The United States Department of Transportation (DoT) classifies vehicles into nine classes according to their gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). This is the weight of a vehicle when fully loaded with cargo, fuel, and passengers:
  • Class 1 - Up to 6,000 pounds
  • Class 2 - up to 10,00 pounds
  • Class 3 - up to 14,000 pounds
  • Class 4 - up to 16,000 pounds
  • Class 5 - up to 19,500 pounds
  • Class 6 - up to 26,000 pounds
  • Class 7 - up to 33,000 pounds
  • Class 8 - up to 60,000 pounds
  • Class 9 - over 60,000 pounds
The nine classes are grouped into three major groups:
  • Light-duty vehicles - up to 10,000 lb (Classes 1 and 2)
  • Medium-duty trucks - up to 14,001 to 26,000 lb (Classes 3 to 5)
  • Heavy-duty trucks - over 26,000 lb (Classes 6 to 9)
 
Trucks weighing over 60,000 pounds are often considered to be in a subcategory of their own - super heavy-duty trucks. Heavy-duty trucks include vehicles such as:         
  • Cement mixers
  • City transit buses
  • Mobile cranes
  • Refuse trucks
  • Semi-trucks

Heavy Truck Maintenance

As the name implies, heavy trucks carry heavy stuff often over long distances. While they’re designed to bear the stresses of increased loading, regular maintenance is still needed to keep them functioning in peak condition.
 A breakdown in the middle of the desert 100 miles from the nearest town with a qualified mechanic isn’t something anyone wants to live through.

With preventive maintenance, you can avoid the following problems:
  • DoT compliance issues
  • Fuel efficiency reduction
  • On-road breakdowns
  • Safety issues
  • Serious transmission or engine problems
Maintenance involves inspecting:
  • Auxiliary systems
  • Belts and hoses
  • Body, glass, and mirrors
  • Braking system
  • Cooling system
  • Driveshafts or CV joints
  • Electrical system components
  • Engine and transmission mounts
  • Engine oil and filter changes
  • Exhaust system
  • Exterior and interior lights
  • Fluid leaks
  • Fuel system
  • Horn
  • Seat belts and seat structure
  • Steering and suspension system
  • Tires
  • Transmission fluid
  • Tune-ups
  • Undercarriage and frame
  • Wheels and rims
  • Windshield wiper system

    Fast and Affordable Repair
Your owner’s manual should give the recommended time interval or mileage for routine maintenance.

Heavy Truck Repairs

Maintenance can prevent a lot of problems but there’s little it can do in the case of accidents or wear and tear. Repairs will be necessary at some point.

Wheel Bearing Issues

Ball bearings allow the wheels to rotate smoothly. When they develop issues, the following problems are encountered:
 
  • Loud noises under the wheel while driving
  • Unstable movements when steering
  • Wheel jerking
 
All of the above issues are warning signs. Signs to get your wheel bearings looked at soon as possible.

Brake Failures And Fluid Leaks 

Fluid leakage is a common occurrence in many big vehicles. Regular maintenance to patch up leaks and top up lost fluids is essential in keeping your truck functioning properly. Neglecting this could lead to brake failure.

Failure to Start

Extreme cold and diesel engines make for a troublesome combination. Engines often fail to start when it’s very cold outside. If your engine fails to start one too many times, however, get it checked.

Overheating of the engine

Large vehicles have large engines which burn large amounts of fuel to produce all the power needed to move the vehicle. These engines are also harder to cool because of their rather large surface area to volume ratio when compared to smaller engines. Such engines come with cooling systems but overheating still happens sometimes.
 
Some causes of engine overheating:
  • Burst gaskets
  • Coolant leaks
  • Leaky fuel lines
 
Overheated engines tend to fail if not addressed promptly. Engine replacement is more expensive than engine maintenance so do get your overheating engine checked out as soon as possible.

U-Joint Failure 

U-joints transfer power from the gearbox to the differentials which in turn rotate the wheels. Constant lubrication is necessary to keep this transfer as smooth as possible. Signs that you need to lubricate your U-joints:
 
  • Clicking sounds
  • Vibrations at higher speeds
 
If you see any of these signs, get your U-joints checked.
We volunteer ourselves for that role. Our technicians have extensive experience in servicing and repairing engines from a large variety of manufacturers. This can be accomplished in our shop or on-site by our Rapid Response Team.
 
Click here to schedule heavy truck maintenance and repair with Heavy Equipment Repair Services Reno.

​Contact​

When you need your heavy equipment repaired in a pinch, we are your best option. Need emergency repairs? We’ll do it. Need the repairs done on-site? We’ll do it. Need repairs at a reasonable price? We will do it.
Heavy Equipment Repair Services Reno

Phone: (775)-242-7209​​
Email: info@heavyequipmentrepairsreno.com