I always advise new drivers with new trailers to do some preventive upkeep on their trailers to keep your hotshot truck looking great. Treat your wood decks with stain, Sealant, or as some do, with old oil. Wax the metal surfaces with a good coat because it will make it easier to stay clean. I wish I had done a better job cleaning my hotshot truck early on because it doesn’t take long to trash them.
Last weekend I power washed my trailer, touched up the paint with a few cans of paint and stained the deck with cedar fence stain, the same I use on my fences at home. The result was better than I expected. I had just spent thousands of dollars rebuilding the axles, hubs, brakes and wiring so why not make it look like what I have invested.
If you look real close you can see the steel rollers I added last year to keep my Mega ramps from tearing up. It was the best idea I have had in a minute. It work perfectly. Nothing feels better than driving down the road to my customers and pick-ups in a fresh looking truck and trailer. Keeping your hotshot truck looking great reflects on you as a person, a business and most of all representing the Hotshot Trucking Nation.
I went to my drop off location this week and I was asked if this was a new trailer. A few weeks ago it was a mess. I have a cb in my truck and a trucker hollered “Hey Texlink, you got your ears on?” I replied yes, He said “Hey man, you have a nice set-up”, that has never happened before.
I paid this trailer off three months ago and it gives me great pride. It is my office, my shop and my business. It makes me money. Now, even though it looks pretty, this won’t last long. There is always a job of retouching and upkeep. The real secret is to keep the axles, brakes, hubs, seals, racers, wheels, wiring and lights all mechanically sound. That is very important to success and survival.If you have read my book, posts, and advice, my motto, Run your business, like a business.
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