3 Glass Tips for Commercial Fleet Managers

If your fleet's maintenance strategy does not include a plan for glass protection, maintenance, and repair, then it may be time to develop one. These three tips will help to ensure that your fleet's glass can continue to keep your drivers safe on the road.

Fleet-wide tinting doesn't need to be an exercise in vanity. Window tint offers many practical benefits, including UV protection for interior plastics and reduced sun glare for your drivers. Sun glare can be surprisingly dangerous, especially on bright, sunny days over the long Texas summer. Protecting your drivers from this road hazard can help to reduce accidents and create a safer fleet.

Window tint can also help to reduce the load on your fleet's air conditioning systems. Infrared rejection tint can significantly lower interior temperatures, allowing your vehicle's air conditioners to put in less work. When taken over a large fleet, this reduction can help to ease fuel costs and increase the longevity of costly air conditioning components.

Security is one final, practical benefit to consider. Although Texas law restricts tint on windshields and front side windows to 25 percent visible light transmission, there are no restrictions on rear windows. If your crews typically transport expensive equipment, full rear window tint can provide some added security. Full rear tint can be especially helpful if you manage vans or other vehicles with ample cargo areas.

Automotive glass helps reinforce the structural rigidity of vehicles. Compromised glass can lead to reduced safety in accidents, placing your drivers at higher risk on the road. Because glass is so important, it is essential to ensure that your drivers reliably and consistently report any damage. Even a small chip or crack can spiral out of control, creating an extremely hazardous situation.

As with most aspects of fleet maintenance, driver training is a crucial part of this process. Drivers should be taught to perform an inspection of their vehicle glass at least once per day. Since changes in temperature can worsen most forms of glass damage, catching issues before this happens is a vital part of any glass maintenance program.

Simply identifying damage is not enough to prevent costly repairs or dangerous driving situations. You should always conduct repairs as soon as your drivers or maintenance teams identify a problem. If you cannot immediately repair a vehicle, you should remove it from active service until you can adequately evaluate the glass.

Although the opportunity cost of taking a vehicle off of the road may be high, the dangers of ignoring problems can be much more significant. Filling a small chip or crack can restore the strength of your glass, preventing additional damage from temperature changes or impacts. On the other hand, ignoring the problem can turn a simple resin fill repair into a complete windshield replacement.

Keeping on top of problems is especially important if your fleet includes heavy-duty vehicles or specialty equipment. Replacing glass on heavy equipment often requires custom cutting and installation, potentially leading to much higher costs. Drivers who operate and maintain these vehicles should be especially aware of glass issues.

If you manage a commercial fleet, then Affiliated Auto Glass can be your company's glass maintenance partner. We can handle repairs and replacements on everything from standard commercial trucks to heavy-duty equipment. Give us a call today to work out a program for your fleet!