How to Prepare Your Truck for the Summer Season
As a truck owner or operator, you rely on your vehicle to run for miles on end to get the best results for your business, especially during the busy summer months. However, the warm weather during the summer can affect the performance of your truck and can even lead to damage requiring costly repairs. That’s why it’s so important to keep up with preventative maintenance to reduce the chance of a breakdown.
Monitor Your Truck’s Fluid Levels
Your semi-truck relies on a variety of fluids to run smoothly. The summer heat raises the risk of your engine overheating, which means that the fluids have to work that much harder to keep everything cool. Start by using the proper fluids. Search for a high-quality coolant that is recommended by your truck's manufacturer. When you’re heading out on a hot summer day, top off your coolant to prevent your engine from overheating.
Remember to regularly check the brake fluid, fuel, and lubricants to make sure that they are topped off to the optimal levels. While you’re at it, it might be a good idea to also check your air filters because they work with the fluids to keep your truck running clean and cool.
Tire Pressure
The higher temperatures can cause the air in your truck tires to expand. This creates more pressure, which could lead to a blowout on the highway. In most modern trucks, you’ll have a tire pressure monitoring system, which gives you updates when there’s an issue with any of your tires. If your truck doesn’t have one of these, you should consider having one installed. At the very least, make sure you have a tire pressure gauge, so you or your drivers can check the pressure before every trip.
Preventative Maintenance
No matter the season, some basic maintenance steps can go a long way in keeping your semi-truck in peak operating condition. During the summer months, you should watch out for problems in the cooling system, such as sudden jumps in normal engine operating temperature or leaks in the system. Regularly inspect your truck's coolant hoses, as well as any clamps that attach the hoses to the radiator and to your engine. Some other areas that you'll want to keep an eye on for signs of damage include the engine belt, radiator, overflow container, and cooling fan.
These summer truck maintenance steps might seem like extra work, but they can be very useful in the long run. If you need more advice, or you are looking for commercial trucks for sale, get in touch with us at RWC Group. We have locations in Arizona, Alaska, California, and Washington, and we welcome all those in the Western United States.