%20Logo.svg)
Imagine this: You’re driving overnight and you’re in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, your engine starts derating. You pull over and do a forced regen, hoping to solve the problem, but it doesn’t work. You’re stuck on the side of the road for the night until you can get a tow to a nearby shop in the morning.
The tow is over $1,000 and the shop is charging you more than $200 an hour for diagnostic work. That’s not even factoring in how much you’ll pay for parts and labor and the time you’ll spend waiting around for the truck to get fixed.
The problem could’ve easily been prevented if you’d done the fix your carrier’s shop highly recommended during your last preventative maintenance appointment. A minor problem turned into a huge, expensive problem.
As the shop trainer and quality insurance inspector at Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), with a lengthy background as a diesel tech, preventative maintenance shop work is something I deal with on a daily basis.
Just like you have to go to the doctor for a physical to receive a medical card to ensure you’re roadworthy, you have to take your truck in for regular check-ups to spot minor issues before they become a problem.
Let’s talk more about what preventative maintenance is, what it consists of and its benefits.
The Importance of Semi-Trucks on the Road
Before I talk about why drivers need to regularly schedule and come in for preventative maintenance appointments, let’s talk about the importance of semi-trucks and why we need them on the road running optimally.
We need semi-trucks, plain and simple. As a driver, your livelihood depends on your truck running efficiently so you can haul loads. But if we take a less granular look at it, the country — really, the whole world — relies on truck drivers. Both the economy and consumers depend on truck drivers.
Trucks haul raw goods to manufacturers and they take those finished goods to retailers or ports (where they may travel across the globe via sea, air or rail). We need reliable drivers and transportation to keep the supply chain moving. One slowdown in the system can cause a huge chain reaction.
For the general public’s safety and their own, drivers need to be operating a truck that isn’t going to break down the second they get on the road
That’s where preventative maintenance comes in.
Components of Preventative Maintenance for Semi-Trucks
Preventative maintenance consists of regular check-ups and maintenance of the key components on a semi-truck — such as brakes, lights and tires — with the goal of spotting problems early to prevent costly breakdowns and downtime.
It consists not only of regular inspections but also routine replacements of specific components.
During an inspection, shop technicians will go through a checklist and review the following areas:
- In-cab
- Ex: Horn, windshield, air leaks, gauges, steering wheel, switches
- Outside walk around
- Ex: Lights and reflectors, glad-hand seals, suspension, fifth wheel, fuel tank leaks, tires, body damage
- Engine compartment
- Ex: Steering components, engine oil leaks, radiator assembly, A/C components, alternator
- Under vehicle
- Ex: Brake lining, wheel seals, slack adjusters, engine mounts, fluid leaks, loose components, air lines, brake hoses, oil and oil filters
- After treatment check
- Ex: Diesel exhaust fluid tank
- Electrical system check
- Ex: Batters, battery cables, master cutoff switch
Then, they’ll move on to fixing minor problems they see and changing out components that may need to be replaced such as oil, oil filters and fuel filters. Some components are changed annually while some service intervals are based on mileage and engine hours.
For instance, if you idle your truck excessively, you’ll need to come to the shop more frequently. The more miles and more engine hours, the more wear and tear, and therefore the more attention the truck needs.
Documentation is a key part of the process. The inspection ends with paperwork and the technician documenting the work that was done. Drivers should keep a copy of the preventative maintenance sheet in their truck for record-keeping purposes. Not only is this important if a Department of Transportation (DOT) officer pulls you over, but it’ll help you keep track of repairs for warranty coverage purposes.
Benefits of Preventative Maintenance
The benefits of regular preventative maintenance appointments are plentiful and include the following:
- Improved Safety
- Extended Vehicle Lifespan
- Cost Savings
- Reduced Downtime
- Compliance with Regulations
- Warranty Coverage
Let’s talk about each.
Improved Safety
First and foremost, you have your safety to think about. If a component fails on the road — maybe you blow a tire — you can end up in a messy accident that hurts you or someone in a vehicle near you.
When you get your truck in for regular inspections, you can lessen the likelihood of major component failures on the road. Technicians are trained to spot and fix potential issues before they become major issues.
If you’re going into the winter season, they may replace certain components sooner — like tires — to ensure you’re safe on difficult road conditions.
Extended Vehicle Lifespan
Having your truck inspected regularly prevents minor issues from becoming major issues that require a lot of time and money to fix.
Let’s revisit the reference to getting regular physicals at your doctor’s office. If you avoid going to the doctor and getting regular preventive care, an issue that could’ve been spotted early on can become a full-blown health condition.
