Maintaining and Taking Care of Your Commercial Truck

When you own a commercial truck, you'll likely be using it frequently, and that can lead to significant wear and tear over time. As you well know, any downtime for your truck means that it isn't working (and making money!) for your organization. To keep your vehicle on the road as much as possible, you'll need to keep up with regular commercial truck maintenance. Here's how to do it right. 

Common Commercial Truck Maintenance Tasks

At Every Service

Safety features should always be your highest priority. This includes things like brakes, steering and tires. Every time you bring your commercial truck in for service, your technician should evaluate all of these aspects to ensure they are functioning optimally. Have your technician check all of your truck's wiring and hoses at each service as well. Problems with these could lead to much more serious problems down the road, particularly fires and other electrical failures. Repair or replace any damaged or worn parts in this category immediately. 

Seasonal Concerns

Some aspects of commercial truck maintenance only apply to particular seasons, as the temperature can play a role in the amount of strain on your truck's various components. For example, when the weather is hot, you'll need to ensure the air conditioning system is working properly for the safety and comfort of your driver. Under the hood, your technician will need to check the radiator, transmission cooler, EGR cooler and battery, as high temperatures can lead to faster degradation. 

In the winter, on the other hand, you'll need to shift from cooling elements to heating ones, like the cabin heater and engine block heater. Have your technician check the fuel-water separator, alternator and starter at this time as well. Finally, your technician should replace your fuel filter at the beginning of the season if needed, as fuel is more likely to gel when the temperature drops. 

If you run into a warm-weather issue during the winter, like a problem with your coolant system, it can be tempting to put off the repairs to save a bit of money. However, small problems can quickly become more serious, so it is in the best interest of your company's budget to address any issues as quickly as possible. 

General Commercial Truck Care

Aside from completing the mechanical commercial truck maintenance, you'll also want to care for your truck's exterior. The overall appearance of your truck reflects on your business as a whole, so you'll want to keep your truck clean. A good rule of thumb is to send your truck for a thorough cleaning after each run to remove any bugs, dust and other debris that have accumulated. 

Keep Up with Your Commercial Truck Maintenance Schedule

When your commercial truck needs service, schedule an appointment with Gabrielli Truck Sales right away. We have multiple locations throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to serve you, and we have a massive inventory of OEM parts from a wide range of commercial truck brands. This enables us to identify any issues with your truck and repair them as quickly as possible. We do everything we can to provide you with an update regarding your truck within two hours or less. We know how important it is for you to get your truck back out on the road again, so we'll let you know as soon as possible when you can expect your truck to be ready. 

We have been performing commercial truck maintenance for over 50 years. You can count on Gabrielli Truck Sales for the experience and expertise needed to keep your truck at its best. Reach out to us today to schedule a service appointment.