Driving long distances is more reassuring when you know that the maintenance of your truck, trailer, or van has been carried out by a team of experts. Van service prices may vary but all of them include the most standard maintenance to ensure that you have a safe vehicle. A full maintenance and repair service centre will make sure your vehicle is in pristine condition before you get back on the road. Garage mechanics work hard to ensure fast and efficient repairs. It is best to use specialised companies in the maintenance and repair of vans, and heavy vehicles for all types of makes and models of heavy trucks and trailers. This way you can be sure that all fleets are covered. Some of the most common types of servicing are:
- Oil drain
- Lubrication
- Brakes
- Differential
- Clutch
- Motor
- Cooling system
- Radiator
- Suspension
Van Servicing Is Important
Unforeseen costs arise in the trucking industry mainly due to inadequate maintenance. As a good fleet manager or truck owner, you want to keep your costs to a minimum, and lowering them means avoiding any kind of cash-out. To reduce these risks, you need to take proactive steps. By performing planned and quality preventive maintenance. Any type of danger that you may put your workers in by having unchecked van fleets, can be costly. It could also damage your company’s reputation. It could cause unnecessary additional costs. Van servicing ensures that any pesky problems are dealt with immediately. This way the problems can be sorted before they become worse.
Creation of a maintenance schedule
Mechanical failures are often the cause of truck accidents and are due to poor maintenance. The most common are:
- Brakes contaminated with oil or not adjustable
- Under-inflated tires
- Improper mounting of the hubs
- Irregularly maintained steering components, etc.
Be sure to make a checklist and categorise them. Set them as annual, monthly, weekly, and daily checks where needed and input this into an electric calendar which will greatly help you with further servicing that needs to be undertaken. Prevention is better than the cure, after all. So if you’re looking for van servicing, it is first good that you are prepared about what to expect and what they will do for you.
Importance of the preventive maintenance program
A preventive maintenance program means performing regular maintenance, inspections, and repairs to avoid problems on the vehicle. It is based on:
- The weather
- Fuel
- Mileage
- Engine hours
- It includes actions like lubricating, adjusting, cleaning, etc.
If this is not done on schedule, the consequences are reduced vehicle life and increased safety risk. If any accident occurs due to a lack of care or maintenance of the van, then this can become an incredibly serious problem for the company. That is why you should always have a thorough service when it is required. To prevent breakdowns and unplanned repairs, the driver should participate in the preventive maintenance program and monitor safety and driving elements such as brakes, tires, steering, misfire, and more. In addition, they must take care of the bodywork and various repairs. If you are looking for a van service near you, then you do not need to look too far.
Controlled elements
Full van service will include all of the below and this way you can be sure that you have a safe and secure van before it heads back on the road.
Oil
Regularly checking the oil and changing it as needed is essential to keep a truck running smoothly. This is also true for regular vehicles, but because trucks spend more time stationary while the engine is running, the oil deteriorates much faster. If you don’t want to take any risks, it is recommended to change the oil of a truck every 3000 to 5000 km. If you also change the filter while you are at it, your truck will see its life increase.
Gearbox
Transmission fluid typically starts as a translucent red or pink, then becomes more opaque, slowly turning darker until it turns black. The mileage, however, is the best indicator. While transmission fluids in passenger vehicles should be changed every 80,000 km or so, it is best to do so every 40,000 km with trucks.
Tyres
Most trucks carry loads, making your vehicle heavier than average. As a result, the chances of reducing the air pressure in the tires and, consequently, of generating heat, increase.
All of this will result in two unwanted results:
- The tires age faster because of the heat
- Low tire pressure will affect stability on the road
Checking tire pressure frequently, like every week, seems like an obvious answer. However, to save your tires (and yours), increase the tire pressure slightly from the written recommendation. Another important thing about tires is the uniformity of wear. This will be done by rotating the tires every two to three thousand kilometres. In this way, you will also make the work of the mechanics more efficient, since they will be able to spot anomalies much more easily.
Engine coolants and fluids
You’ve noticed that a truck driver checks everything more often than the average motorist. Engine coolants and fluids are no exception to this rule, especially those that circulate in the city. The increased pressure on the automatic transmission requires frequent checks. Coolant services are typically performed every 2 years, although coolant types are good for 5 years but will be covered during a van service.
Suspension components and shock absorbers
Carrying more weight causes the shocks and suspension components to wear out faster than usual, making driving more dangerous. This is why regular checks are essential for trucks.
How Much Does It Cost?
If you’re looking for a van full service at a cheap cost then you will need to do some research. Usually, a van service garage will have different fees for different things. According to information found on Google, the prices are as follows. It is often around £150 – £200 at a non franchised garage. But it can be up to £100 more depending on other factors.
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