Daf urges fleets to tighten winter checks after record roadside callouts

Daf Trucks is warning fleets to sharpen winter preparation and daily checks after record demand for its Dafaid roadside assistance service since the New Year. The service handled 898 callouts on Monday January 5, its busiest day on record, followed by 777 jobs the next day. Across December, Dafaid received 9,024 calls, resulting in 7,902 roadside jobs.

Daf says most winter breakdowns are preventable. National Highways data shows tyres account for 19.1% of winter failures, with batteries responsible for a further 18%, both made worse by cold temperatures. Dafaid Manager Andy Mudie said breakdowns are rarely sudden, adding that early warning signs are often missed during rushed daily checks.

FleetWise has published a practical Better Fleet winter downtime playbook, including guidance on EV range risk, warning signals to watch, and before, during and after actions fleets can actually follow:

Why winter exposes EV downtime and range risk

Winter EV signals fleets should watch

A before, during and after winter playbook

Used together, these checks and frameworks can help fleets reduce roadside delays, control costs and keep vehicles moving when winter pressure is highest.

Join Better Fleet for best-practice planning that's proven through real-world case studies:

Click here: Better Fleet Campaign

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