Finding The Right Safe

Posted on: 6 June 2016

As the owner of a business with a fleet of vehicles, keeping your drivers on the road is important. From the routine service calls and maintenance to ensuring that you regulate access to the cars, this is no easy task. Especially in businesses where those cars are on the road daily, you'll want to make sure that you include maintenance on things like the locking system and ignition as part of your routine. Over time, these things can wear out, which it could eventually leave one of your drivers stranded if you're ill-prepared. Here are a few of the ways that you can combat the risk of lock wear on your commercial vehicles.

Rekey The Door Locks

When your fleet vehicles use traditional keys to gain entry, you need to be sure that the locking mechanisms function at all times. You can help combat wear by having the locks rekeyed periodically. Even once a year can help combat the wear and tear of heavy use. In addition, rekeying has many benefits. It helps to reduce instances of broken or stuck keys due to wear and tear. You may also want to consider rekeying locks any time a driver of yours loses a key, because there's no way to know where that key ended up.

Keep Key Originals Stowed Away

While you've probably gotten a set of keys made for the driver of each vehicle and a backup set for you to keep in the office, you might not have thought about how important the master key is. That master key for each car is often the only one that you can get clean, flawless key reproductions from. For that reason, you'll want to make sure that you keep the master key for each car in a safe or other secure area. That way, you'll always have it if you're in need of a new key copy.

Convert to Transponder Key Systems

Transponder keys rely on a chip that's embedded in the key to control access to the car and the ignition. The car's proximity sensor will detect the transponder chip and automatically unlock doors. Not only do transponder keys eliminate the concern about worn lock tumblers, they also reduce the risk of a stranded driver due to a faulty ignition cylinder.

Transponder keys can be a costly investment, but it's usually a one-time investment unless you have to replace the transponder itself. Keep an extra copy of each transponder key and make sure that you ask your locksmith about how far in advance you'd have to order duplicates, because some locksmiths don't keep those transponder keys on hand.

With these tips, you'll be in a much better position to keep your drivers on the road and your fleet productive. Talk with a locksmith today, like Rahn's Best Lock Service, about other ideas for your cars to ensure that your drivers can always access their vehicle when needed.