Every truck fleet manager has to thoroughly inspect each truck before they go out on the road. Your inspectors have to be skilled in determining the extent of any problem that your trucks are currently experiencing. You have to make it a point to get all your trucks inspected before they go out on long road trips. Trucks endure a lot when they're on the road for an extended period of time. The last thing you will want to have happen is for your truck to break down in the middle of a trip. Your schedule is important and you can't miss any of your stops.
But these tractor-trailers are vehicles little different in function than any other form of motor transportation. Still, the gigantic differences between a semi-truck and a four door sedan are readily apparent when it comes to changing tires.
Be Prepared - The first and most vital step for driving in bad weather is making sure that your vehicle is prepped and ready to handle the worst of your local weather conditions. Commercial and interstate drivers who operate fleet vehicles have to know what gear they need for each region as weather patterns will differ for each place.
When a driver of a semi-truck experiences problems with one of the tires on their rig or trailer, an immediate assessment of the tire should be undertaken by the driver. To do this, the driver must pull safely to side of the highway in a designate turn off or exit, deploying caution cones as necessary to warn other traffic of the stopped vehicle, and inspect the problematic tire to determine to cause of the issue.
Whether it's a diesel particulate filter or some other part, you have to have several different versions on hand. You wouldn't want to be caught without an important part with a truck that desperately needs it. If you don't have the right part on hand, the people who are responsible for repairing your trucks have to have the resources necessary to get the part quickly. Your trucks have to be back on the road almost as quickly as you realize that they have a problem. Failure to do so can affect your business in an intensely negative way.
Make sure that your headlights, license plates, and all your windows are clear, visible, and de-fogged. It is much easier to see a red car against the white snow than a snow covered car against the snow. Driving with fogged up windows can lead to disastrous results. Be patient and allow your car to defrost before you go.
Coming up with a budget for maintaining your fleet has to address the possibility that you will need to replace your trucks at some point. Performing minor repairs on your trucks over time will reduce their overall level of stability. Above all else, you need to repair your trucks the right way the first time around. Patching up your trucks is a way to cut costs, but it will create some problems later on. Bringing in the right people to repair your trucks is a costly venture. It's worth it when you consider what these individuals can bring to your business.
Make sure that when on the road, you leave plenty of space between you and other drivers. Don't be in a hurry. Speeding cars and bad conditions cause more accidents than anything else, and keep in mind that speeding in bad weather may mean that you are going too fast even if you are 15 mph below the speed limit.
For leaks, it is usually advisable to not remove objects that may have punctured the tire, but if a driver has a puncture repair kit than the object may be removed and patched according to the kit instructions. Whatever action is determined to be the best, a drive must remember to keep their fleet management services and others informed of their actions so as to request aid if needed.
But these tractor-trailers are vehicles little different in function than any other form of motor transportation. Still, the gigantic differences between a semi-truck and a four door sedan are readily apparent when it comes to changing tires.
Be Prepared - The first and most vital step for driving in bad weather is making sure that your vehicle is prepped and ready to handle the worst of your local weather conditions. Commercial and interstate drivers who operate fleet vehicles have to know what gear they need for each region as weather patterns will differ for each place.
When a driver of a semi-truck experiences problems with one of the tires on their rig or trailer, an immediate assessment of the tire should be undertaken by the driver. To do this, the driver must pull safely to side of the highway in a designate turn off or exit, deploying caution cones as necessary to warn other traffic of the stopped vehicle, and inspect the problematic tire to determine to cause of the issue.
Whether it's a diesel particulate filter or some other part, you have to have several different versions on hand. You wouldn't want to be caught without an important part with a truck that desperately needs it. If you don't have the right part on hand, the people who are responsible for repairing your trucks have to have the resources necessary to get the part quickly. Your trucks have to be back on the road almost as quickly as you realize that they have a problem. Failure to do so can affect your business in an intensely negative way.
Make sure that your headlights, license plates, and all your windows are clear, visible, and de-fogged. It is much easier to see a red car against the white snow than a snow covered car against the snow. Driving with fogged up windows can lead to disastrous results. Be patient and allow your car to defrost before you go.
Coming up with a budget for maintaining your fleet has to address the possibility that you will need to replace your trucks at some point. Performing minor repairs on your trucks over time will reduce their overall level of stability. Above all else, you need to repair your trucks the right way the first time around. Patching up your trucks is a way to cut costs, but it will create some problems later on. Bringing in the right people to repair your trucks is a costly venture. It's worth it when you consider what these individuals can bring to your business.
Make sure that when on the road, you leave plenty of space between you and other drivers. Don't be in a hurry. Speeding cars and bad conditions cause more accidents than anything else, and keep in mind that speeding in bad weather may mean that you are going too fast even if you are 15 mph below the speed limit.
For leaks, it is usually advisable to not remove objects that may have punctured the tire, but if a driver has a puncture repair kit than the object may be removed and patched according to the kit instructions. Whatever action is determined to be the best, a drive must remember to keep their fleet management services and others informed of their actions so as to request aid if needed.
About the Author:
When the California Air Resource Board's diesel emissions regulations first came out, Michael Schwartz, now President of FleetServ, started getting calls from panicked Fleet Managers searching for straight-forward information and compliance assistance. While FleetServ (formerly known as ACT Compliance) was originally formed to meet this need, over time it has evolved into much more.
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