I’m so confused started on small fleets in the 80s some old trucks but well maintained by an onsite workshop. 90s 00s 10s worked for big PLCs were everything was really well maintained. Recently I worked for a company that was running their machines into the ground not maintaining them and not paying their bills at the dealership, must admit to being a little shaken by the experience. Start tomorrow for some one with a fleet of 20 . Just wondering if there’s a new trend coming or I just was unlucky ?
You were just unlucky buddy ,I am sure most operators run there vehicles to the book ,I do and I am happy to know I have a green light with DVSA , I preach to my men to check there vehicles every day ,and defect straight away ,it costs me a fortune at Inspection times but I rather that than a GV9 .
There are a few cowboys, but these days VOSA / DVSA generally find out and come down very hard with loss of operators licence etc. That’s assuming said companies aren’t registered abroad to hide from authorities.
Not saying getting things fixed is always easy bit most get twitchy when mentioning getting stopped.
JAKEY:
it costs me a fortune at Inspection times but I rather that than a GV9 .
Ok so it costs you some dosh at inspection times to keep things well, but the alternative is save those jobs up till the pre mot which then presents you with a bill of eye watering proportions, you’re still going to be paying out the same amount one way or another, but your way gives worry free running and reliable vehicles, and i dare say it happier drivers.
My lot do the same, serviced properly and fixed when they need fixing as a when issues are noticed developing, the MOT inspection/test are often the lowest bills of the year.
I worked for a similar mob to ukjames’s recent cowboy outfit experience in the early 90’s, never seen anything like it, literally the lorries were never serviced only bodged up when something broke, horrible time there but i stuck it because i was learning a specialist side of lorrying which eventually gave me a good living, sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
I asked one day there when mine was due for a service cos it was running terribly, the fitter looked at me like i was an alien ‘we don’t service them’ was the answer in shocked tones, he wasn’t kidding either, so i binned the decomposing lump of filth that comprised what was once an air filter and the heap ran a lot better after that 
ukjamesuk:
Recently I worked for a company that was running their machines into the ground not maintaining them and not paying their bills at the dealership,
Sounds like you were the guy who replaced me at my previous employer 
Strange I replaced the cab filter myself as it was rotting and behind it the heater was just one solid fused lump of mud. Funniest thing they had FORS gold because no driver was allowed to defect anything. I kid you not. I cant explain the sense of relief of driving an auto box that actually goes in the direction you expect and at the time you expect with the new company I work for.