Can You Keep Your Truck on the Road?

In this article we will talk a little bit about being an owner operator. You have drivers on both sides of the issue of being a company driver vs being an O/O. There are those who are doing it and making a great living at it. Then there are some who struggle each and every day. This article will touch a little on some of the problems that may occur with keeping your truck on the road.

Not every driver out there on the road is able to repair their own truck. Even if they could repair it the next problem is the availability of tools. In order to carry all of the tools and parts that you could need for anything major it would make the tractor so heavy that it would affect the weight of the tractor. Of course if the job doesn't require too much work and you can handle it then by all means do the work yourself. You still need to have parts in order to repair the truck.

The truck doesn't always breakdown at a truck stop. Nothing works out that good. Hoses break, belts snap, tires blow out, engines blow, rear ends fall apart(both at once). Basically you cannot plan for every broken part on the trucks. They are machines and they won't last forever.

Preventive maintenance is the only thing that you can do to help in preventing the truck from breaking down out in the middle of know where. Some of you have probably heard the comment or maybe even said it yourself "I am going to drive this until the wheels fall off" I have no idea where I heard it first but I have heard it. Well believe me it is a real bad feeling the day that it really happens.

How you drive the truck well definitely have bearing on how the truck will hold up. Some people drive the trucks very hard and the trucks will show it. You don't have to baby it, but change the oil, do your inspections. Don't just pencil whip your inspection sheets! It will cost you in the long run. You can avoid a lot of huge repairs by taking care of minor things when you notice them.

The hourly rate for the big outfits that sell trucks can be $150.00 an hour and more. Needless to say there are many good mechanics that work independently and charge a little less and often you will get even better service than what you get at the cookie cutter shops where their floors are sparkling clean.

Remember that you MUST take into consideration the upkeep of your truck before you go out and buy your own and put it on the road. They frown on it when you get upset and leave the truck on the side of the road and abandon it. It is not cheap to fix your truck. Do your best to prevent problems and you'll be alright.

I have been truck over the road for the past 11+ years. I have drove as a company driver an owner operator and even attended a brokers school. I hope that you learned a little more about the trucking industry.

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