Before you take your truck on a long distance road trip, there’s a considerable amount of preparation work that must be done in order to ensure that safety is paramount whilst you take your trip. Failing to prepare or check your truck before you embark on a long trip is not only a risk for the body and engine of your truck, you could also be putting yourself in potential danger of accidents and personal harm. For this reason, when setting out on a long distance journey in your truck, it’s crucial that the following checks and preparation is carried out.
Tire Checks
Before travelling long distance it’s absolutely necessary that the tire pressure is checked thoroughly. Having a good tire pressure is essential to the maneuverability of your truck, and it’s also important in order to avoid any nasty tire explosions – you’ve probably seen or heard about these in the media, or have friends who it’s happened to in the past. These explosions are directly related to the tire quality, and tend to occur the most with tires that have a low standard of pressure in the tires.
Oil Checks
Secondly, checking that the oil levels are up to standard is important before setting off on a long distance road trip, as the oil is, in effect, the ‘blood life’ of your vehicle. When carrying out an oil check, you should bear in mind first and foremost whether or not your truck is standing on level ground. This ensures that the oil does not rush to the back of the truck whilst you are checking the front end of the engine. Once you have located the dipstick, you should first clean it with a towel or rag before reinserting to check the oil level. If the oil doesn’t rise to the minimum mark, you will need to top it up.
Lights
An absolutely crucial check that must be made before embarking on a long distance journey in your truck is to make sure that the headlights and taillights are in complete working order. Being clearly visible to other road users is absolutely necessary when it comes to not only your own safety but the safety of others. Even if you don’t expect to be driving in dim light or bad weather, you never know what might happen, so it’s important to check that all your lights are working correctly, and make any necessary repairs before you set off.
Bodywork
Although it’s expected that trucks will experience general wear and tear and not be in perfect visual condition after much use, it’s important to double check the bodywork of your truck before setting off on a long distance journey. Consider installing a raptor bed liner kit to protect your truck’s back end, and waxing the paintwork to protect it on your journey. Checking for any major damage to the bodywork is vital though so don’t neglect to do this.
Source: http://www.lukor.net