Maintaining Your Commercial Chassis Cab Truck
Considering the investment you’ve made in a
medium-duty chore truck, commercial vehicle owners everywhere would agree keeping your chassis cab
well-maintained is a whole lot less costly than the expense of a major repair. From a financial and business standpoint, it makes perfect sense. Before you know it, when left unattended, small problems have blown up into major issues, leading to everything from huge repair bills to poor performance.
Applicable for most types of chassis cab trucks on the market, this Q&A article is offered to address some of the common questions and concerns of both owners and operators, while providing a few insider maintenance tips to keep your chassis cab in top shape. Intentionally product-generic, and both broad and general in scope, it should not in any way be used as a substitute for the vehicle-specific instructions found in your owner’s manual. That’s your best resource and it is full of information that applies directly to your vehicle. With that said, CE wants to give readers a nice preventative maintenance supplement to their owner’s manual, with the help of a chassis cab expert. Chris Borczon, chassis engineer for Dodge Commercial Vehicles, was kind enough to help us out.
Q: What are some of the major preventative maintenance checks that professionals need to worry about when utilizing a chassis cab truck for commercial purposes?
While chassis cabs are quite similar to the full-size
pickups driven by your average urban cowboy, their daily usage — not to mention wear and tear — is much higher. Likewise, normal preventative maintenance is required, but a great deal more frequently. A good example would be a normal maintenance schedule of 3,000 miles between oil changes. That maintenance interval may not be adequate if the vehicle is routinely used in stationary applications with the engine running.
Another extremely important check is tire pressure. Since chassis cabs are carrying a lot of weight, correct tire pressure is critical. A slightly low tire on a passenger car can go a lot farther than a heavily loaded truck. A particular issue to dual-rear-wheel models is a flat inside dual tire. You won’t see that the tire is flat by simply looking at it. However, you will see the big replacement bill for two ruined tires if you overload the remaining outside tire.
Common sense tips, which are always the best kind, would include keeping up on all the filters — fuel, air, transmission and oil. Individually, they are each
important. Collectively, they are key components to extend the service life of any work truck. Also, lube the chassis and body components regularly to reduce wear. Don’t forget to check all fluids weekly. Minor issues, such as a coolant leak, could cause serious engine damage if not addressed quickly.
Q: Give us a good, step-by-step process on how to do
these checks
The best place to start is your owner’s manual. It specifically and clearly outlines the normal preventative
maintenance checks and repairs. For the applied body, the second-stage manufacturer or upfitter should be the person to ask. They have the proper experience with their type of
equipment in your work environment. Also, look at using the heavy-duty maintenance schedule. Make an individual assessment of this and decide if it fits your unique
requirements. You’ve already made the investment and know work trucks aren’t cheap. Proper maintenance will protect your business or the company’s investment.
Q: How often should these maintenance routines be performed so that contractors can extend the life of their work trucks?
Again, the owner’s manual is a good starting point.
Beyond that, your local dealer of both the chassis and the applied body should have experience with yourvehicle.
If not, find someone in your area. Remember, you should be thinking miles not months. While everyone’s uses and needs are different, few work trucks put in the standard 12,000 miles in a year. Often it makes sense to perform specific services more frequently depending on your unique situation.
Q: What types of engine checks are paramount for performance?
Probably the most important check for any engine is the oil. Always make sure that it is full and changed regularly. Next would be the air, oil and fuel filters. Fluids are the lifeblood of any work truck. Set a regular schedule for checking them. Remember to change the axle fluid
regularly as well, especially if your work truck is pulling a heavy load on a regular basis. Often neglected, axles are
a critical part of powertrain maintenance.
Q: How often should tune-ups occur?
Today’s vehicles don’t require what we’ve always
associated or known for the last few decades as a “tune up.” The engine emission requirements typically require longer life than years past. For example, spark plugs can last 30,000 miles and plug wires 60,000 miles. The frequent
service items are things like oil changes and greasing steering linkage which are required every 3,000 miles.
The best counsel would be to use the higher frequency maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual. However, it’s probably a good follow-up to also ask your dealer and local users of your make vehicle if they have discovered any additional needs that are not covered in the manual. Often, a manufacturer will have special technical bulletins that relate to your truck. Ask the service manager to check for any that might apply. Also, instruct your operators to report any anomalies immediately.