It’s the same thing with your truck. A minor oil leak that could’ve been cleaned up easily in the shop one afternoon becomes a huge problem when the oil leaks into the engine compartment. And, if the oil isn’t changed regularly, there’s wear and tear on the engine, which can eventually lead to expensive emissions issues.
Extend the life of your truck by taking care of it and giving it regular attention.
Reduced Downtime
Sure, you might not love being down for a day while your truck is in the shop for an inspection, but you’d hate it more if you’re down for weeks because you encounter a breakdown on the road. At ATS, if there are no issues with your truck, a standard inspection takes about half a day.
Not only that but when you’re at your local shop, you can take care of a ton of other errands at the same time (think: grocery shopping, laundry, meeting with your driver manager).
Preventative maintenance is important because it helps technicians spot things that could become an issue soon or minor issues that can easily become major. Essentially, these appointments help prevent things from getting any worse and turning into full-blown issues that’ll keep you down for weeks.
Not only will it most likely take longer to fix the problem because it’s bigger, but you might have to get it fixed on the road. You may not be near a shop and that shop may not carry the parts you need. All of this can lead to a significant delay and keep you off the road. The parts shortage is less of a factor than it was a year or two ago, but you can still be down for weeks waiting for parts.
In trucking, time is money — especially when you’re an independent contractor covering all your repair costs and truck payments. And those truck payments don’t stop just because the truck is in the shop.
Cost Savings
It’s significantly cheaper to have your truck fixed by your carrier or at your local shop than it is to have it fixed on the road.
For starters, if you break down on the side of the road, you may need a tow to the nearest shop. You know from reading the introduction that a tow bill can easily cost you $1,000 nowadays — and that’s for a short tow. If you’re in the middle of nowhere, you’ll be out a massive chunk of change just to get your truck to the shop.
Labor rates are $200 or more per hour; shops aren’t afraid to charge much more than what your in-house rates would be at your trucking company. They also don’t know the history of your truck and they may try to convince you to do more work.
When you think about how much money a truck earns per day — as well as how much it costs to operate that truck per day — it really puts things in perspective. Being down just a day or two can put you back significantly. If you can prevent that by having regular preventative maintenance done, you should absolutely take advantage.
Compliance with Regulations
Your truck has to meet DOT regulations to be legal on the road. If you’re pulled over for an inspection and your truck and trailer don’t meet requirements, you’ll be given a violation and you can even be placed out-of-service (OOS) until the issue is fixed. You can be placed OOS for issues that may seem incredibly minor — from a chipped windshield to a light out.
During your preventative maintenance inspection, technicians will go over all these items and make sure your truck meets DOT regulations.
This is also why it’s important to have documentation in your truck. You can show the DOT officer your maintenance records.
Related: What to expect from a DOT inspection
Warranty Coverage
If you have a warranty failure, you better have the maintenance records to prove that you’ve been maintaining your truck.
If you run into an issue with a certain component, the manufacturer can look at your maintenance records and see that you didn’t come in for preventative maintenance. They can void the warranty coverage by arguing that you either caused or exacerbated the issue by failing to maintain your truck.
Related: Semi-truck warranties
Best Practices for Implementing Preventative Maintenance
It can feel like a challenge to get in for your maintenance appointments, but the annoyance of getting routed to a terminal or headquarters is outweighed by the benefits of having your truck regularly checked out.
You need to work with your shop and driver manager to make sure you’re staying on top of maintenance appointments and service intervals, but you should also keep a careful watch yourself.
You need to complete a pre-trip inspection every time you get on the road after a long break and you should do a post-trip inspection when you’re done driving for the day. These daily inspections will help you find minor issues so you can get your truck into the shop before it becomes a bigger problem.
Keep Your Truck Running Optimally
The importance of semi-truck preventative maintenance cannot be overstated. A breakdown on the road can have far-reaching consequences, affecting safety, cost and overall efficiency.
Preventative maintenance involves regular check-ups and maintenance of critical components, from brakes to lights and tires, with the aim of identifying and addressing issues before they escalate. This proactive approach offers numerous benefits.
Firstly, it ensures safety on the road by identifying and fixing potential issues before they lead to accidents. Secondly, it extends the lifespan of your vehicle, saving you from costly breakdowns. Additionally, it reduces downtime and the financial burden of emergency repairs, all while helping you stay compliant with DOT regulations and safeguarding warranty coverage.
To implement preventative maintenance effectively, collaborate with your shop and driver manager, while also conducting regular pre- and post-trip inspections. In essence, investing in preventative maintenance is an investment in your safety, your truck's longevity and your financial stability as a truck driver — vital for keeping the wheels of commerce rolling smoothly.
Check out these other tips for avoiding costly breakdowns.