If you’re running an Amazon Delivery Service Partner (DSP) business, you already know how crucial the Amazon Scorecard is for your survival and growth. It decides whether you get bonuses, more routes, contract renewals, or a dreaded warning letter. But did you know that something as basic as fleet maintenance can quietly drag your score down—sometimes before you even notice there’s a problem?

Let’s face it: Delivering hundreds of packages a day is hard enough without unexpected vehicle breakdowns, failed inspections, or safety issues. Yet, the majority of these headaches start with common maintenance mistakes that DSP owners and managers overlook. In this article, we’ll break down the top five maintenance mistakes that can hurt your DSP Scorecard—and, more importantly, how to avoid them using smart fleet management solutions like Simply Fleet.

1. Skipping or Delaying Preventive Maintenance

The Mistake: When you’re juggling route planning, staffing, and customer expectations, it’s tempting to push oil changes, tire rotations, or brake inspections “just one more week.” Maybe a van seems to be running fine, or you’re waiting to hit a certain mileage before heading to the shop. But small delays quickly add up.

The Damage:

• Breakdowns at the Worst Time: A neglected van is a ticking time bomb. It’s only a matter of time before a small issue (like a worn belt or low fluid) becomes a big one.
  
• Late or Incomplete Deliveries: A breakdown can cause a domino effect, delaying not just one route, but potentially impacting your entire fleet’s delivery completion and on-time rates.
  
• Lower Scorecard Metrics: Both Amazon’s On-Time Delivery Rate and Delivery Completion Rate are directly impacted by missed or late stops caused by vehicle failures.
  
  

Solution: Automated preventive maintenance scheduling ensures that every vehicle in your fleet gets timely reminders and service, so you never miss a beat (or a bonus).

2. Poor Record-Keeping and Lost Documentation

The Mistake: You may be keeping your vehicles in good shape, but can you prove it? Relying on paper receipts, scattered spreadsheets, or the “I’ll remember it” method is a recipe for disaster, especially during an Amazon compliance audit or when disputing a scorecard penalty.

The Damage:

• Failed Audits: If you can’t show detailed maintenance logs, Amazon can dock you for safety or compliance, even if your van is spotless.
  
• Legal and Insurance Risks: Missing documentation could also mean higher liability or denied insurance claims if there’s an accident.
  
• Time Wasted: Searching for missing records or trying to reconstruct service history can take hours—time you don’t have during peak season.

Solution: Go digital! Fleet Management tools allow you to store every service record, inspection, and compliance document in the cloud. Everything is searchable, shareable, and exportable in seconds.

3. Ignoring Minor Issues Until They Become Major Problems

The Mistake: It’s easy to brush off a warning light, a slight rattle, or a squeaky brake. After all, “it’s still running, right?” Unfortunately, minor issues rarely stay minor in the delivery world. What starts as a nuisance can lead to a major breakdown.

The Damage:

• Cascading Failures: A simple check-engine light can lead to overheating, engine failure, or a roadside breakdown that stops all deliveries on that route.
  
• Increased Costs: Small, inexpensive fixes become big, expensive repairs if ignored.
  
• Safety Violations: Seemingly minor faults like bald tires or bad brakes can cause accidents, instantly hurting your Safety Metric and possibly putting drivers at risk.

Solution: Real-time fault tracking and instant alert system ensures nothing slips through the cracks. Drivers and managers are notified of issues the moment they appear.

4. Incomplete or Rushed Vehicle Inspections

The Mistake: When mornings are hectic, it’s easy for drivers to rush through pre-trip inspections or skip steps entirely. Maybe they only check the gas and glance at the tires. Or maybe, under pressure to hit the road, inspections don’t happen at all.

The Damage:

• Hidden Safety Hazards: Missed defects like cracked windshields, faulty lights, or loose lug nuts can lead to on-the-road incidents or failed Amazon spot audits.
  
• Scorecard Penalties: Amazon tracks safety metrics closely. Any preventable issue found during an audit or reported by drivers can ding your scorecard and even trigger a compliance review.
  
• Lost Trust: Frequent safety violations not only lower your metrics, they also make it harder to attract and retain reliable drivers.

Solution: With digital checklists and required photo uploads, our app ensures every inspection is thorough and consistent. If something’s wrong, you’ll know before the van leaves the lot.

5. Failing to Train (and Retrain) Drivers on Maintenance Basics

The Mistake: Drivers are your first line of defense against maintenance issues. But are they trained to spot leaks, odd noises, or dashboard warnings? Do they know how to perform a complete walkaround or report issues clearly?

The Damage:

• Unreported Problems: If drivers don’t know what to look for, small problems go undetected until it’s too late.
  
• Wasted Repairs: Sometimes drivers report vague issues (“something’s wrong with the engine”) but can’t provide details, making diagnosis harder and increasing downtime.
  
• Compliance Issues: Lack of proper driver training can result in missed inspections, improper documentation, and repeated scorecard hits.

Bringing It All Together: How Maintenance Mistakes Impact Your Amazon DSP Scorecard

Amazon’s DSP Scorecard doesn’t just look at how quickly or how many packages you deliver. It digs deeper into reliability, safety, and operational excellence. Here’s how these maintenance mistakes play out across scorecard metrics:

• On-Time Delivery Rate: Every breakdown or missed delivery caused by a maintenance issue chips away at your all-important on-time percentage.
  
• Delivery Completion Rate: Vans out of commission = undelivered packages.
  
• Safety Metrics: Accidents, failed audits, or telematics alerts linked to poor vehicle condition can haunt your safety record.
  
• Customer Feedback: No one likes waiting for a package that’s late due to a broken-down van. Bad customer reviews? They count against your score.

Final Thoughts

Your Amazon DSP business depends on more than hard work and fast deliveries. It depends on a fleet that’s ready, safe, and reliable every single day. Avoid these five common maintenance mistakes, and you’ll build a business that grows, earns bonuses, and keeps your drivers and customers happy.

Ready to see how Simply Fleet can help you stay in the green? Book a demo or get started today and put maintenance headaches in your rear-view mirror—for good.