Tristan Wiggill speaks to Jim Campbell about a topic that is often overlooked in South Africa – trailer servicing.

Trailer servicing is a job often disregarded in South Africa. Why do you think this is the case?

JC While the truck has a higher capital cost and is seen to be the money earner, the trailer is considered to be the poor relation and is often ignored when it comes to maintenance. This is especially true where the truck is on a maintenance contract with the OEM franchise holder. My past experience is that the maintenance costs for a trailer was about 25% of that for the truck tractor, but that may be even lower now as truck tractors get more sophisticated.

Why is it important to service a trailer?
As with any piece of equipment, vehicles included, regular maintenance is important to keep the equipment running at optimum performance and to avoid component failure. Frequency of inspection is determined by the type of operation. It follows that off-road equipment should be serviced at shorter intervals than on-road, long-distance vehicles.

What exactly needs to be serviced on a trailer?
On standard trailers, one important requirement is for regular lubrication of moving parts, such as brake S-cam bushes to avoid seizure and the subsequent binding of brakes. This is a common problem where maintenance is generally lacking. Wear in foundation brakes is unavoidable. The checking of brake lining thickness and brake drum wear is important. Other servicing requirements would depend on what equipment is fitted to the trailer.

How does an operator benefit from regularly servicing a trailer?
As stated above, regular inspection and relatively low-cost maintenance can avoid subsequent major cost failures. For example, neglect in lubricating brake components can lead to a major brake overhaul or, worse still, brake failure on the road, which may result in a major accident.

How does one know when to service a trailer?
This depends on manufacturers’ instructions, but experience also comes into play. In any substantial workshop facility, skilled workers and management are important.

Are there service plans available?
Most trailer manufacturers supply basic maintenance instructions when a new trailer is delivered and, depending on the complexity of the trailer, may include more specialised information on components such as pumps, hydraulic equipment, and so on, if fitted.

How long does it take to service a trailer?
There is no standard time for this as it depends on the amount of work required, but most workshops should use standard inspection and job sheets that include standard times that have been developed over time.

What are the possible outcomes of not servicing a trailer?

Summarising what is shown above:

• major and costly failures
• unscheduled breakdowns, leading to trailer downtime and loss of revenue
• regular breakdowns could lead to loss of a contract
• unroadworthiness, leading to traffic fines.