On-Highway Truck Air Conditioning Maintenance

When you work in the commercial trucking industry, keeping your equipment running and your drivers comfortable is critical to success.

As the long days of summer set in and the mercury rises on the thermometer, a hot and humid work environment will have an adverse effect on safety and performance. With something so simple as the health and condition of your semi-truck air conditioner unit standing in the way of productivity, the time is now to take a proactive approach to caring for and maintaining your climate control system.

Semi-Truck Air Conditioner Tune-Ups & Preventive Maintenance

Commercial truck drivers need to remain alert while behind the wheel no matter the environmental circumstances. However, when the air conditioning begins to fail in the middle of a run or completely shuts down, the prolonged warmth is bound to wear down the driver to the point of distraction. Not only does this lead to unsafe driving conditions, but it also causes the driver to take longer and more frequent breaks, which slows your operation down.

Even worse, the time you now need to take servicing your truck’s air conditioner is significantly longer and more expensive. The best way to keep your cabin cool and your vehicles on the road and running strong are by practicing commercial truck AC preventive maintenance.

Creating a detailed plan for monitoring and servicing your truck’s air conditioner is easy to do and will pay dividends as it helps lower long-term owning and operating costs.

Consider the following tips to develop a preventive maintenance strategy for your commercial fleet:

• Keep track of factory recommended intervals for semi truck AC tune-ups and services
• Perform basic maintenance tasks such as changing filters and fluids on schedule
• Address issues and concerns with the system as they occur in a timely fashion
• Take your truck your local trained professional Foley RIG360 Truck Center for more complex services and repairs

Among the best ways to stay on top of preventive maintenance for commercial trucks is to make inspections part of your daily routine. Instruct your drivers to include checking the air conditioner in their walk-around inspections. Have them start the vehicle up, turn the system on and put it through its paces to ensure it’s blowing cold air. Drivers should also know to promptly report any problems they’re experiencing with their cab climate controls.

Troubleshoot Commercial Truck Air Conditioner Units

Any time your air conditioner is failing to cool your cabin is cause for concern. However, there are a few things you can do to get to the bottom of the problem before scheduling an appointment to service your truck’s air conditioner. If you’re driving down the road and are starting to feel the heat, use these troubleshooting tips to help figure out what’s going on:

• Shut the system down, turn your engine off and let everything cool down to normal. You might have been close to overheating and need additional fluids
• Inspect the belt. Worn or damaged air conditioner belts can fall off or rip, causing the entire air conditioner system to die
• Sniff around for foul odors. A musty smell coming from the vents is often an indicator there’s dirt or mold in the system
• Check your Freon. If you’re low or leaking fluids, the air conditioner system will not have enough refrigerant to keep the cabin cool

Commercial truck AC preventive maintenance is an efficient way to combat system breakdowns and control operating costs.

Schedule your next service with one of Foley’s RIG360 Truck Centers today and get a jump on summer.