By: Matthew Petty, Service Manager
The reliability of trucks and commercial vehicles can put the owners, fleet managers, and operators’ minds at ease. They churn out the miles, the hours, the loads, and owners see them as trusted workhorses dutifully delivering on the week’s schedule.
Yet, ignoring routine, seasonal maintenance and visual inspections can lead to a breakdown at the worst possible time. In short, vehicles seem to perform well, until a failure puts the truck in the shop – and the driver off the road.
Before the leaves fall and Winter arrives, you should take the time to perform routine maintenance to ensure your vehicle is ready for the cold season ahead.
The following tips can help improve the chances of miles of problem-free driving.
- Know your vehicle. Routine maintenance can be standard, and between scheduled service is when problems can arise. Personally performing regular visual inspections in and around the engine compartment; oil and coolant levels; battery health; the wiper blades and fluid; the undercarriage; tire treads, sidewalls, and air levels; brakes; and the cable plug, is key to spotting wear or other emerging issues before they sideline your vehicle.
- Treat your fuel. Prepare for those freezing nights – and avoid no-start issues – by treating your fuel and fuel system. Diesel fuel begins gelling at 15◦ F and a fuel water separator that hasn’t been drained will freeze at 32◦ F.
- Remove salt. Periodically wash or at least rinse your vehicle, especially under the hood and the undercarriage. This will remove or prevent the accumulation of road salt and pretreatment that can cause rust and corrosion, leading to premature part failures or more difficult repairs down the road.
- Check your lights. With the days getting shorter, dawn and dusk eat into our daytime driving. Visually inspect all lights and signals. Carry spare bulbs in case one fails while on the road.
- Maintain your HVAC system. Although your air conditioner will likely be off until springtime, it is a good idea to ensure your complete HVAC system is still functioning well. Verify your mode door can move correctly, especially to defrost, and that the blower motor is putting out the correct and consistent volume of air.
- Visit your dealer for a courtesy inspection. Many dealer service departments, including Ascendance Truck Centers, provide courtesy visual inspections of some of the components mentioned above. They also may provide customer telematics to alert owners and fleet managers of warnings or faults that might have gone unnoticed or unreported.
No matter the season, stay current with your maintenance and inspection schedule. Whether in our truck or passenger vehicle, we tend to drive without realizing how many miles we’ve logged. Be sure to check that window decal. At the very least, with every oil change, perform a visual inspection.
Contact your local Ascendance Truck Centers to schedule a courtesy inspection, oil change or other routine maintenance for the upcoming season. With factory-trained, certified technicians working two shifts across most branches, Ascendance is driven to give you the uptime experience you need to keep your business running. Find your local Ascendance branch today!
About The Author
Matthew Petty is a Service Manager for Ascendance Truck Centers based in the York, PA branch. He has more than 15 years’ experience in the industry, rising from Technician to Service Manager. Have questions? Contact Matt at Matthew.Petty@AscendanceTrucks.com.
