Trucking – it’s a lifestyle. It’s a commitment. Let’s face it, it can be a 24 hr a day/ 7 days a week way of living. With that said however, spring always seems like a good time to talk about spring cleaning and spring maintenance. Even if it doesn’t feel like you’ve got the time, it’s time to join Service Pro Truck Lines and talk “all things spring.” Here is our Top Seven Spring Service Tips – our list of truck service maintenance tips you should consider doing this spring – always combined of course with whatever other maintenance you already know your truck needs!
Winter driving can be especially hard on your vehicle, we know you don’t need us to tell you that! Even just a truck wash to start things off will help to blow out some of the grime, road salt and debris collected over a winter of hard driving. Here’s what else you should consider:
Service Pro Truck Lines Seven Spring Service Tips for your Truck
- Tire pressure. Always a consideration of course, but hot and cold air (in other words, temperature extremes) can be particularly problematic. There are a lot of fluctuations in spring. Improper tire pressure can lead to other issues with your truck’s wheels and/or suspension so monitoring tire pressure in spring is always a good thing.
- Corrosion is your enemy. Winter weather can cause corrosion so checking your battery terminals, wiring and plugs for any sign of corrosion is just the smart thing to do.
- Brakes need a break. Check your brake lines, hoses and fluid levels. You don’t want to wait until they are needed to find out they’re not working!
- Belts and hoses. First off, anything older than 5 years, if they’ve lasted that long, have to go! That’s just good maintenance practice. Secondly, give all your belts and hoses the once over to make sure they are road ready. Cracked, brittle or blistered? Give them the heave-ho.
- Winter driving is hard on your suspension and spring, with its associated potholes isn’t any friendlier. Give your suspension an inspection. You’ll be glad you did!
- Is your filter still filtering? Your engine filter might be one of the hardest working and most overlooked items on your truck. It takes a lot, especially in winter and installing a new engine filter will help clear the air and potentially prolong the life of your rig through enhanced performance.
- Clear the clutter. Your rig is your home – we get it. Sometimes homes get messy. In fact, we understand there’s a whole industry devoted to telling folks how to spring clean a house. Well guess what, trucks – especially those with sleeper cabs – could probably use a good spring clean too. Chances are you’ve got a whole winter’s worth of road salt, grime, coffee cups and maybe even few cookie crumbs lying around. Time to sweep out the dust, vacuum, change the bed sheets and if you have a small fridge, give that a good clean out as well.
Take advantage of the warmer weather and schedule a sunny day to have a good look around, under and in your rig or ask a service professional to do it for you. Spring is the ideal time to “clear out the cobwebs” and ensure your truck is on the road to running well. If you’ve got a top maintenance tip you’d like to share, leave a comment in our comments section. We love to hear from regular readers and we’ll share any good advice we get. We’re Service Pro Truck Lines – the Future of Trucking!
