truck maintenance

The last mile is a critical and complex link in the supply chain, with deliveries typically taking place in urban, suburban and residential areas. Trucks must navigate tight corners and make frequent stops, often while having strict time constraints. At the same time, they need to maximize payload and fuel economy, so spec’ing quality equipment is critical.

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Vehicle load demands have significantly increased over the last several years and will continue to grow as vehicle technology improves. In today’s vehicles, batteries are powering essential safety technology, electronic control units that control the engine and transmission, lighting systems and more, making battery performance critical.

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Robust, well-maintained batteries are essential for the proper performance of Class 8 trucks. Battery failures can lead to costly downtime, delayed deliveries and driver inconvenience. Spec'ing the right batteries, maintaining them and replacing them before a failure occurs can ensure batteries are reliable and performing as they should.

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Keeping equipment running is essential for fleets, and mobile maintenance services can increase efficiency by performing on-site services, repairs and inspections at a fleet's location. Bringing the shop to the equipment can save time and make scheduling preventive maintenance and needed repairs easier. A robust maintenance program increases safety and reduces the risk of breakdowns or unscheduled repairs, which keeps equipment moving and boosts driver satisfaction.

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Temperatures are heating up across the country as summer approaches, and some components on Class 8 trucks need extra attention to prevent unscheduled downtime and maintenance expenses.

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Snow, ice and freezing temperatures can increase the risk of downtime for all vehicles if the equipment and fuel that power them aren’t properly maintained. Breakdowns can result in delayed drivers, missed deliveries and poor customer service.

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Penske Truck Leasing recently celebrated the official opening of its new facility in Cuautitlán, Mexico. This addition highlights Penske's commitment to enhancing transportation solutions in the region.

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Regular preventive maintenance drives uptime for Class 8 tractors, and filters play a crucial role in ensuring the engine and critical components operate at peak performance, reducing wear and tear on the engine and improving fuel efficiency.

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When you press the brake pedal on your truck, you expect an instant response. Yet any number of issues can cause your vehicle’s braking systems to fail, increasing your risk of a serious accident while putting you and your cargo in danger. That’s why maintaining your truck’s braking system is so important and a major part of your Pre-Trip Inspection.

To ensure brake safety every day of the year, here are 10 tips to help ensure your brake linings and pads are ready for the road:

1. Inspect all the parts of the brake linings and pads that you can see during pre- and post-trip inspections.

2. Check for signs of missing or damaged brake lining, such as grooves in the drum from rivet contact.

3. Look at the shoe-to-drum clearance and ensure that there is adequate lining on the shoe.

4. Try to find any signs of leaks from the hub or other components that may contaminate the lining or pad surface.

5. Look for any missing lining blocks.

6. Scan for visible cracks or voids in the lining block.

7. Check for any exposed rivets or lining blocks that look loose on the shoe.

8. On disc brakes, pay close attention to the condition of the rotor. Look for either metal-to-metal contact or heavily rusted rotors across the entire friction surface on either side.

9. Make any repairs in accordance with the brake manufacturer’s requirements and guidelines.

10. Note any brake lining or pad-related issues in your driver vehicle inspection reports and report them to the motor carrier.

In addition, always check for these brake-related items during pre- and post-trip inspections:

  • Any missing, non-functioning, loose or cracked parts
  • Audible air leaks coming from around the brake components and lines
  • Slack adjusters that are different lengths
  • Air pressure below 90-100 psi
  • Rust holes or broken springs in the brake housing section of the parking brake
  • Malfunctioning ABS warning lamps

Remember, a properly conducted pre-trip inspection will go a long way toward passing a brake inspection — and keeping you and those around you safe.

Professional drivers, get ready to share the road. Nearly 85% of Americans expect to travel this summer, according to a 2023 travel survey from The Vacationer. And 100 million people plan to take a road trip of 250 miles or more.

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A strong maintenance program can reduce downtime, increase safety and improve fuel economy, but technician shortages, equipment demands and time constraints can make it hard to ensure equipment is getting the care it needs. Penske has several maintenance solutions – contract maintenance, on-site maintenance, mobile maintenance and managed maintenance – that can help fleets increase their maintenance capacity, so every piece of equipment is seen on schedule and repaired quickly.

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When drawing on telematics information for maintenance, the ultimate goal is to increase vehicle uptime by speeding up, or even preventing, repairs.

“If the vehicle is down for any type of maintenance, that means it is not delivering product,” said Gregg Mangione, executive vice president of maintenance, Penske Truck Leasing. “At their core, fleets want uptime.”

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From Oct. 2-8, Penske Truck Leasing celebrates over 9,000 technicians and customer service representatives (CSRs) during National Technician Appreciation Week.

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PGT Trucking, Inc., a multi-service transportation firm offering flatbed, dedicated, international and specialized services, announced that it selected Penske Truck Leasing as its provider of choice for comprehensive fleet maintenance solutions. This strategic move enables PGT to streamline its resources on driving innovative and sustainable solutions in the transportation industry.

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Penske Truck Leasing announced today it has introduced a new truck maintenance on-site guide, Shipper’s Guide to Outsourcing On-Site Fleet Maintenance, which is now available at no cost. The three-part guide provides detailed information on how businesses can implement on-site maintenance to navigate the obstacles of operating a vehicle maintenance facility.

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Operating and sustaining a vehicle maintenance facility presents a vast array of ongoing and complex challenges. From maintaining equipment and ensuring access to proper tooling, to hiring and sustaining a qualified workforce, the responsibilities are endless. And with how quickly vehicle technology and compliance regulations change, simply staying on top of that obligation remains a tremendous challenge.

Penske has put together a three-part guide to help users understand why a growing number of businesses are moving towards a qualified outside maintenance provider to deliver on-site service to overcome these obstacles. The first section takes a comprehensive look at what it takes to provide superior maintenance service, optimize staffing, manage tooling systems and parts, and comply with environmental and safety requirements. The next section shows how to calculate and understand all your current maintenance costs. The final section considers mitigating factors if you're deciding to outsource to a third-party maintenance provider, including how to find the right partner and how to effectively manage change.

As a proven leader in the transportation industry, Penske offers on-site maintenance services that can help you:

  • Predict operating costs
  • Increase labor productivity
  • Optimize vehicle uptime and lifecycle
  • Achieve environmental goals
  • Outsource financial and compliance risk

Whether you have just begun thinking about outsourcing on-site maintenance or you're in the latter stages of choosing a partner, you will benefit from this e-book.

For the eighth-straight year, Penske Truck Leasing will be participating in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC). Taking place from June 20-24 in Atlanta, Georgia, Penske will be connecting with aspiring technicians to reinforce the importance of their work to the industry and to promote career opportunities that are available with the company. This year will mark Penske’s first as an official sponsor.

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Penske Truck Leasing is delivering training in the most exciting ways. Through mixed (MR) reality training, we have the opportunity to make our virtual training highly interactive, cutting-edge, and more effective. The use of the latest equipment positions our company to be one of the transportation industry’s leaders in training technology.

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Regular maintenance of Class 8 vehicles requires replacing and removing fluids to keep vehicles running. Used fluids must be recycled or disposed of correctly and documented from cradle to grave to meet regulatory requirements. Additionally, customers are increasingly interested in monitoring their carbon output and documenting recycling efforts.

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