The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck will take place May 5-7.
Although the focus of the inspections will be on driver qualifications, inspectors will still mostly be conducting full 37-point North American Standard Level I inspections during the three-day blitz.
During the vehicle portion of the inspection, law enforcement will be checking brake systems, cargo securement, driveline components, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, lights, steering, suspension, tires and more.
Take preventive Maintenance Seriously
Enjoying the open road as a career is something that is not for everyone,but, for those who love it, life doesn’t get much better than owning your own big rig and picking which runs you want to make. However, preventive maintenance tends to be one of those areas that drivers tend to push off until the future. Here are five important reasons that you should take your preventive maintenance seriously going into the future.
Your Safety Matters
First and foremost, your safety matters when driving over the road. If you don’t take care of the maintenance of your truck regularly, you can find yourself stuck in some unsafe driving situations. Whether it’s a brake line blowing or simply losing a windshield wiper, they can be detrimental. Think of times when the weather is adverse and you find yourself dealing with the avoidable problems. preventive maintenance of your truck requires little effort when you look at the bigger picture of your safety as a trucker over the road.
To Avoid Legal Issues
Failure to properly maintain your truck is considered a form of negligence in the eyes of the law. If you knew that your tires were getting bald and you didn’t replace them to a safe level, then you can find yourself faced with a failure to maintain truck lawsuit. This can lead to big financial woes as you can be held liable for any damages and injuries that your rig caused due to a part that was not properly maintained by you. Not only will your financial future be on the line but so will your CDL license.
Keep Your Rig In Service For Longer
It’s no surprise that the better you maintain your rig, the longer it’s going to last. There’s no denying the fact that rigs are an expensive purchase. So, investing a little time and money on a regular basis to ensure that your rig lasts for a long time is nothing compared to the price of buying a new rig way before you should need to.
Your Paycheck Depends On Your Rig
At the end of the day, you only get paid once your load gets safely delivered on-time. If you don’t do preventive maintenance on your rig, you can find yourself broken down with a load that won’t get delivered on-time. The more time it takes to fix the issue will just be decreasing your payday hour by hour.
It Allows You Time To Save For Expensive Parts
One great benefit of having regular preventive maintenance performed is that the mechanic can check for potential future issues that will occur. Wear and tear are a big problem for big-rig truckers and replacing parts on a rig is much more expensive than doing so for a standard motor vehicle. When you have your truck in for maintenance, the mechanic can alert you of parts that are worn and will be ready to fail in the future. This way, you can set aside money to replace those parts in the near future before they leave you sitting alongside the road.
As a big rig trucking professional, preventive maintenance is not an option. It’s a much-needed task that should be completed regularly for the various reasons above. Although it can cost money to have done, compared to the cost of unruly lawsuits and expensive towing and repair bills, it’s a walk in the park. If you don’t have a preventive maintenance plan already, it’s time to get one setup.
© 2020, Allen Smith. All rights reserved.
