When it comes to avoiding expensive truck repairs, our approach is prevention versus cure. And yours should be too.
Every repair is time off the road and every minute of downtime is revenue lost. Not to mention, if it does get to breaking point it’s most likely going to be a much more expensive affair. Here are our tips to maintain your truck.
1. It’s an Investment, Not a Cost
Generally, drivers look at any dollars spent on truck repairs or services as costs rather than investments. However when you keep your truck well maintained you’re investing in the key tool that is vital to your business. Regular maintenance will help you steer clear of costly (and likely entirely avoidable) repairs and keep your truck on schedule.
2. Keep Records
When you’re driving thousands of kilometres things will appear… a noise, a niggle. If it’s relatively minor, the chance that you’re going to remember to bring it up at the next visit to your mechanic is seriously slim. Keep a record of it all and let your mechanic know every little thing at your next visit. This is particularly important if you have more than one operator driving the same fleet so that nothing gets overlooked.
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3. Regular Inspections
In addition to a regular ongoing inspection and service schedule, a good diesel mechanic will be able to develop an operator weekly and daily check program so that day to day and week to week you know exactly which areas you should be checking to maintain optimum truck health. If your mechanic can’t give you this then there’s a high chance they’re probably hoping that you end up coming to them with expensive truck repairs down the track.
4. Compliance and Legislation
As you well know, there is far more compliance and legislation to keep a truck on the road over a standard car. A good diesel mechanic should be familiar with the regulations to ensure that your truck is operating safely and compliant at all times. The national vehicle inspection manual holds 98 pages of vehicle standards in relation to heavy vehicles, covering a diverse range of items from a range of angles for mud flaps dependent on use, to seat padding and child seat anchorages, to major safety items such as brake push or pull rods moving more than allowed, complicated as not all vehicles have indicators to measure this road!
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