The main reason to perform preventive maintenance (PM) on your customers’ medium-duty vehicles is to ensure they operate safely. In addition, these inspections will allow you to find and repair any minor problems before they cause a major breakdown.
But how do you determine what a proper maintenance schedule is for a medium-duty truck?
According to Dick Von Lehman, PACCAR Parts national sales and marketing manager-Peterbilt TruckCare Services, there are five factors to consider when determining the appropriate maintenance interval for your customer.
“The first is the vehicle application, which includes things like annual mileage and seasonal blips.”
Von Lehman explained that a vehicle that operates in a construction application in the northeast may be idle for as many as three to four months out of a year.
“In that case you should set the maintenance schedule to start before the construction season begins to make sure the vehicle is ready for service. Then pick a mid-point in the season for another inspection and perhaps another at the end of the season.”
A second factor is the recommendations of the component and vehicle manufacturers. “For example, if the engine manufacturer says to inspect the engine every 8000 miles, that is a driving factor in setting up a PM interval.”
