Maintaining a semi-trailer is not the walk in the park some might believe it to be. Whether you are employed as a trucker and responsible for the upkeep or you are the proud owner who invested in a semi-trailer, you will always need to stay one step ahead. What makes these trailers a challenge to maintain is the amount of surface area there is and the strain it takes hauling all that weight every single day. One would be wise to take a preventative approach to help with the goal of sustaining your trailer for decades. A preventative approach means you will need to restore different parts and pieces before they have a chance to fail you during your haul. A few of these repairs such as the frame and structural repairs, can take full days while other tasks are smaller and can be done in minutes. If you happen to be operating your trailer in Michigan, you can have Flint Michigan Semi Trailer Repair companies like us give advice or perform repairs for you. Below is a list of key parts on the trailer you should look & a look into how you can restore them your own time to prevent the dreaded road failure for your customers.
Brake System and Diagnostic: You do not want to let too much debris or corrosion accumulate on your brakes. Be sure to clean, lubricate, and adjust your brake system on either a daily or weekly basis.
Floor Repair/Replacement: This one is not the hardest of repairs for the average person but tends to be pushed to the bottom of the maintenance checklist. Floor boards can appear fine to the eye but need further investigation to find the rot. Also, look out for cracks in the weld separation.
Door Repair/Replacement: This repair will be needed frequently unfortunately. If you are able to identify issues with the hinge, you can repair instead of replacing the whole entire door.
Frame and Structural Repair: It is no secret you will be hauling thousands of pounds of cargo. The semi trailer structure takes a beating due to the big three: heavy weights, high speed of travel, and unpredictable road conditions. Be sure to consider this before the most extreme seasons (here it is the winter). Parts like gas struts, oil filters, and brake pads may need to be replaced so make sure that you check them regularly.
Refrigeration Unit Repair: The goods or cargo you are moving could likely be temperature sensitive and in order to do your job well, this unit needs to be running properly all the time. Unless you have technical skills, I would hire someone to come in for this regularly. If you don't have a refrigeration unit, then you can Buy Truck Caps to keep your cargo safe.
With these tips, you can make sure your trailer will be running for a long time.
