Winter Truck Maintenance

  

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Every year, the transportation industry faces new perils during the winter months and this year is no different. Weather forecasters are predicting the winter of 2009-10 will be one of the coldest - and snowiest - in the last five years.

Breaking down during inclement weather can be extremely dangerous. Additional cold-climate challenges include fuel prices that are on the rise again and idling restrictions mandated by most states and many municipalities.

Here are nine winter truck maintenance simple tips to help you to maintain your equipment and fuel tanks during cold weather:

• Be sure you have treated bulk fuel tanks adequately for the temperatures you'll be dealing with. Think in terms of the coldest geographical location the truck will run to and treat accordingly.
• Block heaters aren't designed to warm an engine but rather to maintain heat already generated in the engine. It's crucial for the truck to be plugged in while its engine is still warm.
• Remind drivers to unplug the truck before starting it. Two to three seconds of the engine running while the block heaters are plugged in is enough to burn them out.
• Don't idle the trucks. You'll do more to cool a truck's engine by idling it coming off the road than by shutting it off. (Engine temperature rises approximately 18 degrees when it is shut off.) Conversely, starting a cold truck and letting it idle is futile. If you need to "warm" a truck that's been sitting, get in, drive it around the yard and "exercise" it once it has reached maximum oil pressure. That will warm the engine, transmission, differential and suspension - and could save both the driver and the organization from potential fines for idling.
• Remember to drain air tanks and fuel/water separators. As ambient air temperatures fall, water's ability to condense in fuel tanks increases and can be carried into the filter/heater unit. During periods of extreme cold, draining should be done daily. The fuel filters are the only protection the engine has against fuel contaminants. A larger-micron fuel filter should never be used to extend filter life or increase flow, as it might void the warranty - and can damage the pump and/or injectors.
• When the equipment isn't in use, be sure air hoses are hooked up to each other or, if so equipped, to the dummy gladhands. Failure to do so is a leading cause of brakes freezing up.
• If moisture is present in an air-line, use one capful of brake-line antifreeze only in the emergency (red) side. Never put it in the blue side, or you could cause the brakes to lock up. Use only company-supplied brake-line antifreeze, as there are many other products available that could damage the internal brake system.
• Be sure gladhands hook up tightly. If they're too loose, they'll come off in a tight turn and cause unnecessary cycling of the air compressor. Make sure you have a snug fit.
• Finally, the best winter truck maintenance tip for proper fuel system management in cold weather is to increase drivers' awareness - and hold them accountable for their actions or inactions.

Michael Buck
President
MCB Fleet Management Consulting