Basic Servicing of a Large Truck
Being a truck driver is not easy in any case, such a large vehicle will require you to carry out preventive maintenance on a regular basis or allow a mechanic to carry out this work. It’s important for you is to get to know your truck and be able to do some basic servicing and repairs by yourself this will help avoid calling specialised companies out, specialists cost money and so do their call out fees. Therefore it is a good idea to be careful not to allow a failure in the first place.
What you must learn first is to keep your vehicle clean, tidy and in good condition. You might think it is not a big deal if the truck is dirty but, as with the horses, your regular task should be to take care of your vehicle, then you can rest. The dirt by itself is not so important, what is important is the fact that dirt leads to rust and once rusting starts it is very hard to be contained and easy to ignore; it is contagious and spreads throughout the vehicle. So do your best to keep your truck in the best possible state, especially in the winter, a time you will probably not feel like cleaning the truck.
Another good idea is to always select carefully what oils, lubricants and other liquids you pour into the truck, the gas and the oil are the vital fluids and the blood of your truck, and you will not believe how many mechanical failures have been caused, and will continue to be caused by either too much oil, no oil or contaminated oil. When choosing the liquids for your truck always select a brand you have used before or trust, and if possible always use the same brand on each occasion. Believe it or not even windshield washing liquid can cause problems ‒ if it freezes for example, the pumps will fail and you will have to drive with dirty windows until you find a way to fix them, this in itself might not cost you money but will ensure the drive is a visually impaired one and a dangerous journey.
And last but not least, always check your gauges. Try to act before the levels of the fluids go too low or the temperature of the oil and engine rises up too high, this is very dangerous. There is always a reason for a gauge to behave strangely, always act on the warning indicators, for example if the gage or lamp for brakes is blinking or behaving erratically pull over and check your vehicle out, you could have a ruptured brake line or any number of other issues associated with the brakes, which could have you heading for disaster. Reacting on time will save you a lot of trouble and money. It might even save your life some time, so pay attention.
