Mobile Fleet Maintenance: What Services Can Be Done On-Site?

For fleet managers, the term “roadside repair” often rings alarm bells, fears of high fees, slow service, and shoddy quality. In most circumstances, when it comes to semi truck repair, in-shop maintenance is still the preferred and most likely cost-effective route. However, that doesn’t mean roadside service should be written off entirely. Roadside maintenance still has its place in your fleet strategy.

There are key scenarios when roadside assistance is more beneficial than bringing a truck to a repair show. When used at the proper time, roadside maintenance is a strategic tool to reduce downtime, protect delivery schedules, and keep your drivers moving. At My Fleet Assist, we help fleet managers uncover those high-leverage moments where the right mobile repair call can deliver big returns, especially when time, location, and driver utilization are all factored in.

Tight Deliveries: Roadside Maintenance to Minimize Downtime

Imagine this: your driver is at a live unload with a known issue on the unit, maybe it’s a slow leaking airline, a faulty taillight, a trailer needing repair, or a tire nearing replacement. You could have them wait until after the delivery to drive off-route to a shop, wait in line, and lose hours in the process. Unless you’ve got a network of trusted repair shops all across the country (like we do at My Fleet Assist), you risk waiting all of that time just to go to a sub-par repair shop anyway.

But what if you used that downtime intentionally?

When a driver is unloading, there’s a window of opportunity to fix minor issues without disrupting the schedule. Yes, mobile repairs typically cost more, anywhere from $250 to $300 more per incident according to recent industry benchmarks, but the value isn’t in the upfront cost. It’s in the time saved and load protected.

Delivery delays have ripple effects: late penalties, canceled appointments, detention charges, and customer dissatisfaction. If your driver can leave the dock and immediately run their next load with no detour, no wait, you’ve preserved your productivity and revenue flow. On the flip side, if they have to wait to unload, then drive (a potentially dangerous) truck to the nearest shop, then wait for them to address the issue, you can kiss your next on-time delivery goodbye.

The key is proactive planning. At My Fleet Assist, we work with dispatchers to schedule ahead during known stops, ensuring a trusted mobile technician is already en route before your driver finishes the unload. That’s operational efficiency not reactive spending.

And if your situation truly does require in-shop service later down the line, Truck Service Point is one of My Fleet Assist’s most trusted repair partners, known for transparent pricing, high-quality workmanship, and fast turnarounds. Located near key distribution hubs, they’re a go-to solution for everything from PMs to major repairs.

Driver Home Time: A Missed Opportunity to Get Ahead

Driver home time is essential for retention, morale, and safety, but it also represents one of the most overlooked maintenance opportunities in fleet management.

Too often, units sit idle during home time, only to be routed to a shop afterward for minor fixes. That adds delay to the next dispatch, and it can start a domino effect that disrupts your load planning for days.

Instead, schedule maintenance while the unit is already parked. Have a mobile tech meet the unit near the driver’s home, secured parking lot, or terminal. By the time the driver’s rest is up, their truck is fully ready to roll.

This doesn’t just save time, it can also improve driver satisfaction. Studies have shown that fleets that streamline the post-home-time ramp-up process have higher driver retention rates and faster turnaround times on load reassignments.

Even for minor issues like:

• A trailer light that’s flickering
  
  

• Low tire pressure or worn tread
  
  

• A needed PM inspection
  
  

• DEF or air filter servicing
  
  

Strategically planning your driver’s roadside repairs during home time can save 2–4 hours of downtime per incident. It’s up to you to determine if the extra cost of the roadside repair is worth the time saved for your driver. This may not always be the case, so understanding your drivers, their needs and values, and your network of trusted repair shops or mobile repair units is critical here.

Yard Maintenance: Use Mobile Repairs to Keep Trailers in Play

If you operate drop yards or satellite facilities without a shop onsite, you’ve likely experienced the frustration of trying to keep trailers DOT-compliant, repaired, and ready to roll. In many yards, damaged or expired units just sit waiting for a driver to deadhead them to a facility for service. That means you have to pay your driver to take the truck, don’t generate any revenue because it’s empty of freight, and you have to pay for the repairs. Talk about an expensive day. That’s a drain on labor, fuel, and asset availability.

Instead, use mobile maintenance partners, like those dispatched through My Fleet Assist, to perform routine yard checks and service right where the equipment is stored. That includes:

• DOT inspections
  
  

• Brake pad and chamber replacements
  
  

• Lighting repairs
  
  

• Minor air system fixes
  
  

• Preventative maintenance
  
  

According to data from the Truckload Carriers Association, trailer downtime can cost fleets an average of $400 to $700 per day in lost utilization. Keeping your units active and compliant through on-site yard service helps avoid unnecessary dispatch delays and keeps your operation moving.

Why Mobile Repairs Seem Expensive, But Oftentimes Aren’t

There’s no denying that mobile repair rates tend to run higher per hour than standard in-shop labor. But judging roadside service on hourly cost alone misses the bigger picture.

When you factor in the true cost of taking a unit off-route for a shop visit, driver hourly wages and overtime, lost productivity during travel or waiting in a repair queue, and the administrative time spent rescheduling or coordinating loads, the total expense quickly adds up. Missed or rescheduled deliveries can lead to detention charges or late penalties, and towing or fuel costs just to reach a shop add another layer of financial drain. In many cases, particularly when the issue is minor and time-sensitive, the cost of a well-timed mobile repair is far more reasonable when viewed through the lens of operational efficiency.

For fleets operating on tight margins and tight timelines, the value of minimizing downtime and keeping assets moving often outweighs

At My Fleet Assist, we’re not just dispatching technicians—we’re helping you make smarter decisions that keep your fleet running lean, safe, and on time. And when in-shop service is required, our trusted partner Truck Service Point is ready to handle everything from routine PMs to complex repairs with honesty and expertise.

Want to learn more about building a maintenance strategy that blends the best of mobile and in-shop service?

Reach out to My Fleet Assist today. We’ll help you build a roadmap that reduces downtime, controls costs, and improves fleet uptime from every angle.

Partner with My Fleet Assist and we'll coordinate your roadside maintenance and in-shop repairs.