This is the first of a two-part series that looks at the maintenance challenges presented by parking a truck for a long period of time. Part two will cover batteries, electrical and brakes.
With rates and freight volumes both currently sitting at historically low levels, nearly 30% of respondents to a CCJ survey that measures the coronavirus’ impact on motor carriers said they have reduced driver count.
With no one sitting behind their steering wheels, many fleets are parking some units until trucking conditions improve. But there’s more to mothballing a unit than simply pulling the air brake and turning off the ignition if the tractor is to return to service in mechanically sound condition.
As long as the cooling system is full and has been well-maintained, it should be fine for long-term storage, said Jami Melani, field engineering/heavy-duty technical services manager for BP/Castrol. However, engine oil will continue to degrade even if the engine isn’t running.
“Oxidation continues, water may continue to condense inside the engine, and so on,” he said.
Oil also will settle to the lowest point in the crankcase and rob the engine’s upper parts of lubrication.
“When the equipment is running, it’s splashing the oil around and coating the internal surfaces,” said Stede Granger, technical services manager for Shell Lubricants. “When it’s parked, it’s going to find the lowest point and drip off all the upper surfaces. When you run it, you get new oil up there — in the liners and crosshatches, in your rings and all that. It does a lot of good to run that engine.”
