4 Basic Maintenance Tips for Your Truck You Should Follow
Whether you have a brand new truck or an older truck you have been driving for several years, taking good care of your truck is always essential. Failing to maintain your truck can cause unusual wear and tear on its components, making it dangerous to drive on the open road. Semi-trucks are designed to last a long time, but you might find yourself paying for expensive repairs too often if you do not maintain it properly.
Today’s post will discuss basic truck maintenance tips every professional truck driver should follow to extend its lifespan. Following these tips can help you enjoy a longer and more fruitful career as a professional truck driver with your favorite rig.
1. Routinely Check the Engine Oil & Replace the Filter
The engine oil lubricates the moving components in your truck and protects it from damage. Your truck needs clean and fresh engine oil to run efficiently. The engine oil becomes contaminated over time, affecting the engine’s performance. You should read your truck’s owner manual to see how often you need to get an oil change.
The filter is responsible for protecting your vehicle from contaminants that can cause damage. It often becomes polluted with debris and dirt. Changing it regularly can keep the engine running efficiently. Routinely checking and replacing the engine oil and filters can help you get a lot more out of your truck.
2. Check All the Other Fluid Levels
The engine oil is not the only fluid you need to keep a check on as a truck driver. From the power steering fluid to the engine coolant, windshield fluid, and brake fluid, there are several other fluid levels you need to check and maintain routinely.
The engine coolant keeps the engine at optimal temperatures so it can give you an efficient performance. Changing it and maintaining the coolant levels is critical to keeping your truck in good working condition. Similarly, maintaining the hydraulic fluid in the power steering system can help you prolong the life of expensive steering components.
The brake fluid needs routine replacement to ensure that your truck’s brakes give you the best performance. The brake fluid can become contaminated over time. Purging the old fluid and replacing it with fresh brake fluid keeps the brakes working properly and prolongs the life of the brake components.
3. Switch Around the Tires
The tires on any vehicle wear down over time until you eventually have to replace them. Rotating the tires is an excellent way to get the maximum life out of your truck’s tires before replacing them. Rotating the tires leads to even treadwear on all the tires, minimizing the vibrations. Reduced vibrations mean that you can extend the life of your truck’s suspension components and get better gas mileage from your vehicle.
4. Routine Inspections are a Must
Taking your truck to an expert for a thorough inspection at least once a year is important. Inspections can highlight and address any mechanical or safety issues in your truck before they can damage your truck’s components.
Do You Want to Work With a Trucking Company That Cares for You?
At S.T.I. Trans, Inc., we believe that safety and excellence come before everything else in the trucking business. We encourage all our team members to deliver the best service without compromising on safety practices. We hope you found this post on basic truck maintenance tips helpful.
If you are looking for a professional trucking job with some of the best in the business, contact us to find out how you can become part of the S.T.I. Trans family.
