Discover five essential maintenance checks fleet managers should make before winter, from monitoring oil consumption and coolant condition to using oil analysis to reduce unexpected downtime.
Fall is the ideal time to identify vehicles that are consuming oil at an abnormal rate or requiring more frequent top-ups than the rest of the fleet.
Excessive oil consumption can indicate:
The goal is not to repair every truck before winter, but rather to identify vehicles behaving outside the norm and address potential issues before they lead to costly downtime during peak season.
Many fleets routinely monitor coolant levels, but few verify the condition of the coolant itself.
Over time, the additives that protect against corrosion and cavitation become depleted. As a result, a cooling system may appear to be in good condition while its protective properties have already diminished.
The repeated freeze-thaw cycles that come with winter can then increase the risk of cooling system failures and unexpected downtime.
Two trucks in the same fleet may have identical mileage while being exposed to completely different operating conditions.
An urban vehicle that starts and stops 8 to 10 times a day in cold weather experiences significantly more wear than a long-haul truck that remains on the road for hours at a time.
Before winter arrives, it is worthwhile to segment your fleet based on operating profiles and tailor maintenance strategies accordingly.
Lubricant selection can also play an important role under these conditions. Designed to deliver outstanding protection during cold starts and under heavy loads, TotalEnergies Rubia lubricants help protect critical engine components while promoting engine cleanliness and long-term equipment durability.
Winter breakdowns are often caused by something other than the engine itself, such as:
When a truck breaks down in the middle of winter, warning signs are often present weeks or even months beforehand. The challenge is identifying them before they become a mechanical failure.
Oil analysis provides a clear picture of the health of an engine, transmission, or any other lubricated component. The presence of wear metals, contaminants, or degradation by-products can uncover developing issues long before they impact vehicle performance.
That is why TotalEnergies offers an oil analysis service that helps fleet managers better understand the condition of their equipment and make more informed maintenance decisions. By leveraging oil analysis results, fleets can identify wear trends, schedule maintenance proactively, and reduce the risk of unexpected downtime.
As winter approaches, this type of analysis can be particularly valuable for heavily utilized vehicles or equipment nearing a critical maintenance interval.
For fleet managers, the objective is not simply to determine whether the lubricant is still performing properly. It is to gain an additional tool for protecting assets, optimizing maintenance planning, and keeping vehicles on the road.
