Best Practices For Truck Repair and Increased Mileage

Truck repair is avoidable to an extent. If you regularly service and maintain your truck you can avoid truck repair and the associated tension and loss while enjoying the benefits of increased mileage. You are practically spending more than half of the time you are awake in the truck and it is with you passively helping you, making your livelihood. It's working doubly hard as you do, five days a week, all day, in stop-and-go traffic, in the heat, cold, rain, snow, ice, etc., It's high time you stop and pay it back or it's going to leave you stranded.

Truck repair is essentially a demanding expense in your business. As long as you have the owner's manual it is going to come handy telling you categorically when to take it for a service maintenance. In its absence how often should you change fluids, check brakes, etc.? Unfortunately, there is not a single answer. There are several variables to consider - the climatic condition your truck is subjected to, the fuel used, the age of your truck, etc., and of course its type.

Another crucial question is how often you are taking care of its service maintenance. Are you doing it yourself or having it done by a technician? Either way, you will have to be proactive in keeping a time log in terms of the service maintenance frequency.

Preventive Maintenance

The adage "prevention is better than cure" will apply squarely for your truck maintenance.

Best Practice Daily Checks

• Regardless of the age and type of the truck you are running, many of the basics are the same. Make it a habit to do a visual check of your truck. This is just to make sure it's clean and sparkling.

• Next, you should do a basic safety check by checking the lights (including hazards), tire condition and air pressure. It is crucial to check fluid levels daily, engine oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and transmission fluid. Get your brake line inspected, spark plugs inspected and filters replaced regularly. These can warn you about bigger repair problems beforehand.

• Look underneath your high-mileage truck for signs of fluid leaks, they shouldn't be ignored. If left unattended to they can turn into expensive truck repair jobs.

• Listen for unusual sounds, such as thumps, bangs or pings. These could be warning signs that your truck needs serious attention. Keeping track of any new noises and info on when they started may help your mechanic to diagnose the problem.

Best Practices for increased mileage

• Tire pressure is critical! It is a proven fact that you can improve your gas mileage by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. This will also ward off unexpected flats and blowouts.

• Performing regular tune-ups on you truck will keep your truck's engine running at top speed.

• Stick to a certain mechanic who knows the history of your truck.

• Another most important system to the "health" of your engine is the lubrication system; clean oil in your truck is like healthy blood in a human body so change it every three months.

Therefore, it is better to learn how to maintain your high-mileage truck to keep repair bills at a minimum and enjoy increased mileage. The concept is quite simple - maintain the truck before it becomes too late and breaks down. Remember, a stitch in time saves nine. Regular truck maintenance multiplies profits and reduces truck repair instances.

What You Should Know About Massachusetts Commercial State Inspection

Regular maintenance of your vehicle is a must. The governments of several countries have realized the significance of truck maintenance and have enforced laws in this regard. The Massachusetts state has also come up with its own rules and regulations to govern and maintain the vehicles of its state. Massachusetts Commercial State Inspection is a joint venture of the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). Its inspection is considered on par with the annual Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) "DOT" inspection, as far as its validity is concerned. However, if you are required to get the Federal DOT inspection, the Massachusetts Commercial inspection will meet that requirement as well.

In case you have obtained a Massachusetts state safety inspection for your vehicle you need not apply for an annual "DOT" inspection. All vehicles manufactured after 1996, will be tested for emissions (On Board Diagnostic test) and safety annually, or on transfer of title of a vehicle.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts issues a Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) which is signed by the licensed vehicle inspector as proof of compliance with FMCSA standards. RMV recommends that the VIR is maintained inside the vehicle at all times. Please note that it is totally different from the windshield sticker on the vehicle.

The Massachusetts Vehicle Inspection program is rapidly setting up public duty inspection stations by issuing license to all inspection stations and inspectors through the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). A lot of man power is being involved to ensure that the vehicles of the state adhere to the rules and regulations. In order to ensure a high level of proficiency, a prospective inspector for the Massachusetts Vehicle Check Program must:

• Complete specific training
• Hold a license by the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV)

An Inspector license is valid for one year and is renewable, unless it is suspended or revoked. Inspectors whose licenses have been suspended or revoked are not allowed to perform inspections. Motorists will be able to choose which inspection station they use as long as the station is licensed.

