Service your truck to prevent road accidents

In April 2019, in Bukoto, Kampala, a truck rammed into approximately seven other vehicles at the Kiira Road traffic lights junction. According to traffic police, the truck had experienced brake failure as it descended down the hilly terrain from Bukoto, ramming into vehicles held by traffic lights. The incident left approximately 16 people injured.

Similarly, on November 7, last year, another truck, loaded with aggregate stones, also experienced brake failure and its driver lost control at the Kiwatule Road junction, a Kampala suburb, and rammed into vehicles that were held in the morning traffic jam.

Fortunately, there were no registered deaths but the incident left a number of people with serious injuries and vehicles damaged.

Had the trucks involved in the two incidents been well maintained by the owners or drivers, there would probably have been no crashes and injuries caused.

Charles Ssebambulidde, the spokesperson of the traffic directorate, says trucks cause road accidents but that they are minimal and not as worrying as commuter taxis, buses and motorcycles.
In towns or built up areas, they normally lose control. This could be as a result of brake failure as was the case in the Bukoto or Kira road incident or overloading, among other factors.

Highway truck breakdowns
On highways, Ssebambulidde says the biggest risk with trucks is constant breakdown, especially at night. The drivers or owners at times have no contingent plans to remove the trucks from the road for traffic continuity.

“It is your duty as a truck owner or driver to remove any vehicle that has broken down as soon as possible. If you do not remove it, traffic police will remove the vehicle at your own expense. In case anything happens when traffic has taken due diligence to remove your vehicle from the road, we are not responsible for anything because you failed to remove it yourself,” Ssebambulidde warns.

For instance, many of the accidents that happen involving buses and small vehicles on Bombo Road, Ssebambulidde says, are mainly due to stationary broken down trucks. This is because some motorists of small vehicles drive with dim lights at night and ram into these broken down trucks.
Ramming into a stationary vehicle is similar to a head- on collision. It is always disastrous and fatal.

Lubricants and spare parts
Alex Tusingwire, the brand manager, lubricants at Vivo Energy Uganda, says truck servicing requirements depend on the age of the truck engine, the make, and the conditions in which the truck operates. This mainly lies in using high quality lubricants coupled with quality service parts.

Tusingwire advises that if you are to reduce the total cost of ownership on your truck fleets, you need to take time to understand the product specifications in relation to your fleet to apply the best lubricants for your trucks.

“With truck lubricant usage and selection, if you do not take time to understand oil product specifications for application to your truck fleet and only look at the price tag on the lubricant as opposed to the value the lubricant delivers, your trucks will break down more often. You will eventually spend more money in maintenance costs on top of high fuel consumption,” Tusingwire explains.

He adds that using high quality lubricants and quality service parts will ensure you extend your truck’s engine life.

Lubricants and road safety
Like saloon and sport utility vehicles and pick-ups, an engine is the heart of every truck and the lubricant is the blood that sustains it. It is nearly impossible to have a well-maintained truck without good quality lubricant. A well-maintained and serviced truck will have lower breakdowns, longer engine life and lower operation costs.

“Truck fleet owners and operators do not take caution when choosing which lubricant to use. If you use poor quality lubricants, you will have more in-transit breakdowns. It is such breakdowns that impact other road users through collisions with static trucks, especially during night time when visibility is compromised,” Alex Tusingwire, the brand manager, lubricants at Vivo Energy Uganda, says.