The basics
What it is
Scheduled service, done where the truck sits.
Preventive maintenance is service done on a schedule, before the part gives out. Oil and filters, grease, belts and hoses, coolant, air dryers, brake adjustment, tire pressure, battery terminals. On a utility truck it also means the hydraulic oil and filters, the grease points on the boom, slider pads and pins, the outrigger cylinders, and the winch or auger drive.
The rules do not say how often. They say it has to be done and written down. 49 CFR 396.3 requires every motor carrier to systematically inspect, repair and maintain its vehicles, keep parts in safe and proper operating condition at all times, and keep records. A92.2 leaves the maintenance and its frequency to the owner, following the manufacturer's recommendations. The interval is yours and the maker's. This page gives you a way to set it.
There is no federal PM interval. There is a federal record requirement.
The point
Why it matters
Cheaper to plan it than to tow it.
A schedule turns surprises into appointments. The hose that was going to burst at the pole gets replaced in the yard because somebody saw it chafing at the last service. Filters get changed before the oil is full of metal.
It is also how you show the truck was looked after. Manufacturers and warranty providers often ask for service records, so read your warranty. And the 396.3 record, a vehicle identification, a way to show what is due and when, and a record of inspections, repairs and maintenance, is the paper the rule asks you to keep.
Trucks that idle, run the PTO and sit with the boom up burn engine hours that the odometer never shows. If a unit works like that, its service clock should run on hours, not just miles.
Who it is for
Who needs it
Anyone who has had a truck go down at the worst time.
- Small fleets with no shopThe yard is the shop. A crew that comes to you keeps the trucks working and the drivers on the job.
- Growing fleetsPast a handful of trucks, the schedule lives in somebody's head. Get it on paper before that person leaves.
- Fleets with a mix of equipmentA bucket truck, a dump truck and a pickup do not share a schedule. Keep each on its own maker's plan.
- Leased and rental unitsYour agreement says who does the service and who keeps the records. We work to it.
The service sheet
What is included
Ten sections. Each unit gets the ones that apply.
- EngineOil and filter, fuel filters, air filter and restriction, coolant level and condition, belts and hoses, leaks, and DEF level on trucks that use it.
- Transmission and drivelineFluid levels, u-joints and slip joints greased, driveshaft hangers, mounts, PTO and its shaft.
- AxlesGear oil level, breather, seals, wheel-end leaks, and a look at the hubs.
- BrakesLining or pad thickness, drum and rotor condition, slack adjuster or pushrod stroke, hoses and chambers, air dryer cartridge on its schedule, tank drains.
- Steering and suspensionKing pins, tie rod ends, drag link, bushings, springs, shock absorbers, and the fifth wheel on a tractor.
- Tires and wheelsPressure set cold, tread depth in 32nds by position, wear pattern, valve caps, and wheel fasteners.
- ElectricalBattery terminals and test, charging system, lights, wiring and connectors, trailer plug.
- Hydraulic systemOil level and condition, filters per the maker, hose and fitting inspection, pump and PTO, relief and holding valves for leaks.
- Boom and bodyLubrication points per the manual: pins, slider pads, rotation gear. Rotation bearing fasteners, outrigger cylinders, platform leveling, winch rope or auger drive.
- Safety itemsFire extinguisher, triangles, ground straps and bonds, decals, manuals on the truck.
The sheet is cut down to the unit. A pickup does not get a hydraulic section and a derrick does. Fluids and filters come from the maker's list, not whatever is on the shelf.
Starting points
How often
Guidance. Your maker's manual and your duty cycle set the real numbers.
