To paraphrase: An ounce of inspection is worth a pound of repairs. Or towing. Or time off the road. The benefits to having regular maintenance and inspections on your truck always trump whatever excuses you may make.
If you don’t think you have the time or energy, just imagine your time and energy being wasted as you wait for a tow truck on the side of the road. If you don’t really want to invest the money, think of the money you’ll invest in repairs. It sounds obvious, but a lot of problems can be averted through being smart and prepared. Regular maintenance and inspection of your truck and trailer is a huge way to help your reputation of reliability as well as your wallet. Not only will correct care go a long way in helping you stay on the road, but is the best way to make sure your vehicle holds its value.
Here’s a simple process for you and your mechanic to follow in order to inspect your truck and trailer repair whatever problems arise.
Evaluate
Let your mechanic know right off the bat what you notice during your daily inspections. If there is anything strange — noises or performance — you notice while driving, make sure they know. Have the mechanic ride with you for a short trip. You should both take a turn at the wheel. During the trip, make sure you both make notes of any performance issues that need looked into. From the list that was made and the other issues that were brought up, the mechanic can now do a thorough inspection of the truck and trailer on his own to see what other problems might be lurking under the hood.
Time to work
Now that the inspection is over, it’s time for the shop to get to work. Whatever issues came up, the mechanics now can repair and replace the problem areas. Mechanics should torque wheel lug nuts and frame bolts to the correct specs, align the wheels and balance the tires.
If this inspection is during the fall or spring, it’s the perfect time to get ready for the extreme months: Summer and winter. The mechanic should check the tires, the heating/cooling system, coolant levels and recommend other tools for the coming months: Tire chains, etc.
Another drive
Take one more drive with the mechanic and make sure everything is humming smoothly.
Proper maintenance of your truck and trailer isn’t just a good idea, it’s required. Don’t get caught in a bad situation simply because you got lazy. These inspections and regular maintenance are going to do you a ton of good down the road.
Need to schedule your own maintenance check or replace some parts? Give North Dixie Truck and Trailer a call today at 419-221-3750 for maintenance or 419-222-8785 for parts. Or check us out on the web at northdixietruck.com.