Preventive maintenance is the key to keeping trailers working properly. If the truck can be inspected, maintained, and repaired in time, many problems can be easily avoided: expensive repair fees, accidents, and even violations.
Maintenance Checklist:
1. Tires
Tires are a major expense for semi-trailers, and their condition is also closely related to the driving safety of the driver. In the process of driving, if the tire blowout, it is likely to cause the trailer to roll over.
For tires, you need to check the following points:
- Confirm the tire pressure to avoid over-inflation or under-inflation
- Check the auxiliary battery switch or auxiliary power fuse
- Check the position of the shut-off valve of the system
You’d better check the above things every time you travel to make sure their values are normal or working properly. If your semi-trailer is not used for a long time, check the tire pressure at least once a quarter and check the power fuse once a month. This is because the driver warning lamp will not light up normally without power. And you need to check the system shut-off valve every time.
Tire gauge
If you confirm that the tire pressure is at a normal value, but there is still tire wear, then the problem may not be with the tire, but in the undercarriage, suspension, shock absorber, or axle alignment.
2. Suspension
If your trailer uses a leaf spring suspension, then you need to check whether there is a leaf spring break. If it is found to be broken, you need to replace it in time.
If your trailer uses an air suspension, then you need to look for signs of irregular wear, tear, or heat cracks on the air spring. You not only need to make sure that nothing touches or interferes with the movement of the suspension, but also that the air spring has sufficient and equal pressure.
air suspension
3. Lights
To ensure the safety of road trips, it is necessary to ensure that all the lights on the trailer are working properly. Whether in the day or at night, trailer lights play an important role. Whether changing lanes or braking, the trailer lights can tell other drivers.
For trailer lights, you need to pay attention to the following four points:
- Wiring
- Clear lenses
- Corrosion
- Broken lenses or lights
change lanes
4. Clean
This is one of the easiest ways to maintain a semi-trailer. Trailers come in contact with dirt, chemicals, or other debris (such as stones) every day. Over time, the build-up will lead to additional repairs, which can be prevented.
It is recommended that you wash the exterior every four to six weeks. During this period, you can perform a visual inspection of the trailer. This will help you find other problems that you are not aware of. This is also a good time to clean up debris from the trailer components.
clean the semi trailer
For internal cleaning, you need to do it after each transportation. This is not only to check whether there is any damage inside the trailer, but also to prepare for the next transportation.
5. Lubrication
The right lube is essential to the proper of the trailer. Most greases are lithium complexes based, but some are calcium-based. These two greases cannot be mixed, otherwise, it will cause performance degradation.
Not all grease characteristics are put on the label, you may need to ask the grease manufacturer to ensure that you have the grease with the proper performance characteristics. Make sure to add enough grease each time so that the old grease can be purged. Because old grease may fail due to debris, adding new grease can purge the dirt.
Its helpful when you said that if your trailer uses a leaf spring suspension, then you need to check whether there is a leaf spring break. My dad owns a truck and wants to take it for repair since he had a minor accident yesterday. We would need to speak to a professional who can help us get a good truck repair service near my area. Thanks for the article!