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As a business owner of a construction or manufacturing company, you rely on heavy trucks and machines to carry out the business’s daily operations. However, these valuable investments undergo wear and tear and can cost your business a lot of money if they become faulty or break down. To avoid these expenses, you must ensure your truck is well maintained. Here are vital maintenance tips for your heavy truck to prevent unforeseen expenses.
1. Routinely change the engine oil and filter
For your truck to perform at its best, you will need to change the oil routinely. Due to the workload of the truck, dust and debris from the environment can easily contaminate the engine oil. This can affect the engine’s efficiency, causing your car to break down or require a new engine- which increases your expenses. By using clean oil, you ensure the truck’s engine is well lubricated and protected. In addition to changing the engine oil, be sure to clean the truck’s filter as well. With a cleaned filter, your engine will be free from debris and dust, making the engine efficient. Without a clean filter the engine can collect debris and cause engine failure resulting in having to purchase a new engine.
2. Check fluid levels
Aside from the engine oil, you need to check the other fluids like brake fluid, windshield washer fluid, power steering fluid, and engine coolant. Checking your truck’s fluid levels is one of the easy check-ups you can do on your vehicle. If you detect a considerable drop in the fluid levels, it can indicate a consumption or leak problem. You can quickly solve such issues before it turns out to be a bigger problem.
3. Regular servicing
Some features of heavy trucks can easily break down over a period. Changing these parts can be expensive. Therefore, it is essential to conduct regular servicing of the car to keep these parts in good shape for a long time. Keep a scheduled plan for servicing perishable parts like brake pads, hydraulic cylinders, and hydraulic pumps. Be sure to do this routinely, even when it seems the truck has no faults. With consistent periodic servicing, you get to keep the engine working for many years at the highest level.
4. Rotate your tires
Heavy truck tires are prone to tread wear. If your truck’s tires are not rotating as efficiently and safely as they should, you would need to change them immediately- putting a strain on your company’s expenses. However, by regularly rotating the tires, you prolong their lifespan. A prolonged tire lifespan improves gas mileage, resulting in the long life of the truck’s suspension components by reducing vibrations.
5. Check out your exterior lights
Exterior lights are mostly regarded when checking if a truck is roadworthy. You can quickly walk around the truck to see if the brake signal, headlights, and tail lights are working. If some lights are burnt out or dimmed, you can change them yourself or get a technician to look at them. It is essential because you will save yourself many times from accidents because of the light when you travel at night. This, in turn, also prevents unexpected costs.
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