Long-haul trucking can be a dangerous business if you are not keeping up the maintenance of your truck. First Motion Products suggests you follow these maintenance tips to keep your truck in tip-top shape, ensuring your safety as well as the safety of others on the road.
Alignment Adjustments
Driving your truck out of alignment is very dangerous. It makes steering more difficult, reduces your fuel efficiency, in addition to causing your tires to wear out prematurely, costing you more in tire replacements. With as many hours as you are spending on the road, make sure you are taking your truck into a specialist for regular alignments.
Brake Upkeep
Driving a heavy truck requires a lot more time to come to a stop after applying the brakes. It is vital that your brakes are in excellent working order, and get them checked out immediately if you are noticing any issues. Before driving out on the highways, be sure to test your brake’s stopping performance.
Regular Inspections
To reduce the risk of a breakdown out on the open road, keep up to date with your truck’s inspections. The same way your annual physical with a doctor can catch serious health problems before they arise, so can regular truck inspections stay ahead of any issues that could arise from long hours on the road.
Tire Maintenance
You should be checking your tires for signs of wear or damage on a regular basis so you know when they need to be replaced. Your tires are the link between your truck and the road, so it is important to make sure they are in good shape. This includes checking the air pressure as well, making sure they are at the recommended level.