No matter what kind of vehicle you own, it will require maintenance over time. When you rely on a vehicle like a big rig transport truck to drive your business’s profits, ensuring the proper maintenance to keep things running is even more critical. If you’re about to perform spring maintenance on your trucks, it will help to review this list to ensure you’re not missing any vital checks. 

Taking Stock

If you only own one commercial truck, it should be very challenging to keep track of your fleet. On the other hand, if you’re running a trucking company with a large fleet, a maintenance check is a good time to ensure that you’re keeping track. 

Doing an inventory of your vehicles will also give you a chance to do a quick assessment of missing links in your roster. If you find your business requires a new vehicle, you can’t go wrong by looking for a Western Star 49X for sale at a dealership near you. After all, looking at potential new vehicles right after a maintenance check will keep you primed for evaluation. 

Tires

The importance of your tires should never be overlooked. While most long-haul commercial trucks go through tires quickly, that comprises about one-third of a truck’s total maintenance costs. 

Brakes

Your brakes don’t just protect your truck and the goods that it hauls; they also help to save lives. Brakes are the most vital safety feature on a big rig, apart from seatbelts. They’re also one of the components that wear down the fastest. A regular check will help ensure that your drivers are working with high-performing brakes at all times. 

Electrical and Wiring

With all of the electrical gadgets that modern commercial trucks are equipped with, it’s even more critical that you consistently monitor your trucks’ power supply. You don’t need to be a computer expert or an electrical engineer to perform these checks; just look for corrosion around wires and ensure that everything is connecting correctly. 

Fluids

As in the case of electrical connections, the primary checks regarding fluids will involve looking for basic warning signs such as leaks. Of course, you’ll also need to look under the hood to monitor levels and determine whether you need to schedule an oil change or replace any other essential fluid. 

Considering Preventative Maintenance 

Frequent maintenance checks will help to ensure that your trucks get repaired and maintained on your schedule rather than when they are halfway through a route with a full load that’s becoming late for delivery. One of the best ways that you can prevent this kind of scenario is to train your drivers to do regular assessment checks of 

• Tires
• Brakes 
• Electrical Systems
• Fluids

This extra training will cost you minimal time while saving your company countless headaches further down the road. 

Performing regular maintenance checks is one of the most important tasks that you can do to ensure the success of a trucking business. If you find that any of your vehicles are not up to the task, visit a commercial truck dealership to get started on your next acquisition.