Tyre and Battery Maintenance During COVID-19 Lockdown

The COVID-19 outbreak has become a growing challenge for commercial vehicle owners and fleet managers. Lying idle, most of these vehicles may develop problems over time. Similarly, for the vehicles that are allowed to move on the roads for essential goods delivery, the challenge is of access to maintenance facilities, like battery and tyre shops. While protection from Coronavirus pandemic should be everyone’s top priority, maintenance of the equipment and machinery that will help us cope with the economic fallout is also critical.

Today, we are sharing some basic tips for maintenance of commercial vehicles like trucks, buses, loaders and earth movers, to make sure you face minimum downtime when resuming full operations.

Tyre Maintenance for Commercial Vehicles

The primary focus of every commercial vehicle owner and fleet manager should be on preventive maintenance practices to avoid idle tyre damage. When heavy vehicles are parked for long, their tyres can lose shape due to loss of air pressure and constant load on a single tyre patch. To avoid idle tyre damage, make sure that the vehicle is moved about once in a while and maintain optimal air pressure. Secondly, unload the parked vehicle to reduce pressure on the tyres. Where not feasible, follow the first step without fail.

In case, your commercial vehicle or fleet are on essential goods duty, ensure tyre health by checking for cracks, tread wear and sidewall damage. Ask your driving teams to take extra care on the road and to avoid closed roads and gravel tracks for minimising the chances of a puncture or tyre burst. Such shortcuts may not only leave your vehicle stranded, but also hamper the supply of essential goods. Also, inspect the tyres and spare tyres after every run to make sure there is minimal downtime.

Battery Maintenance for Commercial Vehicles

Just like the tyres, battery is another perishable component that remains in constant use and degrades over time when a vehicle is parked. Electrical components in vehicles draw energy passively from the battery, even when the vehicle is not in use. This, in turn, can lead to a discharged or dead battery situation. To avoid it, remove the connectors from the nodes, if your commercial vehicle will stay parked for some time to come, or simply start the vehicle every 4-5 days and let the engine idle for several minutes to keep the battery charged.

For commercial vehicles and fleets on the road, it’s important to take battery maintenance seriously due to a couple of reasons. First, an old or depleted battery may leave you stranded on the road and hamper the delivery of goods. Second, a below par battery is always a safety risk when driving at night. It may not power your headlamps and taillights adequately, increasing the chances of a mishap. So, make sure that your commercial vehicle or fleet is operating with batteries that are in good shape and follow general battery maintenance tips provided by the manufacturer.

General Vehicle Care and Self Care

While performing commercial vehicle maintenance, do not forget to take preventive measures against the Coronavirus spread. It is utterly important to wear gloves and face mask at all times and wash your hands properly with soap and sanitize them once you are done. Wash the on-duty vehicles with disinfectants and soapy water at regular intervals to prevent COVID-19 germination. Clean the interiors and storage space thoroughly and ask your driving and loading teams to follow the quarantine measures to the letter as well.