That’s the key finding of research by Shell Lubricants, which also reveals that fleet managers believe more than half of vehicle downtime in the last three years is due to incorrect selection or management of lubricants.
The resulting costs are significant: one in three (32%) estimate that this unplanned downtime cost their business £82,000 or more; one in five (19%) believe the sum could have exceeded £200,000.
The international study of fleet and transport companies across Asia, Europe and the Americas commissioned by Shell Lubricants reveals that 63% of fleet operators do not understand how effective vehicle lubrication can influence unplanned downtime and less than half (47%) understand how lubricants can help lower costs through improved fuel efficiency.
“Vehicle availability, maintenance costs and fuel expenditure all influence the ‘cost per kilometre’ of the fleet, but the impact of lubrication on these critical factors is too often underestimated,” says John Walters, Shell global sector manager for fleet.
Pressure on maintenance budgets can often lead to selection of cheaper lubricants, he adds, “but the detrimental effect of cheaper oils and greases on equipment can prove more expensive over time”.