If you ask a trucker what their number one concern is, most of the time it isn’t cash flow or invoicing. It’s maintenance. And that makes sense. If your rig doesn’t run, everything else comes to a screeching halt. That’s why truck maintenance software – or a trucking management software program is vital to any trucking concern.

The Price You Pay

On-the-road breakdowns can kill a trucking business. Every trucker dreads this. It’s not just that the truck may be out of commission, it’s also likely that

• it’s far from home
• your preferred techs and mechanics can’t work on it
• it’s gonna cost a lot for the service call on the highway
• you don’t get options – you pay for what they bring.

If necessary, even the tow is going to be painfully expensive, not to mention that you may not be able to finish the delivery and get paid.

Even if you’ve got a lot of money set aside for maintenance, this is the kind of trouble that no one wants to get into.

When you get out of the lane and onto the berm, you can be in a lot of trouble. That’s why it’s critical that you keep your rig in the best possible condition by handling regular maintenance chores.

Regular Maintenance: Read Your Manual

How often does your rig need the oil changed? What type should you use?

This is one of those “things that everybody knows.” You may think you know how often you need to change your oil. But engines aren’t the same as they were 10 years ago. And neither is the oil.

The only way you know what you need is to read the manual. Do you know where yours is? (We hope it’s in your cab, but we also know that most manuals are now available online.) Did you ever open it?

It’s a newbie mistake to think that what “everybody knows” is right for your rig. Only you know how much weight you’ve been hauling and up and down what mountains. Only you know what heat and snow you’ve driven through. All of these things impact your rig physically. You’re in tune with your engine and you’ll be the first to notice when the steering is a bit too loose or your brakes are too soft.

That’s why you need to read your manual. Your knowledge of how your rig is running, combined with the manufacturer’s information will help keep your rig on the road. Those soft brakes? Fix them with your favorite tech locally to prevent an accident and save yourself thousands. Change the oil on time and avoid the risk of burning out your engine.

Regularly Scheduled Truck Maintenance

Your largest investment is your cab. So invest in it. Schedule your regular maintenance. Save up for that oil change or brake inspection/replacement so you don’t have to put it on a charge card that might already be close to the max.

Do you keep a savings account with a debit card that’s only used for maintenance? It’s a smart way to make sure you’ve got funds for the emergency repair. But if you’re throwing extra money in there on a regular plan, you can use those funds to pay for regular maintenance.

Ten years ago, Team Run Smart recommended that you put aside a certain amount per mile for maintenance, based on the age of your truck. Nowadays, we think probably now those figures should be doubled. There’s nothing like the desperation an owner-operator feels when another repair bill comes along without warning. Save the pennies now so you’re ready if your rig starts to nickel and dime you.

Regular maintenance helps lengthen the life of your rig. It keeps you safe. It keeps everyone on the road safe. Keeping your rig in prime shape saves you money in the long run by reducing your fuel consumption and protecting your equipment from little problems escalating to a major disaster.

How do you track those miles and time? How about a truck maintenance software that does it for you?

DOT Inspections and CVSA Roadchecks

We just checked. The CVSA Roadcheck is scheduled for May 17-19, 2022.

DOT inspections on the road aren’t scheduled. So you need to be prepared at any time, including your documentation of the work you’ve had done.

If you take care of your rig all the time, those things won’t worry you. And that alone is worth your effort.

That’s why you need truck maintenance software. The peace of mind you get from knowing that your rig is safe and as efficient as possible is the best thing you can do for yourself.

The best money you spend to protect your rig is for truck maintenance software that prevents the on-the-road breakdown. Don’t ignore the price of protecting your most expensive posession.

Care for Your Rig the Way You’d Take Care of Your Grandma

Somebody’s got to take care of Grandma. To keep track of her medicines and make sure that she gets to the doctor when she needs to go.

That’s what trucking maintenance software does. It tracks all the work you’ve had done. You can schedule based on time or mileage when you’ll have the next inspections or changes. Add in the warranties from work done (especially if you have to have something done while you’re on the road) so you can get reimbursed if the work wasn’t done right. Then, when you’re asked about the work, you can pull out your phone and access your records right then.

If you use the right type of trucking maintenance software.

Many of these programs are only at home on your desktop. Or worse, your record-keeping is kept on your accounting software and someone’s got to sort through years’ worth of records to find your payments.

This is why you need trucking software that integrates your maintenance records and scheduling with your dispatches, your IFTA records, miles per state. Keep all your trucking business records together and easy to access.

What Are You Using?

If you’re keeping written records, we wish you well. That’s a valid choice. At least you’re keeping everything in one place. (Right?)

If you’re using a selection of spreadsheets, we’re a bit worried for you. It won’t be easy, being on the side of the road and trying to find the one record you need for the traffic cop, the on-the-road repair tech, or the highway inspection.

Use TruckingOffice.

We’re not just saying that because it’s our product. It’s because we know we’re the best you’ve got. We’re not saying that sarcastically. We mean it. You won’t find a better trucking maintenance program on the market.

That’s because it’s only part of the trucking software you can use to run your entire trucking business – from your cab, it that’s how you roll. The software pays for itself in money saved by

• creating dispatches and routes
• creating, sending and tracking invoices, including past dues
• managing driver records and settlements (even yours)
• integrating with ELD to be sure that your IFTA and IRP taxes are to the penny
• providing compnay overview reports to show how your business is growing
• tracking expenses to find out where y ou can improve.

TruckingOffice grows with you. Starting with one truck? We’re ideal for the owner-operator who’s just getting started. We’ll grow with you as you build a fleet. Try us out today with a free trial of our entire trucking software package. No risk – no credit card, no debit card, no bank numbers needed to try out the truck maintenance software that also runs your trucking business.