Truckipedia Blog Category - 4 Maintenance Tips to Extend your Vehicles Life
When it comes to keeping your fleet running smoothly and extending the life of your trucks, prevention is key. A well-maintained fleet can save companies thousands of dollars in operating costs, breakdowns, downtime, fuel expenses, and having to replace a vehicle sooner than expected.
At Velocity Truck Centres, we have serviced thousands of fleets in the last 40 years including in-shop medium and heavy-duty trucks and convenient mobile truck services at select locations. We know what it takes to keep your fleet running smoothly and how to avoid costly problems. Here are some of our top tips to keep your fleet in the best condition possible.
1. Never Ignore Small Problems
A small fluid leak here, a strange noise there – not a large issue, right? Unfortunately, some of the biggest and most expensive problems to fix result from small issues accumulated and neglected over time. Staying diligent and proactive about even the tiniest problem can save you from dealing with a bigger headache and higher repair bills in the long run.
Even if the issue seems minimal, your best bet is to schedule your truck for a service and have the problem repaired as soon as possible. While some visible symptoms may be minor, there might be a more significant underlying cause that’s slowly taking a toll on large components. You may even have some sneaky issues that don’t present any symptoms.
If you find yourself dealing with an emergency on the road, contact us to find out if mobile truck services are available in your area.
2. Keep Up With Scheduled Preventative Maintenance
The above highlights the importance of scheduling regular inspections. Routine maintenance can help identify issues before they become costly repairs. For busy fleets, it can be easy to keep pushing preventative maintenance to another day to keep vehicles operating. However, the opposite typically happens – vehicles stop operating if preventative maintenance is not done regularly. As the saying goes: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Preventative maintenance includes (but is not limited to):
- Checking, replacing, or topping up fluid levels
- Oil and filter change
- Checking the tires for wear
- Engine tune up
- Oil pressure check
- Windshield
- Inspect all mounts, joints, belts, hoses, and drive shafts
- Inspect the braking system
- Test battery load
- Inspect the truck’s exterior for damage
If you’re worried about repair costs and downtime, Velocity Truck Centres’s branches have a host of service specials to support you. With easy scheduling, we will have your truck maintained and back on their way in no time.
3. Only Use the Vehicle for Its Intended Purpose
Completing heavy-duty jobs with a truck that’s built for medium-duty work is one of the fastest ways to damage the suspension, transmission, tires, and overwork the engine. Besides preventative maintenance, ensuring that you stay within the manufacturer’s specifications on the vehicle’s loading or towing weight capacity is one of the best ways to protect your vehicle’s components.
If you need a new truck to add to your fleet for a specific job, contact us and we can help you choose a vehicle that can handle the workload.
4. Get Your Drivers Involved With Inspections and Reports
Drivers spend the most time with the vehicles and play a significant role in keeping the fleet maintained. If you haven’t done so already, get your drivers involved with inspections and set a reporting schedule. Teach drivers how to look for signs that the vehicle needs servicing and task them with checking oil, tire pressure, tire wear, and an exterior vehicle walk through.
Coach drivers on avoiding driving habits that can wear down vehicles faster, such as idling, fast accelerations, and excessive braking. Work with drivers to determine the most efficient driving routes to reduce mileage and idling. Lastly, invest in technology that makes it easier to communicate with drivers on maintenance issues, complete reporting, and allows for scheduled maintenance alerts.
Coach drivers on avoiding driving habits that can wear down vehicles faster, such as idling, fast accelerations, and excessive braking. Work with drivers to determine the most efficient driving routes to reduce mileage and idling. Lastly, invest in technology that makes it easier to communicate with drivers on maintenance issues, complete reporting, and allows for scheduled maintenance alerts.
