When dealing with a fleet of commercial vehicles, vehicle downtime may be quite expensive for you or the business you work with. Businesses are often projected to lose between $450 and $750 a day, give or take, due to downtime. Therefore, all truck drivers and transportation businesses should prioritize decreasing total vehicle downtime. Implementing and mandating a quick and easy preventative truck maintenance checklist program is one method by which truck drivers and businesses may reduce the time their vehicles are not in use. Using a reasonably simple semi truck maintenance checklist, you may save your fleet’s downtime by up to 20% and your total commercial vehicle maintenance/repair expenditures. Additionally, it helps your car last longer, so you do not regularly need to invest in new vehicles and components. Now that you are paying attention let us discuss what a vehicle maintenance checklist is and what items it should include.
What Does a Commercial Truck Maintenance Checklist Contain?
A truck maintenance checklist, in essence, is a paper or electronic document that lists review items that truckers, technicians, and any other relevant parties should or must check to make sure the provided commercial vehicle is in good working order and does not need any emergency repair. It is also crucial to remember that commercial truck maintenance checklists might vary based on the specific vehicle and its intended use. These truck maintenance checklists also assist fleet managers and drivers in keeping track of scheduled maintenance and repairs before the vehicle leaves the lot, further preventing issues and breakdowns while driving and saving time and money for all parties.
What Should Be On Your Checklist For Truck Maintenance?
There are numerous important factors to consider while creating your truck maintenance plan and checklist. These factors will decide how effective your efforts to maintain your vehicle will be.
Preventative Maintenance Checklist –
Above all, a solid and thorough preventative maintenance routine may help you or the business you work for in maximizing the lifespan of the vehicle. as opposed to being reactive & waiting until it is too late to solve an issue. Preventative maintenance attempts to foresee prospective problems before they arise and create a strategy to address the current problem before it worsens. Nevertheless, a preventative maintenance plan should include the manufacturer’s suggested vehicle maintenance and the estimated time each need should be finished.
Here are some of the usual elements you would want to include on your preventive commercial truck maintenance checklist, even if your semi-truck maintenance checklist will vary based on the kind of vehicle and its specifications.
- Is it necessary to replace the oil?
- Are filters have to be replaced?
- Are there any parts that need to be tightened?
- Is the engine in need of tuning?
- Are the brakes in need of repair or adjustment?
- Should the tires be rotated?
- Is there anything that requires lubrication?
- Does the radiator need upkeep?
Demand Maintenance Checklist –
Demand maintenance is the upkeep carried out on a vehicle only as necessary. This comprises just patching or replacing a specific vehicle item when it malfunctions and breaks down. Typical items on a demand maintenance checklist include:
- Light bulbs
- Springs
- Window glass
- Gauges
- Seat cushions
- Engine
- Transmission
- Batteries
- Corroded structures
Crisis Maintenance Checklist –
As the name indicates, crisis maintenance happens when preventive and demand maintenance tasks are not completed on time. This indicates that an unexpected failure of a specific vehicle component and components caused your truck to break down while it was in motion. Sadly, this typically means you will have to finish your journey with a temporary substitute vehicle while a technician either attempts to fix the car there or needs to haul it back to a shop to fix it. Drivers and transportation businesses should avoid these scenarios, given their expenses. However, a few things need to be kept a watch on in case crisis maintenance is necessary.
- Time required to plan the required repairs
- Time to change delivery routes
- Driver’s leisure time
- Employ a mechanic
- Purchase fresh components to replace the damaged ones.
Maintenance Form Records –
Maintaining current records of the vehicle and all maintenance performed on it throughout time is essential if the numerous truck maintenance checklists we just covered are to be effective in reducing downtime and maintenance costs. When keeping accurate vehicle records, the following considerations should be made:
- Always be up-to-date and current.
- Keep accurate information that you can comprehend afterward.
- Identify the vehicle or vehicles.
- Plan and continue period evaluations.
Benefits of Using a Checklist and Schedule for Truck Maintenance
Do not put the information above into practice until you have a better knowledge of the many checklists you should consider using as a truck driver or a trucking firm. It will maintain your fleet or commercial vehicle in excellent shape and keep them trustworthy so that the drivers can safely deliver items to the clients. If that is not sufficient justification, a few more listed below were covered in the article.
- Minimizes the entire cost of operations, insurance, and maintenance.
- Extends the lifespan of the vehicle
- Decreases the likelihood that failures may occur
- Increases customer satisfaction
- Increases driver safety
- Improves the environment in which drivers operate
- Helps in preventing accidents
- Meets the requirements set out by the law