How to Keep Your Delivery Trucks Properly Maintained
While the holiday season tends to always put more demand on delivery trucks and drivers, this year might be exceptionally busy as consumers opt to have more gifts, food and other items delivered to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For delivery truck fleets, that means it is more important than ever to get your vehicles on the roadways and out of the shop to keep up with the demand. One way to ensure your delivery trucks run properly is to perform regular preventative maintenance. This can help identify small issues with the vehicles before they become larger problems that can result in downtime or even breakdowns.
During these routine services, your technicians should perform the following tasks:
- Check and change the oil
- Check the fuel filter and change the fuel lines
- Inspect and replace the air filter, if needed.
- Examine the spark plugs
- Check all hoses and belts
- Inspect the engine exhaust system
- Look for any engine oil leaks
- Check all fluid levels (brakes, radiator, steering, transmission, windshield wash, etc.)
- Examine the heating and cooling systems
- Inspect the chassis and its components
- Check the brake pads and rotors
- Look for fluid leaks
- Inspect the front and rear brakes and adjust as needed
- Make sure the parking brake works as expected
- Check the windows and mirrors
- Make sure the seatbelts are intact
- Inspect any emergency exits
- Check the wiper blades
- Examine the doors, locks, and latches
- Inspect the tire tread, pressure, and condition
- Make sure there is a snow brush and ice scraper in the vehicle, if applicable
In addition to these basic tasks, your fleet operation can add more specific items to each preventative maintenance service to customize the inspection to your fleet vehicles. Performing these services regularly can help keep your vehicles on the roadways this holiday season – resulting in happy consumers and a smooth season for your drivers and staff!