Your means of transport are one of the most important parts of your everyday life, and maintaining your truck in good shape will prove essential in the long run. Not only will it perform better and move you from point A to point B safer, it will also keep its price and you won’t have to sell it for scraps once you decide to sell it.

Smart Ways to Keep Your Truck in Good Shape

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best tips for keeping your truck in good shape!

Brakes, Brakes, Brakes!

If you take a look at any professional mechanic’s site, you’ll notice that they’re all saying you have to take care of your brakes. They’re essential to the basic functioning of your car, just like the engine and the transmission system are. What you should do is check your brake fluid regularly.

Most experts recommend that you check it at least once a year. Brake fluid isn’t expensive, and it’s a whole lot cheaper than buying new sensors and discs.

Brake fluid will definitely need changing, as it’s a fluid that attracts moisture, which will cause many different components to corrode and fail over time. This doesn’t happen quickly, though, so you don’t have to worry about your car failing in a matter of weeks. You should still check it often, though.

Keep Your Truck Clean

Most people make the mistake of thinking that you should only clean your car for aesthetic reasons, but that’s untrue. If you keep dirt, grime and salt on the underside of your truck, it’s likely that it will cause damage over time.

Because of this, trucks and other vehicles that are kept for business purposes have to be cleaned on a weekly basis.

Tire Maintenance

The tires are basically the shoes of a car, and it’s important that the shoes fit. Check your tire pressure at least once a month. Some people still don’t know that tires naturally lose air, which is why you’ll have to inflate them again and again.

If they’re deflated, the rolling resistance will increase, if they’re over-inflated, it’ll decrease. Different cars need different levels of tire pressure, and they’re usually defined in the manual you received with the car.

Think About a Truck Bed Cover

Most truck owners have truck bed covers, as they’re invaluable pieces of car equipment. They’re very simple additions, but they’re great as weather protection, as they can keep rain, snow, dust and even hail out of your truck bed.

A lot of covers also have locks, so it’s safe to keep cargo in your truck. They’re not difficult to put on, while they also make your truck look a bit more complete since there’s not a gaping hole in the back.

Check Your Lights

It’s very easy for a light to go dim without you ever realizing it, especially if it’s a back light. Because of this, it’d be smart to have a light check at least once a month. It’s best to notice this and replace the light or fix the wiring as soon as possible. Not only is it dangerous to drive like this, but you’re also risking a massive fine if the police notice that problem before you do.

Spare Equipment

Most cars have at least one spare tire in the back, ready to change it whenever you need to. This is a very important spare part, as you don’t want to be calling a tow truck because you got a flat tire. Another piece of spare equipment that you should definitely have in your car is a spark plug.

Spark plugs are very cheap, as they usually cost less than a dollar, but they’re incredibly important. Calling a tow truck to tow a car to the mechanic when the only problem is a spark plug that’s gone out is an incident that happens more often than you’d think. And frankly, it’s a bit embarrassing as you’re essentially throwing money away if that happens.

Get Tune Ups

You should have your car checked by a mechanic at least twice a year. Even though an experienced driver can notice and usually fix a lot of basic things that need fixing, mechanics are there for a reason.

Try not to mess around with electronics unless it’s absolutely necessary, as this is a very touchy-feely part of a car and it’s very easy to mess it up. Changing your oil is perfectly fine, changing your lights – not so much.