Seasonal maintenance tips as the cold weather rolls in

Seasonal maintenance tips as the cold weather rolls in

No one’s ever really ready for winter to move in—the cold weather, snow and wind that hurts your face, not to mention the slush and bad roads. Now I know what you’re probably thinking. “Tess, slow down. We’re barely into October,” and you’d be right but shortly after all the touchdowns have been scored and all the halloween candy has been consumed—it’s just around the corner.

So the time to start thinking about the seasonal checks you need to make to prepare your trucks for the winter months is now. The extreme winter conditions only exacerbate underlying problems that may go unnoticed up until a light comes on and your truck is sidelined. 

Regular and precise maintenance will save you a lot of time, money and hassle in the long-run so here are six seasonal preparation tips to keep in mind as the cold comes trucking in.

1. Prevent corrosion

The mix of chemicals and salt used to clear the snowy roads on top of the frigid temps can take a toll on your truck’s performance. Corrosion affects every fleet and can ruin your components if the connections are not secure and water tight. By utilizing high-quality parts meant to withstand the harsh demands of winter and prevent moisture, your truck’s uptime is more likely to increase. Using proper lubrication will additionally prevent breakdowns caused by increased friction and corrosion. 

2. Don’t run on underinflated tires

It’s important to remember that the cold weather actively decreases tire pressure and your trucks falling flat on the road isn’t ideal especially in the winter conditions. It’s important to determine precise PSI for your tires based on specific requirements, application, and loads carried. Be sure to check tires prior to use while they are cold for correct pressure to ensure they’re ready to roll on the winter roads

3. Keep your battery energized

It just doesn’t make any sense – your trucks started up fine in the summer, even in the fall, so they should be fine now too, right? WRONG! The winter months are when you will start to see the effects of the summer heat on your battery as it makes the desperate attempt to turn over. The summer heat accelerates battery aging and weakens its performance. Batteries lose a substantial amount of their starting capabilities due to the winter temps on top of the fact that as the engine gets colder it actually takes more current to start it. In the winter months batteries need to work harder to crank the engine so it’s important that you ensure your batteries are free of damage from the heat.

4. Keep sensors clear

Because your ADAS technology solely relies on cameras and radars located on the outside of the truck, a regular practice in pre-trip inspections should be to ensure that snow or salt build-up isn’t preventing them from getting the full picture in order to properly work.

5. Don’t idle trucks

It’s a popular strategy, but starting a cold truck and letting it idle is not only ineffective, but also damaging to your engine. If you need to warm a truck that’s been sitting overnight, drive it around the yard or parking lot. This will exercise the truck more efficiently allowing it to warm the engine, transmission, differential and suspension evenly.

6. Hit the brakes

Remember that driver assistance technologies like stability control and collision mitigation rely on proper maintenance of complementary systems like your brakes. Closely inspect the wear patterns on brake shoes or pads and make note of any irregularities from inconsistent wear. You don’t want to realize your brakes are malfunctioning only when you go to use them. 

You May Also Like

The pros and cons of wide base tires

For the right fleet, wide base tires may be what you’re looking for. But this only applies to a specific slice of the market.

For the right fleet, wide base tires may be what you’re looking for. But this only applies to a specific slice of the market, so you’ll want to make sure you have things right.

Adoption of wide base tires has continued to increase in the years since their entrance into the market in 2000. Still, they make up a relative minority of the market, and many fleet managers may still have questions about whether wide base tires are right for their fleet. So let’s get into the details.

How to prevent parasitic loads

It’s a delicate balance for fleet managers between providing driver comfort, but having the trucks start in the morning.

Communication is key in truck service

The goal when a truck needs a repair is the same for all parties involved: a quick, efficient repair done right.

truckservcommunication-1400
Like a ticking clock: How data can help get truck warranty claims filled out on time

In order to have a warranty claim successfully processed, there has to be a paper trail, and it has to be ironclad.

truckwarranties-1400
FE’s top ten truck coolant tips

Ten tips about truck coolant to share with you, the viewers of On the Road, today.

Other Posts

Direct labor vs. indirect labor in fleet shops

Keeping tabs on labor expenditures is important, but make sure you’re taking everything into account before assigning blame.

service-technician-generic-maintenance-downtime-repairs
EnerSys highlights Odyssey Connect battery monitoring system at TMC 2024

The company says the system sends battery state of charge and state of health to your phone through Bluetooth.

Enersys-Odyssey-Battery-TMC
Grote demonstrates 4SEE Smart Trailer System at TMC 2024

Demonstrated in a ride-along event at TMC, Grote teamed up with Stoneridge to add a new backup camera to its 4SEE system.

Grote-Stoneridge-TMC-ride-and-drive-external
Pressure Systems International introduces new Geotab Marketplace offering

TireView LIVE integrates with Geotab, providing real-time tire monitoring, analytics and tire management.

PSI-TireViewLive-Geotab-TMC