When you work for haulage companies and are getting ready to head out on the road with your load, you should first do the basic checks. Be sure to check the levels of your engine fluids, such as coolant and windscreen cleaner, and go around the vehicle with a tyre gauge to check all the tyres, not forgetting the spare. Before you get into your truck, lorry or other vehicle you should take a look at the interior of your engine and check some of the small things that might make a difference as you make your way down the road. Make sure to check the belts and the simple things like the windscreen wipers.
Checking and Changing Belts
Though it used to be a job for only the garage services, it is now more and more common to be able to check and change the engine belt that is under the hood. If you are in anyway unsure about a belt, call a garage and get it checked, but if you are familiar with the make-up of the engine and have a relatively modern vehicle, then it will not be too difficult to a change belt yourself. Before you head out with your loads for haulage companies, have a look at the belt and if it looks worn, replace it. In the old days, vehicles used to use several different belts to run various parts of the engine, but today, the vehicles have only a single, wide serpentine belt. In most vehicles you simply remove the old or damaged belt by rotating the tensioner to loosen the tension and replacing it with the appropriate belt. Move the tensioner back into place when the belt grooves are situated properly.
Changing the Windscreen Wipers
Though it may seem like the most simple thing in the world and something that does not really make a big difference in the grand scheme of things, changing the windscreen wipers can have a huge impact on the quality of your journey. When you are working for one of the big haulage companies and are required to make long journeys regardless of the weather, you will be thankful that you have wipers that work. When the rains come down, and, let’s face it, in the UK this is more than likely, you will need to turn on the windscreen wipers but, if you have old wiper blades there will be a streaky mess that rubs across your windscreen. Worse, if you are missing a wiper blade, the metal of the wiper itself may scrape across the windscreen and leave marks or scratches in the glass. If you find that you do need to change the wipers, then the first thing to ensure is that the wiper blades you buy are made to fit the brand of car you have. The simple way to change the blade is to lift the wiper arm, unclip the blade and slide the new one into place, lowering the arm again. Once you are familiar with in changing the blades this should take you less than five minutes, making it quick and easy to get on the road.