The Importance of Regular Maintenance for Semi Trucks

When it comes to semi truck safety, regular maintenance is incredibly important. But not only is regular truck maintenance an imperative for trucker safety, it also can be vital to your business. You rely on your truck to get the job done every time, and so do your customers. Having on time deliveries is crucial to the longevity of your company. A company can suffer greatly if they form a reputation for being unreliable. Being unreliable stems from not performing regular maintenance on your semi trucks. Without regular maintenance, your fleet is both unsafe and undependable. There are plenty of things that you can’t control when it comes to the supply chain. The one thing you can control is investing in semi truck maintenance. In this article, we’ll go over all of the benefits of getting regular semi truck tune ups. 

What Does Regular Truck Maintenance Look Like? 

After you’ve purchased your first semi truck, you might have a lot of questions about regular maintenance. How often do you need to service your truck? What does regular truck maintenance look like? How much does it cost to get a semi truck tune up? To answer these, let’s start with the basics. “Regular maintenance” can mean different things depending on the distance a truck travels and the types of goods it’s hauling. Generally speaking, your average semi truck should be serviced every 15,000 miles. After every 30,000 miles, a semi truck should undergo a thorough inspection. And once per year, every truck should get its engine evaluated in order to determine that it is safe to drive. 

So, at 15,000 miles, your tune up will probably be more basic. This means that all of your lights will be checked, along with brake functionality. Plus, if any fluids need refilling, this would be the time to do it. The semi truck tune up every 30,000 miles should be a little more intensive. This means changing air and fuel filters as well as changing the oil and oil filters. This is also a great time to find any small repairs and fix them up. You should also be on the lookout for any warning signs that might indicate something wrong with your vehicle. If a warning sign lights up, you’ll want to get your truck checked out as soon as possible. 

Why Invest in Semi Truck Maintenance?

You might still be wondering why you should bother investing in semi truck maintenance. If you’re really still asking this question, let’s lead with the fact that if you don’t you’re breaking the law. The Department of Transportation (DOT), which regulates all vehicles in the United States, has certain regulations for semi trucks. If your truck does not meet these regulations or requirements, you won’t be able to legally drive it. If you legally cannot operate your truck, it will be a lot harder to make your deliveries on time.

Another reason to invest in regular maintenance of your semi truck is safety. Whether you’re a driver who owns their own truck or an employer who has employees drive their trucks, safety matters. As a driver, it’s in your best interest to get regular maintenance. This is because it helps you prevent potentially life-threatening situations. A semi truck is a weapon on the road simply because of its size. Since it’s already inherently dangerous to you and others, you want to make the vehicle as safe as possible. This starts with routine maintenance. And as an employer, you want to keep your employees alive and healthy on the road. An accident that could have been prevented by conducting regular maintenance could cost you a pretty penny. 

Now you might be wondering how much routine maintenance is going to cost you. Well, it depends on the types of loads you haul and the length of your routes. But the average annual maintenance cost of a semi truck is $15,000. Short-haul trucks will typically have a higher maintenance cost than long-haul trucks. And heavy duty trucks that consistently haul the maximum of 80,000 pounds will need tune ups more frequently than others. While $15,000 a year may seem like a lot of money, it really isn’t in the long run. By following a routine maintenance plan, you actually save yourself money. Emergency repairs, roadside service, and insurance payments are not cheap. Ultimately, a reliable truck will save you time and money. This is why it’s important to take preventative measures to keep your fleet up and running. 

Regular Semi Truck Maintenance Benefits

Believe it or not, you can actually benefit in the long run from semi truck maintenance. By maintaining your trucks, you increase their lifespan. Treating your trucks with respect and taking care of them allows you to keep them for longer periods of time. Keeping your trucks for longer periods of time can lower your operating costs. This means that you lower your cost per mile, and that ultimately makes your business more profitable. So, while the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires at least one inspection every 12 months, don’t fall victim to the bare minimum. You want to ensure your truck’s safety for the driver, your customers, and your company’s well-being.

Buy or Sell Semi Trucks With Handshake Fleet 

Now that you know the benefits of performing regular maintenance on your semi trucks, check us out at Handshake Fleet. We are a company based in Chicago – the heart of the trucking industry. Our leadership has over 30 years of combined experience in the trucking industry. This means that our team has the necessary expertise to help you, whether you’re interested in buying or selling. We are committed to giving you exceptional customer service for both buyers and sellers. We want to make either end of the experience as pleasant and easy as possible for you. So, if you have any questions regarding regular maintenance for semi trucks, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Plus, you can also check out our inventory on our website, Handshakefleet.com.