All You Need to Know About Semi Truck Repair and Maintenance

18 wheelers are part of our nation’s infrastructure to get goods to places across America. Keeping these trucks operating at their best is critical for your business and for the safety of everyone on the road. STTC offers 24/7 semi truck road service to help you maintain your vehicles and allow for a smooth, safe drive.  Here are our 5 best tips for semi truck repair and maintenance.

• Make a Plan to Perform Regular Maintenance 

The FMCSA requires owners to keep a maintenance schedule. The more trucks you have, the more complicated this gets. Keep track of your inventory of vehicles. Use the number of engine hours and mileage to set up a preventative maintenance schedule so you can utilize downtime between trips to perform regular maintenance. This can give you the most cost-effective method of taking care of your trucks. Preventative maintenance can avert major repairs and down time. 

• Make Sure Drivers Are Inspecting the Truck  

The drivers spend more time with the truck than anyone else. A pre-trip inspection that checks the brakes, electrical, fluids, and tires can be invaluable in making sure the truck doesn’t break down on the road. Train drivers to use a standard checklist and give them time to inspect the truck before each trip. Use digital software to keep documentation of this inspection so drivers don’t have to maintain paper records. Educate your fleet drivers on what types of simple repairs they can DIY, and which repairs should be handled by a service center. 

• Keep Tires Inflated Properly 

Underinflated tires impact fuel efficiency. Over-inflated tires wear out prematurely and can blowout on the road. Give each driver a tire pressure gauge to avoid eyeballing tire pressure. Have drivers regularly check tire pressure, especially when temperatures change, because the outside air temperature can impact tire pressure.  

• Perform Seasonal Maintenance 

Trucks have different needs in the summer than the winter. Consider where your trucks are being driven to make sure they have what they need to be safe from the elements. In the summer, you may need to focus on the cooling system, while in the winter, you will want to focus more on the fluids, brakes, and windshield.

• Invest in a Road Service Plan

Even well-maintained vehicles can sometimes break down on the road. A semi truck road service plan will help your business stick to a budget by handling emergencies quickly and efficiently. STTC Road Assists can be accessed by phone or through our app, by drivers or a fleet manager to get assistance to a driver on the road. 

Make STTC Roadside Assistance Part of Your Maintenance Plan

Regular preventative maintenance ensures that you get the most out of your trucks. Roadside assistance helps you stay on schedule when trucks break down. You’re just one call away from getting help on the road. We aim to get your truck back to work within 2 hours of your call, even at night or on holidays. 

Call us now at 610-954-8473 or contact us online for any type of emergency service, Semi Truck Repair and Maintenance or tire replacement and repair needs for your commercial fleet vehicles.