Thursday 27 February 2014

Regular Maintenance Your Truck Needs

By Jim Thorpe


Every truck fleet manager has to thoroughly inspect each truck before they go out on the road. Your inspectors have to be skilled in determining the extent of any problem that your trucks are currently experiencing. You have to make it a point to get all your trucks inspected before they go out on long road trips. Trucks endure a lot when they're on the road for an extended period of time. The last thing you will want to have happen is for your truck to break down in the middle of a trip. Your schedule is important and you can't miss any of your stops.

But these tractor-trailers are vehicles little different in function than any other form of motor transportation. Still, the gigantic differences between a semi-truck and a four door sedan are readily apparent when it comes to changing tires.

Tires on a semi-truck are monstrous in comparison to other tires on the highways, and the sheer size of the machinery they support require specialized shops and tools in order to completely and safely change the tire of a large eighteen wheeler. But this unfortunate reality of life for a trucker does not eliminate the likelihood of each driver having to deal with multiple tire issues throughout their career.

Take your vehicle to be serviced and 'winterized.' If you operate a fleet, you can work with fleet management services to help you get your fleet ready. Know what equipment and emergency supplies you need to have in each vehicle so that you have chains for tires or an ice scraper when needed. Preparation is always the first and best way to make sure that you are ready for winter driving.

Whether it's a diesel particulate filter or some other part, you have to have several different versions on hand. You wouldn't want to be caught without an important part with a truck that desperately needs it. If you don't have the right part on hand, the people who are responsible for repairing your trucks have to have the resources necessary to get the part quickly. Your trucks have to be back on the road almost as quickly as you realize that they have a problem. Failure to do so can affect your business in an intensely negative way.

If the tire or if tires have been completely destroyed beyond repair, a driver should contact their dispatch to relay that information and decide which action would be most responsible. Often it is safe for a driver to transport the vehicle to the nearest service center even on the damaged tire, although there are likewise the instances where further use of the truck is not advisable in which case the company may be able to send a road-side team to help fix the tire or change to a spare.

Coming up with a budget for maintaining your fleet has to address the possibility that you will need to replace your trucks at some point. Performing minor repairs on your trucks over time will reduce their overall level of stability. Above all else, you need to repair your trucks the right way the first time around. Patching up your trucks is a way to cut costs, but it will create some problems later on. Bringing in the right people to repair your trucks is a costly venture. It's worth it when you consider what these individuals can bring to your business.

To repair the tire, first a driver must find the cause of the damage or leak. Once the damaged area is located, the driver will be able to asses which repairs will be needed.

For leaks, it is usually advisable to not remove objects that may have punctured the tire, but if a driver has a puncture repair kit than the object may be removed and patched according to the kit instructions. Whatever action is determined to be the best, a drive must remember to keep their fleet management services and others informed of their actions so as to request aid if needed.




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