We often discuss reliability issue for cars. But how does HGV reliability issues compare with that of cars? Are HGVs more reliable and long lasting than cars doing same mileage?
We tend to say nowadays that after 7 years, fixing a car is often not economical. How does it apply for HGVs?
I understand that all HGVs use diesel engines - so probably petrol vs diesel issue won't arise.
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I would have thought HGV engines would be more solidly built, due to the higher mileges they cover compared to an everyday car.
Many HGV's are used 24/7 especially those on supermarket or trunking work, in a space of 5 years they can cover about a million miles!
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In addition they are probably serviced by the book and the drivers know what they are doing. At least 50% of car drivers I have sat with torture their engines and gearboxes.
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It really depends, Reliability can be measured in diferent ways. i.e. is it a minor fault that is a pain in the butt bit oterwise not an issue, or is it one that will keep it off the road?
Most makes have the former, various warning lights coming on for no good reason. Iveco's seems to have more then their fair share of problems with this - very rarely did I ever get into an Iveco without some or other warning light being on!!!!! (It Vibrates Everything Comes Off)
Bit otehr makes have their own fair share, some of the Renault Premiums used to have a fault with the air suspension where by if you turned the ignition off then back on within 20sec. then it would wipe the ecu for the air suspension and put it into "Limp Home Mode". This was a dangerous fault as the air suspension basically felt like it had concrete blocks instead of air bags!!!
As for actual breakdowns, I think I had 2 in 8 years of being on the road in trucks, my company cars have broken down more often in less miles.
So, faults that keep a truck (or should do) off the road are quite regular (abs warning light will keep a truck off the road until it is fixed), but physical breakdowns that force a truck to stop on the hard shoulder etc are much less common.
As for the 7 year question, like cars, some will happily pay and pay to keep a truck roadworthy, others will just trade it in for a newer one - horses for courses.
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HGV drivers are taught to use the engines torque characteristics and the minimum amount of revs as possible to save fuel, engine, gears, and vehicle longevity. Your average car/van driver often does the exact opposite, that's one of the reasons.
The other reason is lorries are built for heavy duty work and their components and fluids reflect this, for example, oil change interval 150,000 Km. Also a typical Euro 5 engine will consume up to 5% less diesel compared with a Euro 3 engine.
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I wonder how many HGV drivers have clutch, flywheel, gearbox, turbo bearing trouble on their own cars? Bet its almost unheard of.
Regards
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I wonder how many HGV drivers have clutch flywheel gearbox turbo bearing trouble on their own cars? Bet its almost unheard of.
I only run auto's Oilrag, and its been my observation that some of the most experienced truck drivers are some of the most impatient car drivers, but don't tell anyone we like to trot that old professional bit out now and again.
And i freely admit to being an awful car driver.
So far no problems that you mention, but purely luck i assure you.
Talking of turbo's it seems we have to baby car turbo's to keep them together, but in 30 odd years of driving trucks i have never known a truck turbo to need replacing, and not all drivers treat them well i assure you.
All the best.
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HGV drivers are taught to use the engines torque characteristics and the minimum amount of revs as possible to save fuel engine gears and vehicle longevity.
Is that that little dial you see on modern coaches which as red and green zones for driving the most economically? Shame there isn't something like it for cars...
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Is that that little dial you see on modern coaches which as red and green zones for driving the most economically? Shame there isn't something like it for cars...
Actually I did have a Toyota somethingorother courtesy car once which had a little warning light which lit up if you were driving uneconomically.
I found it counter-productive, as it was too hard to resist attempting to keep the light on for as much of the journey as possible. It was the nearest thing to fun you could have in what was a terrible, terrible car.
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I suspect that many HGVs have the edge on reliability because they will be maintained more regularly and not have essential repairs put off until 'next month'.
As an aside - do any HGVs use dual-mass flywheels?
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do any HGVs use dual-mass flywheels?
Tee hee RaineMan...
In 1961 I got a 700 mile lift in a big Unic truck down through France. It had eight or twelve forward speeds, with a little gate and lever stuck out of the steering column and the changes done by pneumatics, with an agreeable hiss. The engine was huge and slow-revving, unlike the little five-litre screamers in British HGVs at the time, and stuck out in front of the very comfortable and roomy cab instead of causing NVH in spades, plus heat welcome only in winter, in the middle of the cab. It cruised fast and quietly, and was a total revelation after the carp in this country.
Addendum: the driver was a Communist and a thoroughly good chap in a sour Froggy way. He ate three dozen oysters when we reached the Mediterranean. I knackered myself helping top unload some paper to a printer in Narbonne.
Edited by Lud on 28/04/2008 at 19:47
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This was one of the revelations we experienced with my father fleet. The first Mercs on his fleet were P reg, 1976. These trucks were bought to replace six wheeler AEC Mercurys. We soon found out how much better the Mercs were. Jobs which were routine suddnely became rare - punctured brake diaphragms, broken leaf springs, spring shackles, king pins. Joy of joys, the Mercs were also fitted with automatic brake slack adjusters! Escape from the dreary regularity of Lucas DPA injector pump shaft failures was also welcomed.
That there are no remnants of the British truck industry is no surprise at all to me.
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Yes i'd agree trucks generally very reliable, including most of my British trucks, which contrary to others opinions became just as good as any during the 80's and 90's.
IMO the dealer back up usually let the British side down, no change there then, whereas Swedish truck dealers in particular got their parts and 24hr servicing sorted, the Brit dealers were still running away from proper service, and its cost us all dear.
The problems on trucks now are usually electrical, not surprising really, to my knowledge most of the breakdowns i know of over the last 5 years have all been caused by poor servicing and inspections..eg fan belts breaking, erratic starters finally giving up, my sons (ex company) he had worn brakes go over the adjuster almost causing fire. (there are still one or two about like that). I luckily havent had a breakdown apart from pipe bursts for about 5 years (i'm going to regret that).
We have a tremendous amount of hydraulics on the car transporters, hundreds of yards of pipes and air lines and these can blow frequently.
Thank goodness though that we can't usually get near the car pumps though, might be some sackings in order if we misfuelled 400 litres of petrol.
If a truck had breakdown 20 years ago, a proper driver (usually) would speak to the mechanic and tell him roughly what the problem was and said mechanic would turn up in beaten up transit, and fix the problem and away.
If a truck breaks down now, steering wheel attendent will ring call centre who will, having ticked lots of boxes (having no mechanical knowledge whatsoever), allocate a garage service who will send a fitter who, after eventually finding said breakdown miles from where it was supposed to be, will say ''its got to go on the laptop mate'' who will then clear off and send out a monstrous wrecker to tow the thing in to the workshop.
I shall not comment on whether our driving standards are good enough.
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I was driving a Daf CF 380 on Monday,on a 'W' plate,with 992500kms on the clock,and it ran as sweet as a nut.
Bodily wise,it was in extremely good condition.
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Am I right in believing that most modern truck engines run unit injecters like the VAG PD car engines rather than common rail. Looking at other threads and running a VAG PD with no probs, is it a more reliable technology?
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The current MAN range of heavy trucks,are now running common rail.
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New HGVs now have extremely high pressure common rail injection systems, 2400 bar for example, to squeeze as much mpg out of the diesel as possible and to comply with Euro 5 regulations. Hence, there is still scope to improve on car diesel engine efficiency and hopefully the reliability will be as solid as the HGVs.
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