Regardless of if you own a single truck or if you run a full-blown trucking company, you shouldn't neglect preventative maintenance procedures, or you may end up with an expensive truck repair bill. Routine maintenance is essential to ensuring that your truck remains in good condition. It also helps to prevent breakdowns. One of the things that people fail to understand is that truck maintenance is drastically different from the process of maintaining a standard size car. Truck maintenance consists of a systematic approach that involves scheduling, planning, analysis, and execution. In today's post we look at some reasons why routine maintenance is important.
Boosts Performance and Mileage
Regular engine maintenance can help to boost the truck's performance. It can help it ride much smoother and quieter as well. With an improved performance, a truck will need less fuel to function, which helps to provide better gas mileage. Routine maintenance can also help to detect other issues that may be affecting performance and fuel economy such as infrequent oil changes or inefficient spark plugs. Infrequent oil changes can cause a 10% increase in gas mileage. And spark plugs that are not running efficiently may cause the truck to utilize more gas to compensate for it. It is also worth noting that routine maintenance can help to detect problems with the truck's alignment which may also causes a higher MPG because the truck utilizes more gas as it pulls.
1) Lighting System
Trucks must have lighting systems that have to be always connected properly. If the lighting system is not connected properly, the driver will experience issues with the truck's rear lights. In some cases, a truck driver may switch trailers and enter a vehicle's whose lighting system is not functioning correctly. This can cause accidents with other drivers who may not be able to determine if the truck is braking or not.
2) Tire
Tire related trucking accidents are common. Most experts agree that properly maintaining a truck's set of tires is essential when it comes to ensuring that the truck is able to maintain an adequate amount of grip while on the road. Because trucks are built to handle incredible loads, adequate inflation is also critical. When a great deal of weight is applied to damaged or poorly inflated tires, the tires become more prone to experiencing a blowout. Tire blowouts are especially lethal, as it can cause a trailer to jackknife. Truck tires that get blown off, become dangerous projectiles which can cause accidents and injuries.
3) Brake
It is clear to see how a failure with any vehicle's brake system can lead to an expensive and severe accident. A typical tractor trailer's brake may need to stop as much as 50,000 pounds, while traveling at a rate higher than 60 mph. Unfortunately, data suggest that as much as 10% of all large truck accidents occur as a result of bad brakes. Routine maintenance can help to identify issues within the truck's braking system.
Some of the benefits of routine maintenance that can help to reduce instances of expensive truck repair jobs includes:
- Fluid systems check
- Oil change
- Proper rotation
- Correct air pressure
- Preserves cooling and transmission system
- Reduces wear and tear
