How to Protect Your Commercial Truck’s Battery Life & Avoid Breakdowns

Protecting your commercial truck’s battery health is essential for keeping your fleet in safe operation. Not only is it crucial to understand proper battery care, but it’s also imperative that fleet managers know that not all batteries are created equal and some require different maintenance needs than others. Failure to keep your commercial truck’s battery in good condition can often result in unexpected breakdowns and increased road service requests. Read on to see how to avoid unnecessary breakdown and Protect your Commercial Truck’s Battery Life with these easy steps!

How to Avoid Road Service Calls Due To A Dead Battery

There are many different steps fleet managers can take to help avoid the need for road service due to a dead or dying battery. Consider the following when monitoring the health of your trucks’ batteries:

• Battery Replacements: It’s unwise to wait until your battery dies to seek out a replacement. Luckily, there are signs you can watch for that can help you identify the need for a replacement ahead of time. If you notice your check engine light has turned on, an abnormally slow engine crank, or the battery electrolyte levels are low, you likely need to check to see if your battery needs to be replaced.
• Battery Selection: Commercial truck batteries are as varied in their functionality and capacity as the trucks themselves. There are two factors to consider when selecting the right battery for your vehicle: CCA and RC. CCA will tell you the amount of current delivered in cold temperatures while RC will tell you how much power can be stored once the battery is charged. In addition, making a switch to an absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery can provide you with better performance in high-vibration applications, better shelf life, lower maintenance needs, and reduced overall risk.
• Battery Charging: Know how to charge your battery correctly and refer to the instructions each time, even if you think you know the right way to do it. When troubleshooting battery issues, be sure to inspect for loose cables, parasitic loads, corrosion, or an underperforming alternator. Each of these issues can indicate either an issue with the battery itself or a larger issue with your truck’s electrical components.

In addition to charging, selection, and replacement, making battery inspection a part of your routine maintenance program is an excellent way to proactively prevent against unnecessary breakdown. STTC provides fleet managers with the personalized maintenance plans they need to ensure their trucks can tackle the trip ahead without issue. And when a vehicle in your fleet experiences a breakdown, STTC also provides road service through our expansive network of readily available tire technicians and service experts.

STTC for Your Road Service & Truck Maintenance Needs

Whether you need a preventative maintenance plan or are seeking a road service provider, STTC has the team you need to travel with confidence. Protect your commercial fleet from roadside breakdown due to a dead battery by contacting our team about our Road Assist and preventative maintenance programs today!