Every truck fleet suffers wear and tear, but summer heat can put even more strain on your vehicles. As summer temperatures soar, it becomes even more important to keep a close eye on your fleet’s performance.
Preventative maintenance can go a long way in keeping your fleet up and running, even in the dog days of summer. Let’s take a look at how hot temperatures can affect your fleet and how you can maintain your trucks in the summer.
How the Summer Heat Affects Your Truck Fleet
Hot summer temperatures affect trucks in different ways than cooler temperatures do. Trucks already run hot, and excess heat can push systems to their limits. Here’s how the summer heat affects the trucks in your fleet.
1. Greater Risk of Blown Tires
In the heat of summer, road temperatures can be 20+ degrees hotter than air temperatures. Concrete and asphalt absorb and retain a significant amount of heat.
Excess heat from roadways can increase the risk of blown tires. In fact, blown tires are such a concern that many carriers cut back or even stop taking heavy loads altogether in the summer.
2. Greater Risk of Breakdowns
Hotter temperatures can also increase the risk of refrigeration unit malfunctions or issues with the vehicle’s electrical systems and engines.
When temperatures soar, refrigeration units are forced to work overtime. That excess strain on the unit greatly increases the risk of malfunction.
Excess heat also affects a truck’s:
- Coolants and engine oil.
- Engine belts, which can wear down more easily. Loose belts can affect a truck’s fan and water pump performance and put the engine at risk of overheating.
- Brake fluid, which can overheat. When brake fluid overheats, brakes may lose power and friction.
Heat puts a lot of stress on a truck’s major systems and that greatly increases the risk of breakdowns.
5 Summer Fleet Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Trucks Up and Running
Preventative maintenance is one of the most important ways to keep your trucks running smoothly all summer long. If you don’t take good care of your fleet, it can lead to damaged business, lost time on the road, and expensive repairs.
Whether you have contract maintenance in place or go for one-off options, the following tips will help keep your rig on the road:
1. Start with Your Oil
First and foremost, top off your oil. The hot summer will cause viscosity issues with the oil, so you’ll need to maintain a strict oil change routine during the hotter months. You’ll also find that different types of oil may be recommended by the manufacturer for the summer to keep the oil from thickening too much.
You’ll also want to:
- Check oil levels frequently
- Top off oil as needed
High-quality synthetic oils offer better protection than most others, too.
Once you have a strict oil maintenance routine in place, it’s time to move to your tires.
2. Check Your Tires Often
When was the last time that you checked your tire pressure and tread? If you don’t remember, it’s likely time to check it now. Ideally, you’ll check your tires every few hours or when you stop, especially during the summer months.
Why?
Heat impacts your tires, and the tires can easily overheat, causing a blowout on the road. If you have a blowout, it will lead to:
- Expensive tire replacement
- Lost time
- Lost money
- Possible accident and/or injury
So before every trip that you take, be sure that you check the tires before going on the road.
3. Coolant and Radiator Check
You’ve done a great job with your maintenance so far, and now it’s time to go a step further in the process. The next most important preventative maintenance task that you can add to the list includes:
- Checking and topping off your engine coolant
- Checking the radiator cap for signs of wear or issues
If your coolant isn’t working properly, the engine will suffer severe damage, which could lead to a full engine replacement. While driving, always remain cognizant of the coolant temperature gauge and stop driving if it exceeds safe limits.
As per the manufacturer’s recommendations, be sure to change the coolant to keep your engine running smoothly in extreme summer temperatures.
4. Check Belts and Hoses
Heat can make belts and hoses more vulnerable to wear and tear, so it’s important to check them regularly.
- Make sure all belts have just the right amount of tension
- Look for signs of cracks or other wear and tear
If you see signs of wear and tear, cracks, or loose tension, address these issues immediately before they lead to a potential total breakdown.
5. Routine Checkup
A routine checkup is always warranted for a big rig, but in the summer, it’s even more important. At the start of the summer months, be sure to have your vehicle inspected by a certified mechanic to keep it running well.
Additionally, you’ll want to:
- Seek immediate inspection if the rig isn’t running properly
- Perform your own manual inspections before any major runs
The time spent on quick inspections of the truck will help keep it on the road longer and reduce the risk of unexpected breakdowns.
Maintenance is Job One
When the summer heats up, it’s more important than ever to maintain your fleet. TCI’s contract maintenance program can keep your trucks running optimally, even in the middle of summer. Proactive and preventative maintenance can go a long way in keeping you safe, your trucks on the road, and your company in business.
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