Lawn Care Fleet Maintenance: Ensuring Your Trucks and Truck Ramps Are Road-Ready
Lawncare is a big business. Property owners have a need to keep their small corner of the world trimmed and maintained with mowing, pruning, treatment, and much more. For lawncare service providers, this means there’s a lot of work to do, and plenty of equipment needed to get it done. Lawnmowers, weedwhackers, hedge trimmers, and the like are vital to building a happy customer base, but there’s another important aspect to your success: transportation. Unless you plan on driving your lawnmower to every customer’s property, trucks and
truck ramps are a necessity. We’ve already discussed why ramps are a better option than trailers, but there is still TLC required to make sure they’re in working order. In this blog, we’ll go over the steps needed to care for your landscaping truck and its accessories. That means inspections, safety checks, proper procedures, and crew training. Ready to learn the vital steps for a proper lawn care truck setup?
Conducting a Pre-Season Truck Inspection
Chances are you don’t have nearly as much lawn-related work right now as you do in the spring, summer, or even fall—though it’s not nonexistent. That means it’s a perfect time to make sure everything is in working order. After all, noticing an issue when you show up to your first mow of the season isn’t a great momentum builder. We advise you to conduct a thorough inspection of your lawn care truck fleet in this down time—including your Ramp Rack. This can help prevent costly repairs and delays. Here are the key areas you should assess:
- Tires, Brakes, and Fluid Levels: Pay attention to tire pressure and tread wear. We know buying new tires isn’t cheap, per se, but you’ll wish you had if you experience a blowout. Additionally, make sure brake pads and rotors are in good condition. Finally, top off the necessary fluids—oil, coolant, and transmission fluid.
- Lights, Signals, and Mirrors: Make sure all your lights—brake lights, headlights, turn signals, etc.—are in working order. Adjust the mirrors on each landscaping truck according to its driver’s preferences.
- Registration, Insurance, and Permits: Proper documentation is essential for all drivers, but especially businesses. An issue with registration or any other document can disrupt your work and impose penalties.
Maintenance and Safety Checks of Truck Ramps
Your Ramp Rack plays a vital role in loading and unloading the equipment that allows you to provide lawn service. It’s a durable piece of equipment, but it’s still a good idea to inspect it regularly. This goes for any truck ramps, not just ours. Here’s how you can care for it:
- Damage Inspection: The Ramp Rack is built to last, however we do know that things can happen when equipment is being used in the field. It is important to periodically check your maintenance items (lift assist springs) along with weldments and finishes on your Ramp Rack.
- Lubrication and Weight Capacity: Applying lubricant to your Ramp Rack will help keep things running smoothly and increase its longevity. These areas may include the self locking handles, hitch weldments, jack and more. While the Ramp Rack has a high weight capacity, it is important to always know what your equipment weights as well as your trucks individual payload capacity to make sure it is not overloaded.
- Proper Attachment: It’s important to periodically check all hardware & pins on your Ramp Rack to ensure things are safe and firmly in place. We recommend using lock-tite during installation to help prevent any hardware from becoming loose.
Regular Maintenance Schedule for a Trouble-Free Season
Lawn care truck fleet upkeep relies heavily on consistency. Coming up with (and sticking to) a structured maintenance schedule will help you avoid issues with the condition of not just the vehicles, but your Ramps Racks and other accessories, as well. Determine essential tasks like checking tire pressure and fluid levels, and make a weekly and monthly maintenance checklist.
But we know inspections won’t always cut it. It’s important to also incorporate tire rotations, oil changes, and brake tests into your routine, as well. If you want to be extra diligent, be sure to equip each landscaping truck with spare parts and emergency toolkits. While you’re at it, include a first aid kit, because those are always good to have on hand!
Training Your Crew on Safe Loading and Unloading
One of the best things about The Ramp Rack is the ease it provides in loading and unloading heavy equipment. With that in mind, your team still needs to know how to do it while maintaining safety. Educate them on best practices to maximize safety and efficiency.
- Proper Use of Truck Ramps: Instruct your team not to rush. Walk, don’t run, when using The Ramp Rack, and take a slow and steady approach.
- Weight Distribution Tips: Distribute weight evenly in the truck to ensure stability in transit.
- Daily Inspections: Begin each day with a check of your ramps and your trucks to catch any potential issues.
Optimize Your Lawn Care Truck Setup
Taking the time to perform vital maintenance tasks and inspections is key to the smooth operation of your landscaping business. It can reduce downtime, boost productivity, and maximize safety during the transportation process. Truck ramps are a great tool for transporting your equipment, and The Ramp Rack stands above them all. If you want to streamline your operations with a durable, intuitive lawn care truck attachment, contact us immediately! We can get you set up with a solution that gives your operations a healthy boost.
