Helpful Tips for Taking Care of a Truck
Trucking is one of the most common jobs in the United States. It’s estimated that there are 13 million trucks registered in the country, each having their drivers. That’s a lot of trucks compared to China or Japan, two other countries that use commercial vehicles to fulfill their logistics needs. If you want to join this booming industry, you must know how to take care of your truck. Thankfully, this article covers the essentials of taking care of a truck and the best ways to take care of a fleet once you’ve grown into a full-blown business.
The Essentials of Taking Care of a Truck
First, you must remember that a truck is much like the human body. It has parts like the heart (the engine), the brain (ECM), and the nervous system (electronics), among many other parts. All of these parts work in unison to help the truck perform on the road, and any singular part that’s damaged or has inherent problems can lead to poor performance of your vehicle. Here are some of the essentials of taking care of a truck:
Engine Care
As stated earlier, the truck’s engine can be considered its heart. It pumps fuel into its various parts so that it can function smoothly. In simple mechanics, the engine converts fuel into mechanical energy, which can then be a source of power for the truck to move on the road. So essentially, if the engine breaks, you’re in trouble.
There are many reasons why your engine would be damaged. The main reason is age. As the truck grows in age, so does the engine. But a couple of things can contribute to an engine deteriorating faster. The first is vibration. The engine vibrates, as you notice when you start your truck. But it vibrates even more when it’s idle. This is why trucks exposed more to traffic have fewer healthy engines than trucks always driving at full speed on highways.
Another main reason is lubrication. Trucks use oil to lubricate engines so that it works at an optimal level. When oil isn’t changed for a long time, it turns into sludge, leading to internal parts of an engine sticking together. This is a nightmare for any mechanic and truck driver. Getting an oil change is essential when caring for a truck. Oil changes can vary significantly depending on the truck’s usage. Trucks used often may need an oil change every three to six months, while trucks that aren’t used much only need it once a year. Investing in an oil monitoring system can help you better understand when your truck needs an oil change.
The engine of your truck is its heart, and a person with a malfunctioning heart can live a very unhealthy life ridden with disease and eventually their demise. This is the same for your truck. If you can’t care for its engine, your time on the road will be full of problems. So ensure that you do oil changes frequently and turn off your truck’s engine if you’re going to leave it on idle. These two tips are the most essential when taking care of a truck so don’t forget about it.
Frontal Care
If your truck’s engine is its heart, then the front of your truck is its face. But it’s always been more than that. Depending on the truck you have, the front of your truck can be its face, ribcage, and even its skull all in one. This is because the front of your vehicle sometimes contains the engine and various essential parts for functioning. This can depend highly on the truck’s model, as some trucks may have engines at the back of the cabin or underneath the driver’s seat. Nonetheless, it’s still on the front of any truck.
Proper frontal care of your truck is one of the essentials when caring for a truck. The very first thing you need to consider is its bumper. The bumper is the first thing that absorbs any impact from the front. If your truck has a broken bumper, it can struggle to protect your engine from any frontal damage. That’s why bumper repair services are crucial when protecting your truck’s bumper and its parts for necessary functioning.
Some other parts require constant maintenance, like your windshield and your truck’s grill. A local auto body repairs service can maintain all of these. The service can replace the parts that need replacing and ensure that every part in your vehicle’s front end functions optimally.
Frontal care is one of the most overlooked parts of truck care. This part is crucial when taking care of a truck. That’s why you must care for your bumper to protect your truck from engine damage during a collision. Collisions are the next thing you need to consider regarding truck care.
Collision Care
It’s estimated that over half a million truck accidents in the U.S. can be fatal for anybody, but this also includes your truck. Your truck can easily be damaged from a collision to the point that it can no longer run. So even if you’re safe, there’s a good chance your truck won’t be.
Taking care of a truck means preparing for the worst. A collision can be the worst thing to happen to your truck, but you can prepare for it in many ways. Knowing car accident attorneys is one of the best ways to prepare for any type of accident. It’s important to understand that the average cost of a non-fatal truck accident with another vehicle can reach nearly $200,000. That’s usually worth the price of the truck itself! These attorneys specialize in dealing with accidents. These professionals can ensure that you won’t be left with nothing after the accident. If proven that you were on the right, you might not even have to pay for the repairs on the damage to your truck.
The next thing you have to consider is auto insurance. Insurance is vital for every truck driver because they can’t drive in some states without it. However, it’s vital to get robust auto insurance that covers everything to ensure you won’t end up paying for ridiculous repairs after a collision. This can help you get the repairs you need to get your truck back on the road in no time after any accident.