The Massachusetts Vehicle Check program has established regional training locations across the state. Each training class has three components, with separate grades provided for each:

• Classroom attendance and participation
• A written exam
• A hands-on practical demonstration

Students who pass all three components will receive a Certificate of Completion for the training.

Conclusion

All Massachusetts-registered commercial vehicles must pass an annual emissions test, which is given with the annual state safety inspection. The emissions test that a particular commercial vehicle depends on the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, and the fuel type. Commercial vehicles that fail an emissions test must be repaired and made to pass a retest within 60 days of their initial inspection. No waivers of emission standards or economic hardship repair extensions are available for commercial vehicles. These tests should not be considered a burden.

On one side they indirectly make you to maintain your truck, on the other side, they ensure a healthy pollution-free environment for you, road safety, fuel conservation and better profitability. Take a step back and analyze the situation as a third person, you will understand that you are benefited both ways. By maintaining the truck, repair costs involved can be reduced, profits multiplied, environment conserved, the world made into a better place to live in, and nature conserved and preserved for our future generations.

Truck Repair - What to Watch Out For?

Are you a truck owner? If yes, then this article is written just for you! You need to know about truck repair, its service and maintenance to run your business profitably. More importantly you need to watch out and identify what could possibly lead to truck repair. That is the trick of the trade. If you know it, you can avoid unexpected truck repairs and ensure prompt delivery to your clients and win their trust - the secret to success.

What to watch out for:

The more your truck travels, constantly pulling and hauling extra weight, the more it wears out. Hence, good maintenance should be on top priority for your truck.

Here is how you could watch out for truck repair:

• Read the manual, understand how your truck works, and follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule.

• Never allow an untrained person to repair your truck. Always choose a certified mechanic to maintain your truck. He will be able to immediately assess the repair and rectify it.

• Change the oil regularly as per the manufacturer's suggestion. Clean oil keeps the engine parts running smoothly. Choose good oil for high mileage and it will protect seals and reduce leaks. This saves wear and tear.

• The oil pressure may not be as per the standard and the oil pressure light could go out, thereby shutting off the engine.

• The radiator could heat up and end in heating up the engine too, wearing away its parts. Check to see if the radiator is in perfect working condition.

• Check the tire pressure. This increases tire life and ensures smooth run and better stability. Retread the tires every 3000 miles to check brakes. A decreased tire pressure will produce heat that wears out the tires and may even cause accidents. Get your tires rotated at every tune-up or every other oil change to avoid unexpected flats and blowouts. Always remember to align your tires for better performance.

• Check on fuel leaks. Fuel leaks are quite common in high-mileage vehicles but cannot be ignored as they could be an indication of a forthcoming repair.

• Check on engine fluids and coolants. A truck on town delivery will be warmer than a highway truck. Bearing more weight, it creates more strain wearing off suspension components.

• Tune-up your truck regularly it will help you to identify forthcoming problems. Your brake line should be inspected regularly, spark plugs and filters replaced as per schedules, and the fuel-injection system checked for potential problems.

• Warning signs like screeching of brakes, the rattles, rumbles and vibration could be due to bad motor mount, a bad wheel bearing or a bad clutch throw out that needs attention. Thumps, bangs or pings are sounds that warn you of a forthcoming truck repair. You should be able to identify abnormal sounds from the normal sounds that a truck is bound to make. Make a note of when the noise started as this information could be of great use to the truck mechanic.

• The rubber belts wear away easily and should be checked regularly.

The present day trucks have on-board computers to check engine, exhaust emission and vacuum modules, making your job easier.

Take care of your truck as you would of your body. Identification and early rectification of truck repair could avoid huge costs involved and delay in delivery schedules and turn your business into a profitable one by winning the trust of your clients.