Keep on running with regular maintenance: maintenance of buses and trucks is a very different operation from car repairs, and should only be entrusted to a specialist. Many fleet operators in Africa choose to do the work in house; others opt for contract maintenance.(Commercial Vehicles)

WHICHEVER SERVICING AND repair option is chosen owners and operators of heavy trucks and buses are always responsible in law for the mechanical condition of their vehicles. So all maintenance work must be inspected; no administration in Africa will allow blame to be passed on to the repairer. Owners need to keep the records of this work personally, too.

Heavy vehicle maintenance comes into different categories: regular servicing at specified intervals of time or distance covered maintains the warranty, ensures the vehicle is always available for duty and increases its working life. Some suppliers in Africa usefully provide a service schedule adapted to the customer's circumstances, particularly the proportion of operating time spent on unsealed roads. Apart from daily 'running' checks (oil levels, tyre pressures, trailer coupling etc) a …