For any delivery business, it is absolutely crucial to perform regular truck maintenance. Particularly where delivery truck bodies and engines are concerned, future problems are more likely to be encountered when proper, preventative checks are ignored. The best preventative measure is regularly scheduled maintenance.
You can’t guarantee safety for your vehicles, products, and drivers – regardless of how compliant they are with traffic laws or how well they perform behind the wheel – unless each and every delivery truck is in tip-top condition. You will have far worse financial issues caused by extensive repairs and excessive breakdowns if you are not regularly checking your delivery vehicles.
A Great Delivery Business Investment
Does a regular maintenance routine cost money? Yes. Of course, it does. But it’s a good investment because it’s going to help you prevent bigger problems down the road – literally. Here are some tips as to how your truck can be better maintained with a set system:
- Take into consideration the areas in which you drive. Determine what additional maintenance may be needed.
- Part replacement should be done at the very first sign of trouble. Some parts can be replaced when just barely showing wear; others will need to be replaced as they fail (because no warning is given).
- To prevent breakdowns and failures, do inspections, maintenance, and tests involving oil changes, electrical systems, fuel and storage tank, tires, brakes, the engine, etc.
- See to it that a maintenance log is provided/used.
Delivery Truck Bodies – Maintenance Tips
Taking care of engines, wheels, tires, brakes, etc., is crucial. That fact is irrefutable. However, it is absolutely essential you take care of your delivery truck bodies, as well.
Compared to any other vehicle, delivery trucks retire early. The main reasons for this are deterioration and corrosion. Rust can be caused by various kinds of chemicals. Because you deliver different types of goods, you likely drive through diverse areas. So, rust, deterioration, and corrosion have ample opportunity to destroy your truck body.
However, by following some relatively easy steps, you can help extend your vehicle’s productivity and slow down its prospects for early retirement.
- While on the road, do your best to avoid big puddles, mud, etc. Why? Contaminants are collected in such environments. To both the undercarriage of your truck, and on your truck’s body, heavy corrosion could be the result.
- After it rains, immediately wash your truck if possible. The pollutants collected in rain can easily cause your chassis to corrode. The protective finish is damaged, in this case, because “acid rain” is deposited by the combination of pollutants and rainwater.
- Over time, metal weakens. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of metal on most trucks. So, to protect that metal, have a good quality paint. A well-sealed coat of paint will not only give your truck’s exterior greater aesthetic appeal, it will also help provide a more durable coating for your truck body.
- Wash your truck on a regular basis in a truck wash/carwash setting. You stand a better chance of stopping contaminants from penetrating plain metals, paints, and clear coats if you get your truck washed every 10 days or so.
Keep Your Truck Bodies in Great Condition with Mickey Genuine Parts
Mickey Genuine Parts has certified service centers located conveniently throughout United States. They can help you with regular, scheduled maintenance, emergency repairs, etc. However, if you do your own truck and trailer maintenance, we also have the parts you need.