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A work truck can be a long-lasting investment for a company, if it’s cared for properly. Work vehicles are often only as good as the maintenance they’ve received. Therefore, it’s important to take the necessary steps to ensure your company truck will remain in working condition for as long as possible. Be sure to review your truck’s owner manual for any specific maintenance needs it may require on a monthly or annual basis. Otherwise, by scheduling routine maintenance for your vehicle, as well as taking some simple precautionary measures, your truck will remain in great condition for many years. Explore the 5 tips below to keep your company truck in optimal shape this year:

1. Keep Your Truck Cool

Maintaining your truck’s coolant is incredibly important. In fact, some say it’s as important as maintaining the engine. According to Auto Trader, “a cooling system failure can result in your engine literally melting down.” The good news? This is super easy to do; simply create a reminder for yourself to check the coolant in all company vehicles on a bi-monthly basis.

2. Maintain Engine Health

As we’ve mentioned on the blog previously, while it’s obvious there are many benefits for maintaining the engine health of your company’s fleet, the gas savings alone may drive you to take this routine maintenance more seriously! According to The Globe and Mail, vehicles can “burn up to 30% more fuel if proper engine maintenance is not performed on a regular schedule.”

3. Monitor Your Gauges

Don’t ignore those neon orange lights on your dash! “If there is a problem with your oil pressure, cooling system or even tire pressure on the latest vehicles, your car’s gauges will tell you — if you’re paying attention to them.” (Auto Trader)

4. Always Keep it Clean

If you’re a DuraMag or Magnum customer, then chances are you love your truck as much as we love ours. For work vehicles, it’s especially important to take pride in their appearance, as they’re truly your company’s moving billboard around town. We’ve outlined some specific resources to help you maintain the look of your work truck, below:

5. Maintain Inflated Tires

According to Bank Rate, it’s important to maintain proper tire pressure by checking it at least once per month. “If tires are 8 pounds under inflated… rolling resistance of the tires increases by 5 percent. Because tires naturally lose air, check pressure monthly to ensure optimal gas mileage and handling.”

Additional Bonus Tips

  • Find a trusted mechanic. This will ensure you don’t begin avoiding your routine check-ups from fear of being ‘taken.’
  • Consider assigning basic vehicle inspections to an employee. Leave the actual work up to the experts, but tasking someone on your team to simply take 5 minutes a month to walk around your work vehicles and spot any major warning signs may help avoid bigger problems that could have been missed otherwise.
  • Try to keep your vehicle covered when possible, especially in harsher winter weather.
  • “Change out transmission and differential oils. While not requiring frequent service, these fluids must be changed according to service intervals. Always use transmission fluid or gear oil of the recommended type and viscosity.” (KBB.com)
  • According to Road and Track, “rotating your tires each time you change your oil helps ensure an even wear—because tires wear unevenly according to the drivetrain of your truck…”

Summary

It’s important to maintain vehicle maintenance for a variety of reasons. Regardless of your job field, upholding a company vehicle’s condition is necessary for your business to run smoothly on a daily basis, year-round. Whether you’re a lawn care professional who uses your work truck to haul materials to and from your job site, or you own a construction business and your truck is your moving billboard around town, it’s important you’re executing proper upkeep for your vehicles.

Sources: The Globe and Mail, Auto Trader, DuraMag Van Bodies, Kelley Blue Book, Road and Track