MAINTENANCE economy is seldom a realization unless sufficient consideration has been given to the major factors entering into the cause for maintenance.
The expenditures necessary to correct normal wear conditions often represent a very small portion of the total maintenance cost. The operator is presented too frequently with the problem necessitating design corrections before the truck has operated many thousand miles. The responsibility for failures of this nature may rest with either the purchaser or the manufacturer.
The purchaser may, due to insufficient thought having been given to the contemplated assignment of the truck, misinform the manufacturer as to the load to be carried or the terrain to be traversed; or his appropriation for purchase may be insufficient for a suitable piece of equipment.
The manufacturer, on the other hand, may accept the order, knowing that he cannot furnish suitable equipment. Also, he often resorts to the use of obsolete parts, knowing that it will be necessary for the operator to make replacement at an early point in the operating life of the truck.
The maintenance of a fleet of large trucks is resolved into a reasonably simple procedure where the drivers are well trained, where the lubrication is systematic and thorough, and where the equipment is constructed in proportion to the delivery problem.