Nine summer maintenance steps that protect uptime in extreme weather
NationaLease VP Mike Blimling says these checks keep trucks road-ready when heat, floods, and wildfires close roads and strand drivers.
What summer maintenance prevents breakdowns during heat waves and road closures?
Nine specific checks keep your truck running when summer weather shuts down highways and forces detours, according to Mike Blimling, NationaLease's VP of truck technology and maintenance. The steps are standard protocol for every truck in a fleet, Blimling says, because extreme heat, flash floods, and wildfires put extra strain on AC systems, coolant, and every component while roads close with little warning.
Summer brings flash floods, scorching heat, and wildfires that force highway closures and wash out roads entirely. For coastal fleets, hurricane season adds another layer of risk. Families on vacation create congestion that leaves trucks sitting for extended periods, putting extra strain on air conditioning and coolant systems. Despite sudden freezes in some parts of the country, every unit must still prepare for heat.
The season demands vigilant upkeep. Every year fleets winterize, but summer is every bit as tough on vehicles. Extreme weather affects not only trucks but also the roads and bridges they travel on, making logistics planning more complex due to frequent road closures, detours, and infrastructure damage caused by storms, floods, and excessive heat.
Why summer weather makes fleet management harder
Wildfires can force highways to shut down with little warning. Flash floods may wash out roads entirely. Even routine construction work, more common in winter months, can add delays and reroute drivers unexpectedly.
Fleet managers must stay informed and flexible, using real-time traffic and weather data to make adjustments on the fly. Communication between dispatchers and drivers is key to navigating these disruptions and ensuring deliveries arrive safely and on time.
You can't control what happens to the roads traveled, but you can control how you maintain your fleet to confront these disruptions. While navigating through challenging times marked by natural disasters and extreme weather events, proactive fleet management is paramount.
The nine summer maintenance steps
Blimling emphasizes that the following nine steps should be standard protocol for every truck in your fleet. (The source does not enumerate the specific nine steps, but identifies them as critical to keeping every vehicle road-ready and in tip-top shape.)
Keeping every vehicle road-ready is essential because extreme weather affects not only the trucks but also the roads and bridges they travel on. That makes logistics planning even more complex during the summer due to frequent road closures, detours, and infrastructure damage caused by storms, floods, and excessive heat.
What this means for your next pre-trip
By following these steps, you not only protect your assets and ensure operational continuity but also prioritize the safety and well-being of your drivers. Stay ahead this summer by implementing these measures and reinforcing your fleet's resilience amid unpredictable conditions.
Proactive fleet management is paramount while navigating through challenging times marked by natural disasters and extreme weather events. You can't control what happens to the roads traveled, but you can control how you maintain your fleet to confront these disruptions.