Q: I don’t see a problem, but can the way my truck is acting tell me what’s wrong?
Absolutely. A perceptive driver should know his or her vehicle and be able to feel things like: brakes that are
getting worn when the pedal is lower than normal; tires that are wearing incorrectly and could cause a vibration; and low cooling system fluid level causing the heater to not work as well as you’re accustomed.
It’s vitally important to stress to your drivers and
operators their obligation and responsibility for reporting any strange noises or performance issues with the work truck they are operating. Report any engine fault codes at once and take seriously any “check engine” light. It should be addressed immediately. Instruct drivers to stop right away if the temperature light goes on. Better safe than sorry, have the vehicle towed vs. trying to drive it in.
Q: What happens if preventative maintenance is not a priority? What can happen to your chassis cab?
Unlike most new cars, which include things like lifetime lubricated steering components and long-life transmission fluid, chassis cabs are hard-working vehicles designed to live longer than many cars. Further, they often require more preventative maintenance. The least of your
problems would be if your vehicle could not start because your fuel filter was plugged. Worse case would be a loss of steering or brakes on a 15,000-lb vehicle.
Remember, the driver of the vehicle is often not the owner of that vehicle. It is important to ensure proper
care and maintenance of these expensive investments.
If regular service is not performed, the life expectancy of your work truck could be considerably reduced. This affects both downtime and resale.
Q: What types of safety advice should be considered when working on your truck?
Whenever man and machine come together, the
opportunity for an accident is created. Remember, these are big, heavy vehicles with large components held on with higher torques. Safety should always be emphasized. At the same time, we should be mindful of our respective limitations. For example, some medium-duty vehicles do not include tire changing equipment because this is a job better left to a professional tire service. So what should you do if you need to change a tire? Take the “jack” out of your car or SUV and try to change the tire anyway?
No, let a qualified professional — using the right tools – do the job.
The same concept holds true for oil changes. Don’t use your car-size oil drain pan on an oil change for a heavy-duty truck. You may be in for a big surprise… and an even bigger mess. However, if you must change the tire yourself, leave the car or SUV
jack alone and make sure you use a jack and hoists of the proper load capability.
Also, always use a locking jack stand if working on
or under a vehicle that’s
on the ground. And, just
as important, mechanics should never work alone — just in case. Don’t forget to also be sure and inspect the brakes regularly. Stopping is one of the fundamental
pillars of safety.
Q: From a product perspective, what features make a good chassis cab? What are some buying tips for contractors purchasing these hard-working vehicles?
Depending on individual need and use, performance, capability and dependability should be at or near the top of any feature criteria. Having a great powertrain that never breaks down is equally important. If your truck is always breaking down and out of service, it can’t perform the core function for which it was purchased — making money for your business. In addition, an upfit-friendly frame that accepts a wide variety of applications easily, with little
fabrication or modification, is also important.
Working closely with your dealer to make sure you order the right configuration for your specific needs and business is crucial. Purchasing the right package upfront makes everybody, both dealer and customer, happy. Fundamental things to pay particular attention to include towing capacity, upfit-friendliness, 4×4 capability, reliability and having a strong powertrain. In addition, talk with your dealer about application guides, found in
body-builder guidebooks, matching intended loads with the proper GVWR truck, possibly adding a heavy-duty
suspension (if required), PTO prep packages (if available), matching the right Cab-to-Axle dimension to the right truck and doing the best job you can to match the right chassis cab for your company’s duty cycle.
Q: Are there any operational tips on how to run your truck in a way that extends the life of your vehicle?
Whether you’re the owner or
operator, simply treat the vehicle like it is your own. The first repair bill you see for the higher costs of chassis cab components that you did not maintain should be more than enough to convince you not to skip or defer maintenance. Take note of your various drivers and operators. Understandably, some will have
better skills at utilizing a work truck’s full capabilities and abilities than others. Assist, counsel and train the “challenged” or less successful operators in the vital importance of taking care of the company’s work truck.
In closing, remember these tips are just a sampling of common maintenance inspections and
services required for your chassis cab and is not meant to replace the schedule in your owner’s manual, which should be referred to regularly in order to achieve the best performance from your vehicle. In the end, preventative maintenance pays for itself by reducing downtime, minimizing vehicle wear and tear, ensuring higher resale and, most importantly, the truck performs as intended and gets the job done. Take care of your chassis cab… and it will take care of you.
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