Plaza 23 Truck Stop / Service

by Melanie Broemsen

A truck tractor can operate for hundreds of thousands of miles without trouble, especially when you take proper care of it. Protect your investment and your livelihood, and avoid some of the common, and often expensive, pitfalls associated with commercial truck maintenance by performing a thorough pre-trip inspection before you hit the road.

Why pre-trip inspections are important

The largest overhead expense you will experience as a commercial truck owner will be the cost of repairs, including parts and labor. However, vehicle downtime can be a much larger problem. Every day that your truck isn’t on the road, you lose money. The losses associated with downtime due to repairs can make or break a business. And as any experienced truck driver will tell you, preventative maintenance is the key to ensuring your commercial truck stays operational and profitable.

Following a thorough pre-trip inspection regimen on a regular basis can help prevent expensive breakdowns from occurring. Any necessary repairs can be made more efficiently and less expensively than when you are on the road. In addition, you are less likely to experience an accident. According to the Oregon Trucking Association, most commercial vehicle accidents that are attributable to vehicle component failure could have been avoided by detecting the deficiency prior to departure. Plus, your delivery schedules will not be impacted by unexpected delays.

Of course, pre-trip inspections are also mandatory, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR, Part 396.13). Following this pre-trip inspection checklist not only can help extend the life of your investment, but also reduce the amount of time and money lost due to truck repairs and downtime – and keep you legal.

Commercial vehicle pre-trip inspection checklist

Check your tires – According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), tire-related costs are the single largest expense, accounting for as much as one-third of total maintenance costs, associated with commercial vehicles. Plan to spend about half an hour examining your tires, each and every time, before you hit the road.

First, check the air pressure in your tires. If you have a vehicle with dual tires, it is imperative that you check the inner tires, as well as the outer ones, even though they can be more difficult to reach. The outer tires can mask issues, such as under-inflation, which is the most common tire-related problem experienced by truck drivers. In fact, nearly 90 percent of tire breakdowns are the result of under-inflation, and a third of tire life is lost when under-inflated by 20 percent. Low tire pressure can cause heat build-up and reduce your fuel efficiency, too. Fortunately, even though tire under-inflation can create expensive problems, they can usually be avoided with proper attention.

In addition to checking the tire pressure, you should examine the tread. If you notice cracks or irregular wear, you may need to replace, rotate or adjust the inflation in your tire. If you aren’t sure, ask a professional commercial vehicle repair shop for an evaluation. Finally, replace your tires every three to five years, regardless of wear and mileage.

Check your fluids – First, look to see if there are signs of fluid leakage on the ground under your commercial vehicle. Then, take a look under the hood and check the coolant, antifreeze, oil and fuel. Look for leaks, and ensure you have the proper amounts of the fluids. Finally, turn on your truck and ensure the oil pressure, temperature and air pressure gauges are working properly.

Check your electrical system and wiring- All warning lights and buzzers should be working properly. In addition to checking your headlights (low and high beam), four-way flashers, clearance lights, turn signals, brake lights and other electrical components to be sure they are working properly, examine your truck for frayed or loose wiring. Common culprits include dangling fuel lines and worn battery cable that due to rubbing, can become exposed and cause a truck fire.

Check your brakes – First, test your parking brake. Also be sure your standard brakes have the proper amount of lining left. Review the manufacturer’s specifications for these guidelines, including any notations around these other brake-related items:

• Leaks in the air pressure system, including the leakage rate
• Low pressure warning alarm
• Parking breaks turn on automatically
• Rate of air pressure build-up

Invest in a good commercial truck insurance policy - Finally, be smart about your commercial truck insurance policy. Be sure you understand how much and what type of coverage you need to adequately protect your investment, and your livelihood.

Even with proper maintenance, commercial vehicles can break down, or accidents can occur. If downtime could pose a problem for you, choose a commercial auto insurance company that can respond to your needs quickly, like Progressive insurance, which offers roadside assistance and rental reimbursement, as well as a large network of expert technicians. Progressive is one of the fastest growing commercial auto insurance groups, and specializes in fulfilling the commercial vehicle insurance needs of small businesses like yours. For more information, visit ProgressiveCommercial.com.

by Christopher M. Hunter

Truck breakdowns happen anytime and anywhere. No matter how carefully you work to prevent this type of occurrence, it does happen. You just don’t know when or where it will happen to you! This in turn creates a burden to get back on the road as quickly as possible. You have to make a rapid decision between calling a towing service to take you to a facility to have the repairs completed or fixing it by yourself. If you are planning to do it on your own, you must have sufficient technical and mechanical knowledge as well as proper training in order to diagnose and fix the problem.

Using a commercial vehicle mechanic is undoubtedly expensive. It could cost you approximately $80 to $150 an hour for these specific services. If you are going to call a towing service and ask them to repair your vehicle, you could spend nearly $1,000. This is a costly decision you need to make.