| What | How often | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Driver pre-trip | Every day the truck runs | 49 CFR 396.13 requires the driver to be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition. Write up defects. |
| Frequent inspection, aerial device | Daily before first use | ANSI A92.2. Operator does it; see the ANSI inspections page. |
| Oil, filters and lube service | Set by the engine and chassis maker, by miles, hours or months, whichever comes first | Owner's manual and maintenance schedule. Use the severe-service schedule for heavy idle, PTO time, dust and short trips. |
| Hydraulic oil and filters | Set by the aerial or crane maker | Operator's and service manual. |
| Brake adjustment and wear checks | At every service, and before the DOT annual | Appendix A limits are the failing point, not the target. |
| Tire pressure and tread | Pressure often, tread at every service | Set cold. Appendix A fails steer tires under 4/32 and other tires under 2/32. |
| Grease points on the boom | Per the manual | Over-greasing and the wrong grease both cause trouble. Follow the chart. |
| DOT annual and ANSI periodic | At least every 12 months | 49 CFR 396.17 and A92.2. Fold them into the same visit as a PM where you can. |
Many fleets run a tiered plan: a short A service, a longer B service every few A services, and a full C service on the long interval. The names and the spacing are the fleet's own, built from the maker's intervals. We will set the plan with you from the manuals for each unit. We do not make up a one-size schedule.
The rulebook
Standards the work follows
The schedule is only as good as the book it came from.
- 49 CFR 396.3Systematic inspection, repair and maintenance. Required records: vehicle identification, a means to show the nature and due date of inspection and maintenance operations, and a record of inspections, repairs and maintenance with dates. Kept where the vehicle is housed or maintained for a year, and six months after it leaves your control.
- 49 CFR 396.5 and 396.7Vehicles properly lubricated and free of oil and grease leaks, and not operated in a condition likely to cause an accident or breakdown.
- 49 CFR 396.11 and 396.13Driver vehicle inspection reports and the driver's pre-trip.
- ANSI/SAIA A92.2Maintenance and its frequency are the owner's call, following the manufacturer, and critical welds and components follow the manufacturer's procedure.Editions we have read. Check the current edition.
- OSHA 1910.269(p) and 1926.959A thorough visual inspection of the critical safety components of mechanical elevating and rotating equipment before use on each shift.
- Maker's manuals and bulletinsEngine, chassis, aerial and crane makers set the intervals and fluids. Owners should comply with safety bulletins from the manufacturer.
The route
How a job goes with Convoy
We come to your yard, and we keep the schedule so you do not have to.
Walk the fleet list
Every unit, with make, model, engine and equipment. Hours and miles if you have them.
Build the plan
A service plan for each unit from its manuals, with severe-service intervals where the duty calls for it.
Crews come to you
Rotating through the yard on the plan. Several trucks per visit, so you pay for one trip.
Findings and next date
Each service sheet lists what was done and what was found, ranked. Due dates reset by miles, hours or date.
The paperwork
What you get back
One sheet per unit, per visit.
- Unit number, date, and hours and miles at service
- Each item serviced, checked or replaced
- Fluids and filters used, with part numbers and amounts
- Measurements: tread depth by position, lining thickness, pushrod stroke where taken
- Findings ranked: fix now, schedule, or watch, with photos if the crew can take them
- Anything that needs a separate job, such as a repair or a dielectric test
- Next service due, by hours, miles or date
- A record in the shape 396.3 asks a carrier to keep
Keep each unit's sheets together, at least a year, and six months past the date you let the vehicle go (49 CFR 396.3).
Straight answers
Questions we get
Good questions to ask any crew.
Miles or hours?
Both. Use whichever the maker lists, and watch the one that is closer. Trucks that spend a lot of time idling or running a PTO collect engine hours faster than miles. Maker schedules usually have a severe-service version for that.
Is there a required PM interval?
Not a fixed one. The federal rule is that vehicles are systematically inspected, repaired and maintained, kept in safe and proper operating condition at all times, with records. The interval comes from the maker and your own duty cycle.
Does PM keep my warranty?
Read your warranty. Many ask for documented service done to the maker's schedule. We follow the maker's intervals and keep the sheets so you have proof.
Can PM and the DOT annual be one visit?
Yes, and it saves a trip. Brakes, tires and lights get looked at both times, so the annual is easier when PM was done recently. See DOT annual inspections.
Do you handle the bucket and the boom too?
The hydraulic and lubrication items, yes, as the maker lists them. The formal periodic inspection is a separate job. See ANSI aerial lift and crane inspections.
Need preventive maintenance? Get a quote.
Tell us what you run and where it sits. We come back with a price and a plan. A rough list is fine.