Maintenance For Your Dump Truck

Your dump truck works hard to make sure you don’t have to, moving debris or materials from A to B with little to no effort. It’s only fair that you work hard to keep it in good shape! No matter how durable your particular machine might be, it’s going to need some TLC every so often. But a dump truck is a large and complex machine, so it can be hard to figure out where to start.

That’s why we here at RWC Group put together this easy dump truck maintenance guide! Follow these steps to help keep your truck from breaking down, and if you want to know more—or you’re just ready to browse dump trucks for sale—contact any of our locations! We have 3 stores in Arizona, 2 in Alaska, 2 in California, and 4 in Washington state for your convenience, and all are staffed by friendly and experienced folks ready to get you what you need at the prices you want.

Owner’s Manual

The first step in maintaining any complicated machinery is to locate the owner’s manual. For work vehicles like dump trucks, this is especially important. While we can provide some excellent general advice, your owner’s manual is written and designed to help you care for your vehicle in particular. Your owner’s manual will know for sure just what maintenance checks your dump truck requires and when, and may even include a chart you can use to track your maintenance history. Some also include advice for specific products and supplies you need to clean and care for your dump truck specifically. Unless you have the manual memorized, we highly recommend reviewing it before starting any maintenance procedures. 

If you can’t locate your manual, never fear. The manufacturer’s website should have a digital copy somewhere, and you should be able to print it out. 

Batteries

For the actual maintenance, we’ll start with the battery. The one under your dump truck’s hood will need care to keep it from collection corrosion and to make sure all connections are tight. If you ever plan to leave the truck sitting for extended periods of time, make sure to remove the battery entirely and hook it to a trickle charger. Especially in winter, it’s important to make sure it doesn’t collect dust and slowly lose its charge past the point where it can be recharged.

But your dump truck might have more than one battery. Dumping mechanisms typically have their own batteries to ensure they run smoothly, and it needs just as much care if you don’t want your truck to become a very difficult-to-use cargo truck. Make sure it’s got a full charge, and like your engine battery, hook it up to a trickle charger any time it’s just sitting. Unlike your engine battery, this one should be hooked to a trickle charger over weekends and similar lengths of disuses. If this battery starts to experience problems, the hydraulics system it tends to be next to will be affected as well.

If your bed ever has trouble, check the battery and the area around it for excess fluids.

Tires

The wheels on any vehicle are vital to normal function, and tires on heavy vehicles like dump trucks are under some serious strain. Make sure to check your tires every morning before you start your truck. Start by testing the air pressure and making sure it matches the recommendations in the owner’s manual. Then check the tread to make sure it isn’t too worn, and that all tire treads are wearing down evenly. If not, there may be an alignment problem. If you aren’t using the truck for a while, make sure to rotate the tires a quarter of the way around to avoid prolonged pressure on any one section. 

Make sure there are no cracks or gouges in the side walls, and verify that your spare is in good condition. It won’t do you any good if it’s flat, too. 

Hydraulics

This system isn’t one you have to deal with on many other vehicles, so it’s understandable to not be super familiar with their care. But the hydraulics are vital for lifting and lowering the bed carefully, and you certainly don’t want it stuck—either in the air or laying flat. 

If you experience sticking, check the coils, located by the pump. Loosen the nuts of each coil and then switch them. That should allow you to lower a bed stuck in the air, which will let you drive off to a maintenance appointment. This isn’t a permanent fix, so make sure your next stop is a service department of some kind. 

If you’re not sure where to take a faulty dump truck, look no further than RWC Group! As the preferred bus and commercial truck vehicle group of the Western United States, we’re fully prepared to get your truck up and running in no time flat. Visit our site to find the closest location to you and give us a call—we’ll do the rest!