How to Take Care of Your Truck?
Each means of transportation requires regular maintenance and care. The truck is not an exception to this rule. Conducting scheduled maintenance and taking care of your heavy carrier is a must to avoid serious tech problems and drive safely. Remember that disregard of your truck is about higher investments in case of sudden failures and worn parts.
Rule by the preventive measures to prolong the service term of your 4-wheel companion. Some drivers adore their trucks with all their hearts. That is why they do everything to maintain their faithful automotive friends in the best condition for long-distance trips.
Steersmen give their 4-wheelers names and behave with these means of transportation like with dear and near ones. Take cues from the most responsible trailer and truckload drivers and follow the best tips to take care of the heavy carrier properly.
Top 7 Tips for Servicing of the Truck
Both individual truck drivers who are responsible for their own transports and hired ones steering the heavy carriers of the dispatching companies should pay their focused attention to the regular maintenance of their trailers and truckloads. For example, changing engine oil and filters together with monitoring fluid levels are essential routines to take care of your truck properly.
Let’s take a closer look at the most efficient maintenance tips for drivers. Follow the recommendations of experienced steersmen and truck mechanics to prevent challenging situations on the road because of the breakages of your heavy carrier.
1 — Do Not Overload Your Truck
The first burning problem is the truck overloads. It goes without saying that drivers are interested in high salaries. But your safety matters with no reserve. Opt for owner-operator dispatch service (read here more about dispatching) if you are a newcomer and can hardly manage your cargo and truck loads.
2 — Change Oil and Filters According to the Schedule
You need to clean lubricants and change the oil every 7.500 miles. This procedure can be held one time every 6 months as well. Do not forget to change filters. This way your engine will work properly in different weather conditions and loads.
It is worth noting that road-off routes affect the truck’s performance significantly. Change oil filters to support sufficient air circulation and improve the engine operation properties. Do not skip these maintenance routines to avoid serious problems with your truck.
3 — Check Fluid Level Regularly
You should monitor fluid levels almost every day. This procedure is recommended before each long-distant route. Among the fluids to check in your truck are:
- Coolant;
- Brake fluid;
- Hydraulic fluid;
- Windshield washing fluid.
Get into the habit to maintain the optimal level of these fluids in your truck. Remember that lacking coolant or brake liquid is about your risks on the road. The same story is about hydraulic and windshield washer fluids. Do not give the rise to dangerous situations. Your fluids in the truck provide the required performance of all the tech components and improve the power-steering properties of the parts.
4 — Check Your Tires Before You Get Back on the Road
Sometimes separated treads from the tire become the fatal reason for the accident on the road. Do not risk and check your tires before you get back to driving. Rotate the tires of the truck and monitor the undercarriage components. This way you will reduce the failure rate of your wheels and decrease the sudden treadwear on the go to the minimum.
5 — Clean Your Interior and Exterior of the Truck
A messy truck is about the indifferent position of the driver to the transportation unit. Steersmen spend most of their time inside the trailer. Why not clean the surfaces in the truck, dust the dashboard, and throw away all the garbage like sweet wrappers and empty cans?
Now, we speak about the interior. Keep the order inside to find all necessary documentation, gadgets and not to be distracted from the road. Speaking about the exterior, it is better to wash the truck once a month. If heavy rains or snowfalls take place, be ready to visit the special truck-friendly carwasher more often.
6 – Do Not Miss Scheduled Truck Inspections
Inspect the truck and attend to the mechanic regularly. Experienced drivers know exactly that something wrong with their heavy carrier because of noticed noises, knocks, bumps. Besides the owner-operator dispatch service recommended for newcomers in the freight transportation sector, it is important to schedule visits to the truck-mounted workshop for inspections.
7 — Check Headlights Before Moving Off
Your headlights are your eyes on the road. That is why sufficient is a must for truck drivers. Many steersmen drive at night, so poor vision of moving objects and obstacles is a risky experience ever. Check headlights and replace the lamps if they do not meet your required level of illumination.
To sum up, taking care of the heavy carrier is not only about some fashionable add-ons for tunning and catchy design. Regular maintenance should be undertaken to drive safely and without unpleasant issues on the go. Clean interior and exterior are also a must if you are a responsible driver.
