Truck Maintenance Tips, Details, and Recommendations

Heavy-Duty Truck Maintenance

Common problems and solutions


Diesel Aftertreament

Formation, preventions and standards


Common Truck/Trailer Life Expectancies

Common issues to look out for in your heavy-duty truck or trailer.

Truck:

  • Engine
    • Should last life of the vehicle-1 million + miles.
    • Poor maintenance will significantly shorten life
  • Aftertreatment system
    • Clean DPF 100,000-~500,000 mile life, poss. More
    • Sensors can fail anytime-usually after 250k
    • DOC-Should last life of engine w/ proper maint.
    • SCR system-Life of engine w/ proper maint, pump/injector-life varies
  • Transmission
    • 1 million+ w/ maint. (seals, input shaft)
    • Ujoints- 250k-350k life
    • Clutch~ 500k, heavily duty cycle/driver dependent
  • Drive Axles(Differential)
    • 1 million+ w/ maint
    • Bearings- ~500k
  • Cooling system
    • Water pump-~500k
    • Hoses-~300k
    • Radiator-~500k+
    • Coolant-Flush every 2 years
    • Fan clutch-250k+
  • EGR system
    • Constant maint. and calibration
    • EGR cooler-Clean every 200k, 500-750k life
    • EGR valve-~500k-Life
  • Turbocharger
    • Life of engine w/ proper maint.
  • Electrical system
    • Will experience some major repair over life of vehicle-Life cycle varies CONSIDERABLY
    • Alternator-~350k
  • Steering/suspension
    • Replace once during life
    • Kingpins-~350-500k
  • Brakes
    • ~50-100k-Heavily driver/duty cycle dependent
    • S-cams-~500k w/ proper maint.
    • Air Cans-~250k+
  • Tires
    • Varies wildly-Should see 100k
  • APU
    • 10+ years

Trailer:

  • Roof
    • ~6 years, then requires constant repair or replacement
  • Floors
    • 1 million miles
  • Bearings
    • 350k-500k+
  • Wheel Seals
    • ~3+ years
  • Brakes
    • See above
  • Electrical
    • Varies on route

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