Benefits of Regular Truck & Trailer Alignment
Heavy-duty trucks often pull trailers across rough terrain, which makes their wheels particularly prone to alignment issues. Along with potholes and curbs, other obstacles that trucks may drive over include uneven ground, pebbles, and trash. There are many advantages of having a wheel alignment done on your truck and trailer’s wheels. Continue to read, and we will share some of the most prominent benefits you can get from regular truck and trailer alignment.
You can enjoy a more pleasant driving experience
First, a correctly aligned set of wheels on your truck and trailer makes for a more enjoyable drive. The misaligned wheel or wheels may cause your truck to lean to one side. While driving, you must continually adjust the steering wheel to make up for this. If the alignment is correct, there won't be any side drift, and you won't need to make up for it, thus decreasing operator fatigue.
While you'll enjoy this advantage on every trip, it stands out more on lengthy ones. Long travels soon become unpleasant when you must keep switching the steering wheel because your truck or trailer is tugging.
Improve your fuel efficiency
Second, getting an alignment can help you save money on fuel. The amount you may save will depend on the kind of truck you drive, how frequent you drive and the type of loads you’re hauling in your trailer.
Misaligned tires drag somewhat on the road rather than rolling smoothly as intended. Up to 10% of fuel efficiency is lost due to this impact. This amount is evident in any vehicle, but while driving a truck and trailer, it becomes more noticeable since trucks often have worse fuel economy than many other models from the outset.
Decrease tire replacement costs
It’s no surprise that the drag brought on by a misalignment causes uneven wear on your truck & trailer’s tires, thus shortening their lifespan. You may need to buy tires more often than you would normally since even a minor drag from misalignment might result in uneven and excessive wear.
Again, this is a cost that every vehicle owner can understand, but it stands out more if you drive a truck and trailer. When you’re looking at changing 18 wheels instead of 4, this cost can quickly add up. It is a sensible investment to have a service performed that will decrease how often you purchase new truck and trailer tires since it will minimize your total expenditures.
Prevent more costly repairs
Fourth, the suspension parts of your truck and trailer are impacted by the wheel alignment. Struts, shocks, and other suspension components are more prone to sustain damage and need replacement when the alignment is incorrect.
Maintaining safety
The last and most crucial point is that keeping a safe truck requires having properly aligned tires. The suspension has an influence on steering, which might damage your truck's control when you're driving. When traveling at a fast speed, the impact and risk are more obvious; hitting another truck, a fixed object, or an animal is particularly perilous.
Final words
When the wheels on your truck and trailer are out of alignment, many other components are at risk. It is worth your time to get your truck and trailer booked for regular maintenance services to ensure proper alignment.