The life of a professional truck driver usually involves dealing with vehicle breakdown. And no matter how well maintain your big rig will be, chances are you will experience breakdowns at any given time.
So in this entry, we are going to share some truck repair service tips for handling a roadside breakdown so you can deal with mechanical failures safely when it happens to you.
Expect The Unexpected
Roadside breakdowns are often unpredictable. And more often than not, it annoys you to a certain extent. However, you need to keep in mind these things in the event of equipment failure:
Be familiar with the nearest truck repair service station – As the owner of your truck, you must take the initiative to know the locations of the nearest repair facilities on your route. After all, it would be better to limp your rig into a repair station where there’s food and suitable amenities than to get stuck on the road while waiting for a repair service.
If worse comes to worst, you can call a truck road repair service to assist you.
Dispatcher instruction – If you are working for a company, your dispatcher will usually give instructions on what you need to do during breakdowns and where your rig should be sent for repairs.
Preventive Maintenance To Reduce The Odds Of Roadside Breakdown
As the popular saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”. And the same idea can also be applied to trucking when you do preventive maintenance as this is the best way of reducing the possibility of experience roadside breakdowns.
With that being said, you need to perform pre-checks and post-checks before you leave and after reaching your destination. Routine checks are always necessary and it should be done during daytime as nighttime checks often miss indicators that will cause mechanical failure.
If It Happens, Keep Calm
Of course, this tip may not be necessary considering you are a professional truck driver. But it would hurt to remind you not to panic when your rig breaks down.
Always remember:
- Breakdowns usually happen in the most unexpected places and circumstances (ex. unpleasant neighborhood and bad weather).
- Keeping calm helps you to make the right decisions which can also save your life.
- Panic can only lead to danger – both to yourself and to others.
Staying Safe
And for our final truck repair service tip, you need to ensure your safety (as well as the safety of your truck) when you experience a breakdown at all times specifically:
- Stay alert if your truck breaks down at the shoulder of the road as you are exposed to different dangers like speeding traffic and inattentive drivers.
- If you feel that your truck is starting to fail, do your best to pull over at safe spot as an off ramp is much safer than being stranded on the highway.