When your shop is busy turning out repairs, oil changes, or tire rotations, it’s easy to overlook the equipment doing all the heavy lifting—literally. But just like the vehicles you work on every day, your shop’s tools and machines need regular care to stay reliable. A solid preventive maintenance schedule isn’t just a good idea—it’s a smart investment in your workflow, safety, and bottom line.
Let’s walk through how to create a preventive maintenance schedule that actually works for your shop, keeps your equipment running smoothly, and helps you avoid the kind of breakdowns that stop work cold.
Start by Identifying Critical Equipment
The first step in building a maintenance schedule is knowing what needs to be on it. Walk through your shop and make a list of all the equipment you use daily, weekly, and monthly. Focus on high-usage, high-value machines like vehicle lifts, air compressors, tire balancers, brake lathes, and alignment racks.
Once you have a list, consider how often each piece of equipment is used and what kind of stress it goes through. A hydraulic lift that’s used 30 times a day will have very different maintenance needs than a tire inflator used once in a while. Prioritize the items that would shut down part of your operation if they failed.
You might even want to involve your techs in this process—they often know which tools are acting up or need extra attention, even before there’s an obvious problem.
Schedule Tasks Based on Usage and Manufacturer Guidelines
Now that you’ve got your equipment list, it’s time to figure out when and how to maintain each item. Check the manuals or manufacturer websites for recommended service intervals. These might include things like checking fluid levels, lubricating moving parts, tightening bolts, replacing filters, or testing safety systems.
While manufacturer guidelines are a great starting point, don’t be afraid to adjust based on real-world usage. If your alignment rack is used twice as much as recommended, you might want to bump up the frequency of certain checks.
Create a calendar—whether it’s digital or printed—and plot out monthly, quarterly, and annual tasks. Color-code it if that helps. You don’t need anything fancy—just something that keeps everyone on the same page and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
Keep Records of All Maintenance Performed
Logging maintenance work is one of those tasks that feels like a chore—until you really need it. Keeping a clear record of what’s been serviced, when, and by whom makes it easier to spot patterns. Is your tire balancer breaking down every three months? Maybe it needs deeper servicing or replacement. Are you spending too much time fixing the air compressor? You’ll know for sure when you see it on paper.
Whether you use a spreadsheet, a maintenance app, or good old-fashioned clipboards on the wall, make sure every completed task gets recorded. Include the date, what was done, and any issues found. This record can also come in handy for insurance or warranty claims, and it keeps new team members in the loop without guesswork.
Train Your Team to Spot Early Warning Signs
Even the best maintenance schedule won’t catch everything if your team isn’t paying attention. One of the most powerful tools in preventive maintenance is the people using the equipment. Train your employees to recognize unusual noises, odd smells, decreased performance, or minor glitches—and to report them right away.
Set a culture in your shop where speaking up about potential issues is encouraged, not seen as complaining. The sooner a problem is spotted, the cheaper and faster it usually is to fix. Waiting until something fully breaks can lead to missed jobs, unhappy customers, and expensive repairs.
You might also want to include a brief equipment check at the start of each shift. Even a two-minute look-over can prevent a major problem down the line.
Make Sure You Have the Right Tools and Supplies on Hand
Preventive maintenance is a whole lot easier when you’re properly stocked. Make sure your shop is always equipped with basic replacement parts, lubricants, and cleaning supplies for your core equipment. There’s nothing worse than planning to service the lift only to realize you’re out of hydraulic fluid.
Keeping an organized inventory of shop supplies can streamline your routine and save time. That includes essential dealership supplies like protective covers, fluid dispensers, and maintenance tools tailored to your shop’s needs. Having what you need, when you need it, can turn a time-consuming job into a quick task.
Consider assigning one team member to keep tabs on your supplies—someone who can reorder as needed and ensure you’re never scrambling during a service window.
Conclusion
A preventive maintenance schedule might not be the flashiest part of running an auto shop, but it’s one of the most important. Staying ahead of equipment issues means fewer breakdowns, fewer service interruptions, and a safer working environment for your team. It’s about being proactive instead of reactive.
By identifying key equipment, following a realistic schedule, tracking service history, empowering your staff, and keeping your shop stocked, you’re building more than just a maintenance plan—you’re building long-term success. Like any good routine, it takes a little time to set up but pays off in performance, reliability, and peace of mind.
Don’t wait for a lift to stop working mid-job. Start now, and keep your shop running like a well-oiled machine—literally.
