5 Tips for Keeping Your Truck from Breaking Down During the Summer
With summer here, it’s more important than ever for truckers to keep their rigs in good working order. The demand for distance travel is great during the warmer months of the year. Unusual wear and tear take its toll on many trailers which is why we can’t recommend the following tips for preventing a breakdown enough.
How Trucks Stay on the Road without Breaking Down
The more care a trucker puts into their rig during the summertime, the less likely they are to experience periods without work due to a disabled trailer. Five tips for avoiding breakdowns in summer are mentioned below. Each is something we know helps maintain the longevity of a truck for the long haul. Put them into practice and avoid costly and frustrating breakdowns in the future.
Tip One: Make sure tires are properly inflated.
We recommend purchasing a tire gauge and measuring the air pressure inside the tires at least once a week. By doing so, truckers are able to avoid problems related to underinflated and overinflated tires. If too little air is available, it can shave miles off a trucker’s route and cause them to arrive late to their destination. If overinflated, the tires are easy to puncture and flatten. Being stuck on the side of the road in sweltering heat in a big rig is no one’s idea of fun.
Tip Two: Check fluid levels often.
Without the right amount of fluids, different parts of the truck don’t function properly. By routinely checking the oil, brake fluid, window washer fluid, and coolant, truckers are able to avoid damaging their trucks. A good habit to get into is to check fluid levels and top them off before taking off on the next leg of a journey. That way, there aren’t hard lessons to learn about overheating engines or limited visibility because the windshield isn’t clean enough to see out of.
Tip Three: Give the brakes a test regularly.
Among the greatest skills that a trucker can possess is to know how to check their brakes for wear and tear. We highly recommend learning how to do this right away. It’s imperative that brakes work correctly to prevent accidents from occurring. Having truckers on the road carrying thousands of pounds of freight with faulty brakes is negligent and dangerous. We don’t want you to be the person who fails to check the brakes on your rig regularly.
Tip Four: Keep things clean from the inside out.
Truckers live in their rigs. They spend a great deal of time in them. Keeping them clean from the inside out prevents unnecessary wear and tear. It provides the right environment for the right mindset, too. It’s far less stressful to be driving a rig that looks and feels good than one that screams that it needs cleaning and repairs. Regularly deep cleaning the interior and exterior of the rig helps it maintains the ‘new truck feel’ that many people know and love.
Tip Five: Do all inspections in the daytime.
Simply put, it’s easy to overlook a repair in the dark. If all inspections are done in the daytime, it’s easier to detect issues. Operators can see a potential problem and alert a trucker to it before it worsens and costs them time in the repair shop. It’s one of the most straightforward pieces of advice we can give. Avoid inspections at night and keep the truck on the road longer without incident.
The advice given here is simple and straightforward. It’s something that truckers with every level of experience can do easily. It prevents accidents and costly repair work that renders truck useless for indefinite take. If there is anything a trucker does to prepare their rig for the road, it’s to do a thorough self-inspection often and air tires, top off fluids and clean it before taking off for another destination.
How Truckers Get Back on the Road Fast
Trailer rental Allentown PA provides a valuable service to truckers who have experienced a breakdown recently. Offering rental trailers of all sizes and styles, it’s easy to get back on the road again quickly. The less time spent driving, the harder it is to make ends meet financially due to lost work. Summer breakdowns are completely avoidable in many cases by applying the tips listed above.
Preventative Measures Save Truckers Time and Money in Lost Wages
We offer these tips as a way of preventing truckers from losing valuable work time due to a disabled rig. The suggestions listed here help minimize the fallout that occurs when trucks aren’t serviced, cleaned or inspected properly. Taking preventative measures helps keep truckers behind the wheel and on the road where they’re supposed to be.