Common truck problems encountered while out on the road can easily be handled another way. These common difficulties can be prevented by setting effective preventive maintenance controls in place. You need to act ahead of time before trouble happens!

Common Truck Problems and Their Preventive Measures

There are several truck troubles that can be readily identified and repaired by the driver before a costly breakdown. Below are common items to look at and the precautionary measures to be taken to avoid costly breakdowns:

1. Battery (dead or weak) – The most common breakdown difficulty is a dead or weak battery. Common causes of this type of problem are the battery clamps, lack of charge, or insufficient battery fluid. Batteries should be checked on a regular basis, certainly before heading out on the road. Make sure that the batteries are fully charged before heading for an extended trip. You can check, clean and inspect the battery terminals and connections as well as their polarity. Bring battery jumper cables to have on hand in the vehicle and make sure that they are well insulated. Make sure that the terminals are kept clean. Check the amount of battery fluid and take it to a battery expert for more fluid to avoid battery overheating and explosion.

2. Tires (flat or blowouts) – The next common problem to cause truck breakdowns while on the road are flat or blown-out tires. Check your tire pressure immediately before you travel. It is important that they have the correct pressure appropriate to the different speeds and the load capacity of your vehicle. You can check the manufacturer’s manual for the tire pressure necessary for your vehicle. It is just about impossible for the driver of an 18-wheeler to change a flat tire and it is usually expressly forbidden by a trucking company due to the many hazards involved. Avoiding a flat or blow-out is the only feasible solution.

3. Fuel (empty) – This truck breakdown problem is so very predictable that it is the proverbial ‘no-brainer!’ Make sure that your vehicle has enough fuel before you leave. Monitor your fuel status as you are driving paying particular attention to the roadway signs that tell you it is 125 miles or so to the next gas station! Of course, make sure that you have the right kind of fuel for your vehicle and that it is available at the station where you stop. Not every gas station on the highways has diesel fuel available.

4. Motor Oil – Oil should always be maintained at a recommended level. Check your oil level frequently and certainly before heading out on the road to ensure that you are complying with the level advised by the manufacturer.

5. Alternators – A properly functioning alternator is essential in the performance of your truck’s engine. Make sure that you check your alternator for any potential problems. Be aware of what your vehicle is trying to tell you; batteries that are continually run-down and require jumping may be a signal of a faulty alternator. Complete stalling is also another sign of an alternator going bad. The alternator can be changed out in the shop before getting out on the road much more easily than in the middle of a deserted highway!

The wise thing to do to prevent breakdowns is to get your truck on a regular preventive maintenance schedule. Potential concerns can be detected while they can still be easily handled. The alternative is going to be much more costly both in terms of repairs on the road and lost productivity. Make an intelligent choice and stop problems before they happen!

Owner-operators often have the best of both worlds. Not only do they own their own rigs, but they also work for themselves, which means that they don’t have to split wages with any larger company. For the most part, this kind of trucking operation is a good idea. However, repairing a large rig can easily cost any owner-operator a lot of money.

While it’s important for any small business to set aside emergency funds, this isn’t always plausible. Today’s sinking global economy means that even the transportation business is slowing down. This translates into fewer wages, and less money available to set aside for a “rainy day.” Still, making necessary repairs to a rig is vital to any professional driver’s livelihood. Without the machine that makes business possible, business would simply cease to exist. The problem is that repairing a large rig isn’t quite the same as repairing a regular vehicle.

Truck repairs can reach far into the thousands. Lack of necessary repair funds can often lead to bankruptcy. Alternately, many owner-operators dip into retirement plans and personal savings accounts in order to gain repair money. While this situation might seem bleak, there is a way to make truck repairs without declaring bankruptcy or emptying one’s bank account.

Specific truck repair loans exist solely for the purposes of repairing a large rig. These loans are given out by private lenders seeking to invest in a professional driver’s livelihood. Unlike traditional loans, credit history does not play a part in obtaining a private truck repair loan because these loans are secured by the borrower’s vehicle.

To apply for this kind of loan, an applicant must be able to prove that they have a steady source of income, and that they own their own truck, or another vehicle. As soon as an application is approved (often a matter of minutes), the requested loan money is deposited directly into the applicant’s bank account.

Since a truck repair applicant is involved in the repayment process, paying back that private repair loan is logical and simple. Both the applicant and the lender often enter into a repayment agreement that makes sense for both parties involved, so there are no surprise fees or extra costs.

When an entire business rests upon needed truck repairs, alternative private truck repair loans are the best possible option. There’s no denying the fact that traditional lenders see potential risk and money loss involved in approving truck repair loans. Contrastingly, private lenders don’t view approving loan applications as losing money. Instead, these lenders see helping owner-operators fix their rigs as a way to lend a simple helping hand.