Automotive Maintenance

Check "The Technology and Maintenance Council", an arm of the American Trucking Association. They have developed and continue to develop RP's (Recommended Practices) for maintenance of trucks. This organization is made up of trucker and truck vendor members, in excess of 3000.

They maintain more than a specific dozen topic areas of maintenance and bring together members who volunteer for task force projects and committees.

It is a very good organization. While it professes to be 100% absent of any political influence, within the organization there is constant political jockying.

But what they do is great and the service they provide is unmatched in the USA. If you read one of their RP guidelines for trucking matinenance, you can be sure it is the best and most advanced information available. And it is tested, proven and documented.

http://www.truckline.com/aboutata/councils/tmc

Steve

If you have any brand names or models then their manufacturer will have a whole Service department set up to produce after sales reccommendations.

I have run a fleet of cars and vans and light tucks - up to 7.5 tonnes - as a rental fleet for many years.

The best information came from Mercedes who provide service data for normal and arduous use in Miles Kilometres and hours. Their oils requirements are very strict. We use a very high specification oil for every part - engine gearbox axle, brake fluid, and change them all in accordance with Mercedes specification sheets. Apart from that we reduced invasive ( strip and rebuild) inspection services to a minimum as taking it apart to inspect was generally making reliability worse.