3 tips to avoid a roadside truck breakdown

Published on September 11, 2023 - 5 minute read

Plan Ahead

You can save as much as 50%* on repairs, boost overall safety and extend the lifespan of your fleet with just a little bit of truck Preventive Maintenance (PM). The key is to train drivers and technicians to ensure that vehicles are “roadworthy” before and after each trip.

Verifying visible damage and tire pressure pre- and post-trip is not only good for fuel economy and general wear and tear, but also can prevent a blowout, which accounts for as much as 25%* of breakdowns.

Truck Preventive Maintenance also includes visually checking other key areas, such as:

• mirrors,
• fluid levels,
• wipers,
• windshields,
• brakes,
• air filters,
• engine oil,
• engine coolant levels,
• lights in order to identify minor issues before they become major.

Having routine preventive maintenance schedules and tuneups during off-hours can further reduce downtime.

Look for the Signs

While not all roadside truck breakdowns are preventable, many are. Teach your team to look for key signs while on the road. For example, flickering lights while idling, could signal a problem with the alternator or battery or overheating could signal radiator troubles, which if left unaddressed, could lead to severe engine problems. Sometimes signals can be as clear as a blinking “check oil” light.

While it’s easy to put off “till tomorrow,” oil leaks can cause engines to break down or even burn other parts of the vehicle, leading to the need for emergency roadside assistance.

Have a plan in place

Even the most well-maintained trucks can break down, so it’s essential that your fleet knows what to do if they’re stranded on the side of the road. The safety of the truck driver and other passing traffic is of utmost importance. Drivers should know who to call, how to chock the wheels or otherwise secure the truck and be familiar with roadside safety protocol.

As technology develops, predictive maintenance procedures are becoming more mainstream as well. This data-driven approach to maintenance relies on onboard sensors and advanced digital systems to automatically detect problems before they arise, order parts ahead of time, better plan for repairs and better allocate technicians and drivers’ time.

Whether your fleet relies on sensors or their own five senses, the bottom line remains the same: anticipating maintenance issues will minimize truck breakdowns and keep your trucks on the road!