It’s an unfortunate fact of life that trucks can sometimes suffer a breakdown. Breakdowns aren’t always catastrophic, but they can be, and care should be taken to make sure that they’re avoided at all costs. Truck repair is expensive, and keeping breakdowns to a minimum is an important part of minimizing fleet costs.
What Causes Truck Breakdowns?
Improper or Infrequent Maintenance
This is the number one culprit of truck breakdowns. Maintenance is often skipped in order to save on costs. However, a truck breakdown and the resulting truck repair will be much more expensive than any maintenance performed!
Make sure to have a maintenance checklist ready and up to date for each truck in your fleet at all times.
Common maintenance needs include checking tire pressure, lubricating the joints, changing the oil, checking the electrical system for wiring issues, and checking fluid levels. However, there is much more to proper maintenance to that. Having a partner that can do the maintenance for you and manage maintenance schedules will save you a lot of time and hassle.
Electrical Issues
Trucks have a wide array of electrical components, all of which can fail at any time. These things could include lighting, the cranking system, and the charging system; not to mention the battery itself!
Maintenance is important. Make sure to have someone check your truck’s wiring on a regular basis to see if there is any fraying or other issues that could potentially cause problems down the line.
Braking Problems
Braking problems could be caused by oil passing from the compressor, air pressure leakage, timing imbalance, and contamination from either inside the truck or from the environment.
It’s obvious why braking problems could cause breakdowns, but it can also cause legal troubles as well. An operator cannot legally drive a vehicle that has issues with the brakes!
Make sure you use OEM components so that there are no compatibility issues with the brakes that could cause future problems.
Old or Incorrect Tires
Tires are what separate the load from the road. For this reason, it’s important to make sure that your tires are not old, not worn, and aren’t experiencing any cuts or bulges. This could easily cause a breakdown!
Tire problems can be caused due to improper maintenance, or they could be caused by using the wrong tires for the job. Depending on what kind of trucking you’re doing, whether it’s long haul or regional, you’re going to want to use different tires. Make sure the tires are at the right pressure and that they’re replaced on a regular basis.
Cooling Systems
Cooling system problems can cause overheating, which could cause a truck to break down. Usually, a cooling system problem is related to connections, and coolant leaks are likely the culprit.
Make sure to check your coolant pump to make sure it’s functional, and also make sure to check coolant levels. If they’re too low, then repairs will need to be done as it’s indicative of a leak.
We’re here to help you with any truck breakdowns in Gainesville GA, so don’t hesitate. Contact us and our professionals will be on-site to help you!
