Truckers face many hazards on the road. There are inherent dangers associated with driving a large semi-truck that require continued maintenance in order to keep the vehicle in good working order. If your company owns a fleet of trucks, it’s important to know what kinds of problems you might encounter on a regular basis and how to avoid them at all costs. The last thing any trucking company wants is to have one of its trucks break down on the road or cause an accident because it wasn’t properly maintained. Unfortunately, the risks associated with driving a large commercial vehicle are far greater than with driving a standard passenger vehicle. There are certain maintenance tasks that all commercial drivers should perform on a regular basis in order to keep their trucks in good working order and avoid breakdowns on the road. Even if your company has a maintenance department in house, these are some basic tips that every driver should know about truck maintenance regardless of where you work.
One of the first things you should do is change the oil in your truck. Driving a diesel-powered vehicle without changing the oil is like driving a car with low oil -- it’s dangerous and could lead to a breakdown on the road. Truckers should change their oil on a regular basis and perform other maintenance tasks like checking the water and coolant levels, rotating the tires, and cleaning the air filter every time they get an inspection or when the scheduled maintenance program recommends it. Truckers should change their oil on the roadside, not in the garage, because it’s easier to change the oil while the truck is running. Drivers who wait until they get home to change the oil risk overheating and burning out the engine. Drivers should also make sure they get rid of the old oil and don’t mix the old oil with the new.
One of the most overlooked maintenance tasks for truckers is checking and rotating their tires. Tires are one of the biggest sources of wear and tear on a vehicle, and the more they’re used, the more likely they are to get damaged. Truckers should change their tires as soon as they start to show wear and tear, but they also need to check their tire pressure and rotation on a regular basis to make sure they’re in good condition. Truckers who ignore the health of their tires are taking a big risk because they could develop a flat tire or an irregular wear pattern that puts their truck and their passengers at risk. Truckers should make sure they get the air in their tires pumped up to the correct pressure, and they should rotate their tires every 5,000 to 6,000 miles in order to maximize their life. Truckers who don’t know how to properly check and rotate their tires should take a course to learn how. Many truckers also use a tire pressure monitoring system to make sure their tires are at the right pressure.
The air filter is one of the most overlooked maintenance tasks on a commercial vehicle. Truckers should change their air filters every time they get an oil change and perform an inspection. Drivers should make sure to use the correct filter for their specific make and model, and they should change the filter every 100 to 200 miles, depending on the type of truck they drive. Truckers should never use sand or other types of filters in their vehicles because they’re not designed to last for long periods of time, and they can put your health at risk. Drivers should always use a high-quality air filter because it can reduce emissions and improve the efficiency of the engine. Drivers who don’t know how to change their air filters should take a course to learn how to do it correctly.
Truckers should make sure to keep an eye out for warning signs that will indicate when their brakes need to be serviced. Some of the most common signs that a truck needs to be serviced are a loud screeching when the brakes are applied and a pulsing or pulsating feel to the brakes when they’re being used. Drivers should take their truck to a mechanic to have it serviced and inspected once a year, even if the brakes seem to be fine on the surface. Drivers who ignore the signs and put off the brakes’ maintenance are taking a big risk because the brakes could fail on the road and cause an accident. Truckers should also make sure to inspect and change their rotors and brake pads every time they get an oil change. Drivers can get a visual inspection of their rotors by removing the caliper and looking at the disc. Drivers who don’t know how to check their brakes should take a course to learn how.
Tires, brakes, and axles all need to be lubricated to work properly, but drivers can’t rely on the engine oil to do that. Truckers should change their oil filters and change their engine oil at least once every 12,000 miles, but they should also change their transmission and differential oils every 100,000 miles. Drivers who don’t know how to properly change their oil and change the fluids in their vehicles are putting themselves and their passengers at risk. Truckers should use synthetic oil in their engines because it lasts longer and doesn’t break down as quickly. Drivers who don’t know how to change their oil should take a course to learn how to do it correctly.
Trucking is a dangerous job, and the only way to reduce the risks is to make sure your vehicles are in good working order. Drivers can’t rely on their employers to fix their trucks, so they have to take responsibility for their own maintenance and repairs. Truckers should know what maintenance tasks to perform on a regular basis, and they should make sure to do it correctly. Drivers who don’t know how to do these tasks are putting their passengers at risk.