If you operate a trucking fleet, you know how important it is to keep up with maintenance; not only to avoid a breakdown but to get the best value for money and return on your significant investment. Each of these vehicles is designed to put up with a lot of abuse and cover tens of thousands of kilometres per year, but they must receive an adequate amount of preventative care, or the long road will be cut short prematurely. What are some of the biggest issues facing engineers today when it comes to keeping these big beasts on the road?

Watching the Oil

While a failure can have many different causes, some of the most prevalent issues involve oil and fuel. Of course, these big trucks are lubricated by diesel oil, and while this is a very efficient solution, it is nevertheless prone to problems, especially if it is left unattended for too long. Diesel oil can be prone to oxidisation, where tiny bubbles of oxygen are forced into the mixture due to outside air pressure. These may be very difficult to detect with the naked eye, but they can have a considerable effect on the efficiency of the vehicle over time.

As this time goes by and the diesel becomes more oxidised, its ability to protect the hard-working surfaces inside the engine will be significantly compromised. This will lead to higher rates of failure caused by excess wear and tear, and you may not notice the issue until it has become too late to save some of the components. Make sure that you keep your oil in first class condition.

Checking the Mixture

You should also be sure to check the mixture of fuel to air regularly to try and avoid poor compression. When this mixture is thrown out of balance, it can lead to overspill and toxic, black smoke. If you're not careful, this could get you into trouble from an environmental perspective as well. Make sure that the diesel jets and injectors are cleaned on a regular basis to avoid this type of problem from manifesting itself.

Introducing a Process

Do you have a team of mechanics on your staff or do you rely on outside help as and when you need it? Either way, ensure that you always have a maintenance schedule in place for each truck and get into the habit of checking oil and fuel performance against standard metrics.

For more information, contact your local truck repair service today.