Fuel for Thought
Do Not Have A Maintenance Plan to Pass Inspection
Truck drivers know roadside DOT inspections can happen at any time. Most drivers dread the moment the weigh station light changes from green to red. They fear the Level I inspection. Because most drivers know these inspections can happen at random, too many will maintain their trucks to pass inspections, but only just so.
There are definite standards for DOT inspections. These standards are the absolute minimums required to have a truck deemed roadworthy and safe. The minimum. The lowest passing grade. As such, this is all that is required to pass an inspection, but it should not be your goal to just reach the minimum standards. Raise the bar. Aim higher.
If you only maintain the bare minimum standards to pass inspection, then you are not only walking a fine line between passing and failing a roadside inspection, but you are also treading dangerously with your safety and the safety of those around you. Speaking of treading dangerously, your tire tread has to be at least 4/32” on steer tires and at least 2/32” on drive tires. Just because you can run your tread that low does not mean you should. Once your tread depth is near the minimum legal depth, you also run a greater risk of having a tire failure, a blowout or a puncture. Do not maintaintain to the minimum, instead of inviting trouble along for the ride, have a more stringent maintenance plan to keep your equipment well above the minimum requirements.
The same can be said for lights, specifically, auxiliary lights. Auxiliary lights are any lights added beyond those required by the regulations. While it is true that auxiliary lights do not have to work to pass an inspection, they should work if they are installed. If you have any additional equipment added to your truck, it should work, and when that inspection light comes on at the weigh station, you will not have to dread it, if you properly maintain your truck to standards above the regulations. Your inspections will go smoother and you can help increase your CSA scores with clean inspections.
If you only maintain to the level of just passing an inspection, as you continue to operate the vehicle, it can quickly fall below the standards to pass an inspection and you might get caught with your pants down during your next inspection. The last place you want to be when you find out your equipment is sub-standard is at a weigh station getting an inspection.
Do not have a maintenance plan just to pass inspections. Instead, follow a maintenance schedule to keep your truck in top condition, safe and roadworthy at all times. Following a maintenance schedule will also allow you more uptime to earn revenue as opposed to just doing the bare minimum of maintenance which will require far more shop visits and downtime as well as lost revenue and an increased chance of costly roadside repairs.
A penny saved is a penny earned. This is certainly true when it comes to maintenance. Planned repairs generally cost much less than roadside or emergency repairs. Drive your truck to the shop before it needs to be towed to one.
See you down the road,
Greg