If you’re in the Philippine transport industry, your trucks are the lifeblood of your business. Because the trucks are critical to your business’ success, you want to make sure that they’re properly maintained to reduce the chances of sudden breakdowns. This is where truck maintenance procedures come in.
Maintaining your commercial truck can ensure that your drivers and everyone they encounter on the road will be safe.
When your drivers are on the road, every safety check can mean the difference between safety and danger. Road safety shouldn’t be left up to chance and that’s why checking your vehicle before deployment should be performed frequently.
Importance of Having a Truck Maintenance Checklist
Having a truck maintenance checklist in place can help your company preserve the quality of your trucks and keep operating costs low. Because the truth of the matter is that preventative maintenance will come out much cheaper than repairs.
Not to mention that repairing a broken vehicle can take days to weeks, which can translate to loss due to the vehicle being out of order. This is why when it comes to maintaining a business or personal truck, you want to stay ahead of it by scheduling preventative maintenance.
Maintaining Your Trucks Properly
Truck checks can be done quickly. In fact, anyone on your team who has a fundamental knowledge of vehicles can accomplish this task easily.
Here is a truck fleet maintenance checklist that you may want to integrate into your company’s process:
Check the Maintenance Log
Having a record of your vehicle’s preventative maintenance visits and repairs is a critical part of maintaining your truck. A maintenance log can help you and your team have a clear picture of the truck’s health and plan out its service schedule.
It also functions as a tool to keep each member of your team accountable for logging anomalies ASAP. Aside from that, when you bring your truck in to get services, the mechanics will usually ask for the maintenance log first.
So, it’s important that you work with a trusted service center that can help you keep your records up to date and maintain your vehicles effectively like Prime Quest’s Services.
Inspect Your Unit
Ask your staff to take the time to inspect the following parts of the unit on a regular basis before they use it.
Engine
Engine maintenance must follow a strict maintenance schedule. Not following this can lead to sudden breakdowns. Compression tests must also be conducted on a regular basis.
The compression test will give your team an idea about the status of your valve seats and piston rings. From the results of the compression test, your team should have a better picture of your engine’s condition.
While you have the hood open, you should also check up on the following fluids:
- Coolant
- Engine oil
- Brake fluid
- Power steering fluid
- Transmission fluid
- Windshield washer fluid
Brakes
Frequently performing brake tests is crucial to keeping the roads and your drivers safe. Any form of brake failure can lead to catastrophic disaster, which is why it’s essential to check the brakes often.
Brakes deteriorate over time depending on the usage of the car, so being proactive in checking this part of the vehicle and replacing it when it needs to be can prevent accidents from ever occurring.
Aircon
Checking the antifreeze or coolant levels, fan clutches, fan shrouds, and radiator mounts are essential to guarantee your driver’s comfort and safety. If any of these components are not up to par, you’ll need to get it fixed ASAP, so your vehicle’s air-conditioning returns to normal.
Battery
Checking if the battery is charged can prevent trucks from suddenly breaking down mid-route. Aside from this, you should also carefully inspect the wires connecting to and from the battery. If there are any tears, you should immediately replace them.
Lights
A car’s lights are critical to the safety of road users. Make sure that as soon as your operators start the vehicle they check if all the lights are working perfectly before embarking on their next task.
Tires
Before leaving, make sure that your drivers inspect the truck’s tires to ensure that they have the right amount of pressure before leaving. The tire’s pressure must be inflated according to the manufacturer’s standard.
Additionally, your team should also make sure that the truck has a spare tire ready to be deployed in case of any emergencies.
Keeping the Roads Safe Through Proper Truck Maintenance
Taking the time to perform truck maintenance may delay your operations for a little while but, this extra step can ensure that your truck will be fine on the road. This practice can also keep your trucks running efficiently for longer, which can lead to lower operating costs in the long run.
Now, if you’re looking for a company that has cargo trucks for sale in the Philippines with excellent after-sales services, make sure to reach out to the experts.
Here at Prime Quest, we can help you procure the truck you want for your operations and help you maintain it as well. Care for your trucks with us today.