Collisions and other forms of accidents can mean the end of your truck. However, knowing an experienced attorney and getting the right insurance policy can give your truck a new life after such an accident without paying too much. This way, a collision or an accident is only a bump in your career while ensuring you care for your truck when the worst happens.
HVAC Care
An overlooked part of truck care is HVAC care. Your truck’s HVAC is an essential part of its overall system because it can be responsible for the necessary heating and cooling of the vital parts of your truck required for functioning. Without proper HVAC, not only will you be suffering, but your truck will be as well.
Certain parts of your truck can quickly freeze up during the winter. While the same parts can also overheat during the middle of summer. All of these can be prevented if your HVAC is running correctly. Your truck’s air conditioning should be the first thing you must prioritize as a driver. If your AC is faulty, there’s a good chance of an underlying mechanical problem. Mechanics know that this can be related to parts that can also affect other systems of your truck. AC repair services can have a good look into that problem and repair it. They can also ensure that the AC of your vehicle will be functioning correctly wherever you go.
Proper HVAC care is important when taking care of a truck. This can determine your truck’s longevity and comfort on the road. If your HVAC is malfunctioning, you must see a professional immediately. This can ensure that your truck’s HVAC won’t be damaged beyond repair the next time you drive it.
Detailing
The looks of your car can also play a massive role in your truck’s overall health. Trucks with damaged detailing or immense damage on their exterior tend to live longer lifespans than those trucks that look good on the road. That’s because your truck’s detailing and other exterior parts can ensure it doesn’t keep grime and dirt on the road. These things can be responsible for poor truck health and even lead to engine problems when not taken care of.
Car detailing is the first thing you must do annually regarding your truck’s exterior. Local car detailers can ensure that your truck’s detailing is current and choose the right materials to keep dirt and grime from sticking to your truck’s exterior. This way, your truck stays clean and healthy for the year. After a year, ensure that you revisit them.
Detailing is often overlooked when taking care of a truck. However, the right detailing can exponentially increase a truck’s longevity. Ensure your truck’s detailing is current so you don’t have to worry about future road problems.
Long-Term Care
Sometimes, the care your truck needs does not require a professional. Sometimes, the care your truck needs comes from your personal touch. Long-term care is essential when taking care of a truck. This personal care can come from keeping your truck spotless before every drive to ensuring that it has the necessary fluids so it doesn’t overheat while on the road.
When it comes to long-term care, you must have the necessary auto supplies. Ensure that the supplies you purchase are from a reliable merchandiser. Auto supplies that may not be high quality can damage your truck even more. So make sure you double-check any purchase or, better yet, build a good relationship with your supplier to ensure you’re getting the right supplies.
Fleet Care
Once your business has taken off and you’ve built a fleet, you need to know the fundamentals of fleet care. Taking care of multiple trucks is very different from caring for a truck. A fleet can be challenging, especially if it’s your first time owning many trucks. Here are the essentials of fleet care:
Fleet Monitoring System
You must have something monitoring your fleet of trucks wherever they go. A fleet monitoring system uses GPS and satellites to track your trucks in real-time. This is crucial if you want to ensure that your trucks are functioning optimally because, in addition to monitoring where your trucks are, it can also monitor their overall health.
Fleet Maintenance Services
If you’re not planning to build an in-house maintenance facility, which can cost thousands or even millions of dollars, you’ll need fleet maintenance services. These services can ensure that your fleet gets the necessary repairs and that every truck in your fleet gets the proper attention it deserves. This way, you won’t be blindsided by a malfunctioning truck or the costs that come with it.
Automatic Scheduler
Lastly, none of the tips above can work properly without an automatic scheduler. This tool can help schedule shipping times and even maintenance times for trucks. When working with a fleet monitoring system, you have a fully automated, self-sufficient fleet requiring very little management. It works well in maintenance because the scheduler can check the monitoring system for which trucks require repairs and then book the necessary services.
Managing a fleet can be challenging, but with the right tools, you can do so without breaking a sweat. Make sure that you’ve saved enough money for the things above. This way, your fleet can function optimally with very little management.
Taking care of a truck can be a challenging process. But it’s worthwhile. If you take care of your truck as a trucker, then your truck will take care of you. From HVAC care to collision care, there are many things to look out for when caring for your truck. But with the care of professionals, you won’t need to worry about those things. Just make sure you monitor your truck’s performance, and they will do the rest to improve it.
