Semi-trucks typically have a much longer lifespan than the average passenger car, but even so, they are just as susceptible to breaking down after putting in a certain amount of mileage.
According to the 2016 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, large trucks traveled well over 270 million miles in 2014 alone.
Nevertheless, the stamina of a semi-truck is not infinite, and just like noncommercial vehicles, its mechanical vitality will only last up until the ceiling of a certain threshold for performance has been reached. The following reasons are some of the most common culprits behind a semi truck’s necessary retirement from the open road.
Tire and/or Brake Failure
Naturally, the exceptional mileage covered by the average semi-truck is processed on its tires. Semi-truck tires are specially designed for the kind of result gets that can stand up to an astronomical level of abuse, but typically, tires aren’t able to perform up to standard due to poor upkeep habits.
One of the leading causes for roadside assistance dispatch requests for semi-trucks is the truckers failure to properly inflate the tires on a regular basis. Any potential issues with the shred should generally be addressed while preparing for the trip, but all too commonly, these important routine checks are glazed over until they become impossible to ignore at a much less convenient point in time.
Improperly functioning brakes are not far behind tires when it comes to the most common reasons for semi-trucks to become helpless in the middle of their journey. There range of different potential problems behind malfunctioning brakes is expansive, though one of the top repeat offenders are bleeding compressor oil. Because truck brakes depend on air pressure to actuate, an abnormal air pressure leak can greatly diminish its braking capacity if allowed to worsen for too long.
As the truck grows older, mechanics will suggest that owners get the brakes examined for the possibility of any unaddressed rusting damage or excessive buildup. Unfortunately, improper maintenance is a familiar factor in the downfall of brakes that were never routinely maintained.
A Dying Engine
In older models of semi-trucks, one of the most serious causes of a sudden breakdown is an engine that has been taxed to its limit. When the engine of a semi-truck gets close to exhausting its last bit of power, it is generally a sign that the truck itself needs to be retired and replaced.
“Substituting an older engine for a newer engine in semi-trucks is not as simple as it might be with a mid-sized sedan,” said Hoffman Truck Services. In order to better tackle the heavy-duty mileage and weather-resistance requirements of a long cross-country hauls, newer semi-truck engines have undergone significant evolution over the years.
Newer engines are not only made for better longevity than the older engines, but also designed to function with advanced filtration technology for more efficiency. Because older models of semi-trucks won’t be able to facilitate these newer innovations, an engine on its last legs generally signifies that the truck itself does not have much time left.
Electromechanical Malfunctions
Even if the engine hasn’t been completely compromised, there are many small mechanical malfunctions that can steadily debilitate the truck’s performance over time. The massive surface area and volume of a semi-truck holds an abundance of opportunities for small electrical or mechanical irregularities to develop over the thousands of miles that it travels throughout the year.
Over time, the trailer coupling mechanisms can become weak and the transmission itself can begin to lose rigidity. The prognosis for an accumulation of electrical and/or mechanical malfunctions usually isn’t quite as terminal as a failing engine, and a properly skilled mechanic should be capable of remedying them without much trouble.
Still, the cumulative costs of recurring electromechanical malfunctions in an aging truck can make it more practical to consider investing in a newer and more durable truck than continuing to take it in for additional repairs.
