’t the answer—better data is

Fleets today are collecting more data than ever, but not all of it is actionable. The challenge is separating what’s useful from what's irrelevant. The real value comes from spotting patterns and acting on the right information to make meaningful gains.

Vehicle maintenance reporting standards (VMRS) coding, unscheduled failure reports, and telematics can all reveal recurring issues—if you know where to look. For example, fleets can significantly reduce diesel exhaust system costs by building preventative cycles into their maintenance. This level of improvement happens when managers focus on high-confidence, high-cost indicators—not just reacting to every dashboard alert.

3. Don’t just treat the symptom—fix the pattern

There are a lot of repeat offenders that contribute to vehicle downtime, but sometimes the initial repair doesn’t solve it. Finding the root cause behind vehicle downtime means going beyond the initial failure. For example, maybe a leak was fixed, but the conditions that caused it weren’t.  

It is crucial to treat every unscheduled repair as a chance to learn and ask: Was it repaired correctly the first time? Is this part of a larger trend? Establishing consistent diagnostic procedures, validating repair outcomes, and updating technician training are essential steps in breaking the cycle.

4. Communication as an uptime tool

A fleet could have the best data in the world, but if the information doesn’t reach its technicians, drivers, or frontline teams, it won’t make an impact. Thus, communication can make or break a repair strategy.  

The most successful fleets build a strong line of communication from the front office to the shop floor. Technicians are often the first to notice repeat issues or emerging patterns, and when they’re current on failure trends, updated repair processes, and safety alerts, fleets can create a culture where information sharing leads to problem solving and smarter fixes.

5. Proactive fleets Are rewriting the maintenance playbook

The days of “run it until it breaks” are over. With tighter delivery windows, more complex vehicles, and rising driver expectations, reactive maintenance just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Leading fleets are shifting to a proactive mindset—one that considers not just repair costs, but the broader impact of downtime: Lost revenue, missed deliveries, and driver dissatisfaction. They’re also rethinking what it means to run lean, recognizing that short-term savings can lead to long-term losses.

Where fleets go from here

There’s no silver bullet for uptime but there are patterns worth paying attention to—and steps every fleet can take. It starts with building a smarter foundation of mission-critical data, consistent communication from top to bottom, stronger diagnostics, and a proactive mindset. When something does go wrong, dig deeper—not just to solve the problem, but to get to the root to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The real ROI lies in staying ahead of costly breakdowns and keeping your fleet where it belongs: On the road.