From small owner-operated trucks to large continent-wide fleets, commercial vehicles collectively travel billions of miles each year to transport the goods and materials that help keep people fed, clothed, housed, healthy, and happy. If you are a truck owner or fleet operator, making the right choices can help prolong the working life of your vehicles by reducing maintenance costs and avoiding costly repairs. 

Whenever you buy trucks for sale from reputed companies for your logistics operations, you can extend their life by following some simple steps: 

Use the correct heavy-duty engine oil 

Undesirable friction in the engine or chassis of trucks causes wear, which can lead to premature failure. You can increase performance by using the right lubrication while avoiding costs caused by damage. The diesel engine in a truck receives continual lubrication by running in an internal bath of motor oil. Engine oil reduces the friction between moving parts, particularly the piston rings, which move in the cylinder walls thousands of times every minute. 

Motor oil reduces the power required to overcome friction. This leaves more power available for forward motion, allowing the vehicle to perform more efficiently. Engine oil also reduces the heat generated due to unwanted friction and helps shed it through an oil cooler. 

Use the right transmission fluids 

Trucks have a separate supply of oil to lubricate their manual gearboxes. Extra heavy commercial vehicles with automatic transmissions use automatic transmission fluid. Manual truck gearboxes typically require an oil change every 48,000km to 80,000km, while automatic gearboxes may have longer fluid change intervals of between 96,000km and 160,000km. 

Undesirable friction within the transmission can cause excessive wear and eventual failure, leading to the vehicle being taken off the road for costly repairs. A high-quality gear oil or transmission fluid can improve gear durability, increasing your truck's or commercial vehicle's lifespan. 

Grease joints regularly 

The chassis and drivetrain (gearbox, driveshaft, axles, and wheels) contain several moving parts that can be subject to wear and thus benefit from regular lubrication. Both universal joints and ball joints require regular greasing. Grease is a heavy form of lubricant manufactured from oil with additives to make it thick and clingy. It provides a protective film over metal components to reduce wear. 

Maintain the right tyre pressures 

With many commercial vehicles used almost continually, tyre pressures can be overlooked and neglected. However, they can profoundly affect performance, safety, and maintenance costs. The correct tyre pressure for a medium-to-large truck is typically between 8 bar and 9 bar. Checking tyres weekly (or even more frequently) after buying trucks for sale is essential to maintaining recommended pressures, which improve performance, optimise full efficiency, and minimise wear.  

Conclusion 

Regularly changing the engine oil and lubricating moving parts with high-quality products will greatly ensure your truck delivers a long and productive working life.