As winter rolls around through the country, there are some simple tips to keep in mind when you start your cold morning journey.
These tips may be obvious, but it’s sometimes the simplest things to keep in mind that will keep you on the road and save you money.
- Tyre pressure: This is so simple, but so effective for the overall maintenance of your Hino. Incorrectly inflated tyres can have a follow-on effect on a number of parts on your truck including braking efficiency and the overall handling of your truck. If your tyres are under inflated this can also be extremely dangerous. Take a look at your Hino manual for the right pressure or ask your dealer and write it down. There will be a max and min pressure depending on the load you are carrying.
- Look after your battery: Breakdown calls in winter can increase by more than 50 per cent in cold and wet weather, with the majority of these calls being for battery and electrical-related problems. It’s really simple to take a small amount of time and care for your trucks battery. Make sure your battery is sufficiently topped up with distilled water regularly, ensuring the battery doesn’t dry out. Make sure you don’t use tap water as this can cause corrosion around the terminals, which should be wiped away.
- Windscreen wipers: Don’t get caught out when it rains in Aus. It may look clear in the morning but weather can change so quickly in winter that you may not be prepared for the rain. That’s why it’s a great idea just to check the wipers regularly and ensure they are up to keeping the windscreen clear. We also recommend checking the wiper fluid level and adding sufficient wiper fluid to ensure it’s clean and full.
- Visibility of your windscreen: Dirt, mud and gunk on the windscreen can limit your visibility when driving, and also on those bright winter Aussie days when the sun is bright and the weather is cold. Our tip is to ensure you regularly clean your windscreen and driver and passenger windows with either a chamois or a sheet of newspaper and some methylated spirits.
- Can you garage your truck?: Keep your truck under cover at night if possible and avoid parking it on grass or wet areas in lower temperature. Damp air can rise and condense on the engine and ignition parts leading to current leakage. This is also good idea to prevent the potential for rust development on your truck.
- Lights and gauges: As a truck driver, you can feel like you can be targeted for any lights that are out or not working correctly. Make sure your indicator gauges, headlights and brakes light are working correctly. Think about LED accessory lights for those darker nights too. They make a huge difference in bad weather or in low light.
- Service your Truck regularly: Ensure you have your Hino in for its regular service especially during winter. All new Hino trucks enjoy Capped Price Service so you know what you need to pay for well in advance of your visit.
Keep these simple but effective tips in mind and it will be summer before you know it!
