Tips to Winterize Your Commercial Fleet
2 Jan 2013Your commercial fleet, no matter how big or small, is imperative to your daily operations. However in the winter months, you might experience more maintenance issues due to the low temperatures, rain, ice and snow. In order to keep your commercial fleet running in peak performance, you will need to take some steps to winterize them. The following tips will provide you information for how to prepare your vehicles for the cold winter season.
Tips to Winterize Your Commercial Fleet
Follow these tips to winterize your commercial fleet and prepare them for the harsh weather conditions associated with winter.
Fill your tires – Your tire pressure can drop more easily in cold weather so you should prepare for this by filling the tires before the winter season. This will prevent potential safety hazards and improve fuel efficiency. You will also want to make sure the tires have sufficient tread, especially since your vehicles might be driving over rain, sleet and snow.
Check your battery – The low temperatures also have a negative impact on your vehicle’s batteries. To remedy this, have your batteries checked and replace them if need be. It will keep them from having to work too hard to keep your vehicles running.
Keep the gas tank full – Throughout the winter months, keep the gas tank as full as possible. This prevents extra moisture from freezing the gas lines and is a good idea to avoid getting stuck somewhere in bad weather.
Get a tune up – Regular maintenance is important before each season, and the winter is no exception. Bring in the commercial vehicles for a routine tune up and oil change.
Utilize GPS fleet tracking – Utilize Fleet GPS tracking technology like Live View’s GPS Fleet tracking technology that includes maintenance alerts and reports. The GPS trackers in your commercial vehicles include detailed reports and maintenance alerts to let you know when work needs to be done.
Avoid idling – The winter months may mean idling more often, whether it be in traffic during a rainstorm or to keep the vehicle warm. Try to avoid idling excessively as it can consume more fuel which requires more trips to the gas station. Idling excessively can also cause wear and tear that is unnecessary.
Replace your windshield wiper blades – The windshield wiper blades are easy to replace and should be done at least once a year. Making a habit of replacing them at the beginning of the winter season is a good idea since this is when you will use them the most. You should also replace the windshield wiper fluid while you’re at it.
Replace the coolant – Another thing to do in order to winterize your commercial fleet is to flush the cooling system and replace it with fresh coolant. Aim for a 50/50 mixture of coolant (antifreeze) and water.
Emergency kits – Just in case of an emergency, you should prepare each commercial vehicle in your fleet. The kit should include bottled water and food, windshield washer fluid, a bag of salt to add traction in the snow, paper towels, a blanket and warm clothes, flashlight, first aid kit, flares, jumper cables, a tool kit, and an ice scraper. A snow shovel is also helpful for the commercial fleet.
By following these tips to winterize your commercial fleet, you will avoid potentially dangerous situations and be prepared for anything. You will also keep your vehicles in optimal condition throughout the cold months of winter.
Comments are closed.