Quick guide to good truck maintenance

If you want your truck to perform at its best and stay safe; it’s a good idea to set up a maintenance schedule and keep it up-to-date. Not sure what’s involved in looking after your truck? Here’s our quick 10 step guide to truck maintenance to give you some helpful pointers.

1. Carry out regular inspections of your truck

Taking a close, regular look over your truck will help you identify any issues. Spotting problems early makes it possible to get on top of fixing them before they deteriorate into a bigger issue.

Book a regular visual check of your truck into your calendar or get into the habit of spending 15 minutes checking for signs of wear and tear, leaks or damage. Create a checklist that includes tyres, brakes, lights, fluid levels, belts, and hoses.

2. Change your truck’s engine oil and filters

Not sure how often to change your oil and filters? Now’s a good time to check your manufacturer’s recommendations and follow their guidelines. Regularly changing the oil and filters helps to keep the engine clean and well-lubricated, reducing the risk of engine damage.

Regularly check your truck’s engine oil and filters. Pictured is the engine oil dipstick getting pulled out for inspection.

3. Look after your truck’s tyres

Keeping your tyres in optimum condition requires frequent checks to make sure they’re at the right pressure to meet the manufacturer’s recommendations. Tyre checks should be part of your regular inspections. Inspect your tyres for signs of uneven wear, bulges, or damage. Rotate your truck’s tyres at recommended intervals to ensure even wear.

Take a closer look at tyre maintenance in our Tyre Maintenance Tips article.

Inspect your tyres for signs of uneven wear, bulges, or damage. Pictured is an under-inflated tyre with signs of bulging.

4. Look after your truck’s brakes

Safe driving means looking after your brakes. You should regularly check the brake fluid level, inspect your brake pads and shoes for wear, and ensure your brake lines are free from leaks and/or damage.

5. Keep your fluids topped up

There are lots of different fluids in your truck and keeping them topped up is essential for its smooth running. Keep a frequent check on their levels and make sure you have replacement fluid available to top them up if needed.

As well as oil and brake fluids, fluids to inspect regularly include engine coolant, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and the fluid for your windshield washers.

Keep a frequent check on your truck fluid levels. Pictured is the brake and clutch fluid, and windshield washer fluids.

6. Regularly inspect your truck’s battery

Regularly check your truck’s battery and look out for signs of corrosion or loose connections. Battery terminals should be kept clean and tightly secured. Old or weak batteries could start to cause breakdowns – if you’re not sure how your battery is performing then talk to a specialist.

Find out more about battery maintenance in our article Tips to take care of your machine’s battery.

Regularly check your truck batteries – check for signs of corrosion or loose battery terminal connections.

7. Regularly replace your air filters

Regularly replacing your air filters will help you maintain your truck’s performance. Air filters are responsible for proper airflow to your engine. For your truck to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible it’s important to make sure that there’s good airflow.

8. Keep your truck clean

Washing the exterior of your truck regularly isn’t just about keeping up appearances. Regular washing can protect your paintwork by removing corrosive substances and preventing rust. Keeping your interior clean means you can enjoy a better working environment.

9. Make sure your truck’s lights work

Check your lights regularly to make sure they are all working – including headlights, brake lights, side lights, night lights, flashing beacons (if fitted) and indicators. This is an important part of your responsibilities as a road user. Replacing any bulbs that have stopped working will help you to stay safe on the road.

Check your lights regularly to make sure they’re all working. Pictured is a transporter truck with headlights, side lights and roof lights on.

10. Follow your truck’s maintenance schedule

The best guide for keeping your truck in good working order is your truck’s owner manual. The manufacturer’s guidelines will give you all the information you need to set up regular routine maintenance and make sure important scheduled services like belt changes and brake pad services are done at the right intervals.

Need to hire a truck for your next job?

If you’re short of a truck for the next job you’ve got lined up; book your truck hire with Allways Hire. We’ve got a great range of trucks available to hire – from Class 1 Tipper trucks to bigger models that are perfect if you’ve got a big load to haul.

With two hire depots in Hawke’s Bay, in both Napier and Hastings, you can choose the hire pick up and drop off location closest to you. Contact us today and book your hire.