Rust is a kind of cancer that steadily eats away at your rig. If ignored, it will cause equipment failure and weaken critical safety structures such as the under-ride guard. Corrosion occurs when salts (of different kinds) and water act on unprotected parts of your commercial or owner operator truck.
You don’t have to drive on the salt treated roads in the snow-belt states to suffer from this problem. Warm humid air near the ocean in southern states will cause a corrosion problem. Fine ocean spray evaporates and leaves microscopic salt particles drifting in the humid air that combines with dew on your rig. How do you prevent corrosion? These seven suggestions will help:
- Don’t park your rig overnight near the ocean. Dew occurs during the cooler overnight and early morning hours, especially during the winter. Put as many miles as you can between your truck and the coast when choosing an overnight rest area.
- Use a protective coating. These include an electro coat that uses electricity to apply paint or a coating, a phosphating coat application, and a powder coating that is electrostatically applied and then cured.
- Reapply protective coatings. Always reapply protective coatings when they are damaged by maintenance and other work, road debris, sand, or gravel. Preventing rust is like preventing leaks. It only takes one damaged spot to have a problem.
- Thoroughly wash your commercial or owner operator truck. A salt film will remain until it’s washed off. Periodically wash the entire rig including its underside.
- Make frequent inspections for rust. Identify rust early with frequent inspections. Focus especially on the underside.
- Maintain your mud flaps when driving on treated roads. This is a problem during the winter months when driving through the snow belt states. Mud flaps limit road spray that contains salt. Thoroughly wash your truck after returning from these trips.
- Choose corrosion resistant materials when buying a truck. Stainless steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and composites resist corrosion. Be careful of galvanic corrosion that occurs when two dissimilar metals contact each other.
If you have questions or are looking for affordable Florida rig insurance, give us a call at J.E.B. Insurance Services, LLC. Contact us today.
