Preventive Maintenance for Trucks & Commercial Vehicles

For a commercial vehicle, a breakdown costs more than the repair bill. There is the lost trip, the late delivery, towing, and sometimes a penalty from the customer. Preventive maintenance means fixing small problems on your own schedule instead of on the highway.

Daily driver checks (5 minutes)

• Engine oil, coolant and brake/clutch fluid levels.
• Tyre pressure and visible cuts or bulges, including the spare.
• Lights, indicators, horn and mirrors.
• Air brake pressure build-up and leaks (for air-brake vehicles).
• Any leaks under the vehicle after an overnight stop.

Scheduled maintenance

• Engine oil and filters: as per the maker's KM interval, often 15,000–30,000 km for modern diesel trucks.
• Greasing of chassis points, propeller shaft and king pins: every 5,000 km or as specified.
• Brake lining and drum inspection: every service.
• Wheel alignment and tyre rotation: every 10,000–15,000 km.
• Clutch, gearbox and differential oil: as per manual.
• Fuel filter and water separator: drain water regularly, replace on schedule.

Keep the paperwork on time

Fitness certificate, permit, insurance, PUC and road tax renewals are as important as the oil change. A lapsed document can stop a vehicle just as surely as a failed part.

Track cost per vehicle

When you run more than one vehicle, record every service, repair and fuel fill against the right vehicle number. Over time you will see which vehicles cost the most per kilometre, which drivers get the best mileage and when an old truck has become more expensive to keep than to replace.