Fleet Management Glossary
Key terms from the trucking and logistics sector in Mexico.
A
Certificate of Acceptance
A document where the driver signs to accept the trip conditions and the vehicle's condition.
Vehicle Registration
The process of registering a vehicle in the company's fleet roster or with the SCT in order to operate legally.
Trailer (semi-trailer)
An unpowered structure that attaches to a tractor-truck to transport cargo.
B
Trip Log
A mandatory official record for federal trucking that documents the origin, destination, km, driver, cargo, and schedule of each trip. Required by NOM-087-SCT2-2017.
Fuel Fill-up Record
A record of a fuel fill-up per vehicle, including liters, price, and odometer reading at the time of the fill-up.
C
Maintenance Schedule
A preventive program that determines when each vehicle component should be inspected, based on km driven or elapsed time.
Load Capacity
The maximum weight a vehicle can carry according to its configuration and NOM-012-SCT2.
Bill of Lading (Carta de Porte)
A document that covers the transport of goods by road. In Mexico it has been a tax requirement since 2021 (CFDI with Carta Porte supplement).
CFDI Carta Porte
A Digital Tax Receipt (Comprobante Fiscal Digital por Internet) with a Carta Porte supplement, mandatory for transporting goods within national territory. Required by the SAT.
Driver / Operator
A certified person who drives federal trucking vehicles. In Mexico this requires a Federal License issued by the SCT.
Fuel Consumption (L/100km)
A standard metric indicating how many liters of fuel a vehicle consumes for every 100 km driven.
Corrective Cost
The expense generated by unplanned repairs for mechanical failures or breakdowns. Contrasts with preventive cost.
Operating Cost per Km
Total expenses (fuel, maintenance, depreciation, insurance, drivers) divided by km driven. A fundamental profitability metric.
Preventive Cost
Planned spending on regular maintenance to avoid failures. Generally 3–5 times lower than the equivalent corrective cost.
D
Vehicle Depreciation
The loss of a vehicle's value over time and with use. It affects the fleet's real profitability and should be factored into the cost per km.
Tire Wear (mm)
The depth of the tire tread. NOM-012-SCT2 sets a minimum of 1.6 mm of allowed tread wear for federal trucking.
E
Fuel Efficiency
The relationship between km driven and liters consumed. Expressed as km/L or L/100km. For heavy diesel vehicles, an efficient average is 3.5–4.5 km/L.
CO₂ Emissions
The amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a vehicle during its operations. For diesel, it's estimated at 2.68 kg CO₂ per liter consumed.
F
Vehicle Fleet
The set of vehicles owned by or available to a company or organization for its operations.
Freight (Flete)
The price charged for transporting goods. It's calculated per km, per ton, or per fixed route.
G
GPS (Vehicle Tracking)
A satellite location system that allows real-time monitoring of a fleet's vehicle positions.
H
Verification Hologram
An official sticker certifying that a vehicle passed its emissions/vehicle inspection. In Mexico City there are 00, 0, and double-zero holograms with different circulation restrictions.
Hoy No Circula ("No-Drive Day")
A vehicle restriction program in the Mexico City metropolitan area (ZMVM) that limits circulation based on license plate ending and verification hologram. It applies Monday through Friday.
J
JIT (Just in Time)
A logistics model in which supplies arrive at the point of production exactly when needed, without inventory. It requires fleets with high delivery reliability.
K
Km Driven (Odometer)
The total distance accumulated by a vehicle since manufacture or since a reference point. The basis for calculating preventive maintenance intervals.
L
Federal License
A document issued by the SCT authorizing a driver to operate federal trucking vehicles. There are types A, B, C, D, and E depending on the vehicle.
Driver Settlement
The calculation of payment to a driver per trip or period, including deductions, advances, and bonuses. A document required for carrier payroll.
Long-Life Tires
Tires designed for high-mileage fleets, with special compounds that reduce the cost per km driven.
M
Corrective Maintenance
The repair of a failure or breakdown that has already occurred. More costly than preventive maintenance and generates operational downtime.
Preventive Maintenance
Scheduled service based on km or time (oil changes, filters, brakes, etc.) to prevent failures. The foundation of all efficient fleet management.
Maquila (Contract Manufacturing)
Manufacturing companies that outsource production. Their fleets transport supplies and finished product along very defined routes.
N
NOM-012-SCT2
A Mexican Official Standard that sets the maximum weights and dimensions for federal trucking vehicles. Failing to comply results in fines and vehicle impoundment.
NOM-068-SCT2
A standard that establishes the maintenance service requirements for federal freight and passenger trucking.
NOM-087-SCT2-2017
A standard that regulates trip logs in federal trucking, including mandatory fields and their retention.
O
Virtual Odometer
A digital record of accumulated km for each vehicle, independent of the physical odometer. Used in Smart Fleet to calculate maintenance alerts.
P
Total Registered Vehicles (Parque Vehicular)
The total number of vehicles registered in a region or company. Mexico has approximately 60 million registered vehicles.
SCT Permit
Authorization from the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes to operate federal trucking vehicles. Permits exist for freight, passenger, and tourism transport.
Major Preventive Service
A complete maintenance service that includes inspection of the engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, and electrical system. Generally every 100,000–150,000 km.
Minor Preventive Service
A basic maintenance service: oil change, filters, and visual inspection. Generally every 8,000–15,000 km depending on the manufacturer.
R
REPUVE
Mexico's Public Vehicle Registry. A government database that allows verification of a vehicle's legal status (stolen, reported, hologram, etc.).
Fleet ROI
The return on investment of the vehicle fleet. It's calculated by comparing the revenue generated by the fleet against the total operating cost.
Distribution Route
A planned itinerary that optimizes a vehicle's deliveries by minimizing km and time.
S
SCT
Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (Mexico's Ministry of Communications and Transportation). The federal Mexican authority that regulates trucking and issues federal permits and licenses.
Fleet Insurance
An insurance policy that covers all of a company's vehicles under a single contract. Generally more economical than insuring each vehicle individually.
Vehicle Incident (Siniestro)
An accident or event that causes damage to the vehicle and triggers the insurance policy. Recording and tracking it is part of fleet management.
T
Freight Rate
The price charged to the client for moving a load from A to B. It's set per km, per ton, per trip, or a combination of these.
Vehicle Registration Card
A document that proves a vehicle's ownership and legal registration with the authorities. Mandatory to drive and subject to annual renewal.
Downtime
The time a vehicle is out of service due to maintenance, breakdown, or paperwork. It reduces fleet availability.
Tractor-Truck
A heavy motor vehicle used to pull semi-trailers. It's the most common vehicle type in long-distance federal trucking in Mexico.
U
Available Unit
A vehicle that is in operating condition and ready to be assigned to a trip. Availability rate is a key fleet management KPI.
Fleet Utilization (%)
The percentage of time a fleet's vehicles are generating revenue versus total available time.
V
Vehicle Verification (Emissions Inspection)
A biannual or annual review of a vehicle's technical/mechanical condition and emissions. Mandatory in several Mexican states.
Economic Useful Life
The number of years or km up to which it is more economical to operate a vehicle than to replace it. It varies by vehicle type and usage conditions.
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