Access to a reliable vehicle is a privilege that many drivers take for granted. It's only when the truck breaks down that people see how truly valuable having a commercial vehicle can be. Your commercial vehicle's transmission plays a critical role in helping it function properly. The transmission is responsible for shifting the gears within your truck's engine to help distribute power from the engine to the wheels. The way that you drive could have a significant impact on how long your transmission lasts.
Here are three simple changes that you can make to your driving habits while on the job in order to help keep your truck's transmission in good working condition.
1. Give your truck time to warm up during the cold winter months.
Driving in cold weather can take a toll on your vehicle, especially on components with as many moving parts as there are within your transmission. If you are going to be traveling via commercial truck during the cold winter months, you should plan for additional time to allow your vehicle to warm up.
When you give the transmission time to get warm before you shift it into gear, you ensure that the transmission fluid has time to become viscous once again. When there is enough transmission fluid lubricating the moving parts within the transmission, you can prevent serious damage.
2. Come to a complete stop before shifting.
Many drivers shift their truck from reverse into drive (and vice versa) before allowing the wheels to come to a complete stop. This bad habit could be wreaking havoc on the condition of your transmission.
When you shift your vehicle while it is still in motion, the transmission doesn't have to time to fully reset before you ask it to move in a new direction. This causes unnecessary strain on the moving components within the transmission, increasing the likelihood that they will break down and fail. Taking a few extra seconds to bring your commercial truck to a complete stop before shifting will help you extend the life of your vehicle's transmission.
3. Don't rock your vehicle if you get stuck.
If your instinct is to rock your vehicle back and forth when you become stuck in the mud or snow, you could be damaging your transmission.
Rapidly switching between drive and reverse in a repeated fashion could cause the transmission to seize. This will result in serious damage to your vehicle's transmission, and possibly to the drive train as well. If you are unable to get the vehicle out by going forward or backward, contact a tow truck for help to preserve the integrity of your transmission.
Changing a few bad driving habits will help you extend the life of your vehicle's transmission well into the future. Visit websites like http://www.colorcountrydiesel.com to learn more.
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