Two very different kinds of mile
A commercial vehicle working out of Loughborough can spend its day in two quite different ways. One truck leaves early, joins the M1 at junction 23 and covers long, steady miles. Another rarely strays far from the A6004, working round the ring road, through the roundabouts and in and out of the town centre and the estates at Shelthorpe, Thorpe Acre and Dishley. Both might show a similar figure on the odometer at the end of the year, but they will not have worn the same way.
That is why the manufacturer's schedule is our starting point rather than the whole story. It sets the first interval, by distance, hours or time, whichever comes first. Stop-start town work, heavy loads, site work and long spells of idling eat into brakes, clutches, filters and fluids faster than motorway running, so we adjust the plan for each vehicle and catch worn parts while they are still bolted on rather than on the hard shoulder.
Inside the service
On the ramp we change the oil, filters and fluids and look over the belts, hoses and cooling, the brakes and air system, steering, suspension and wheels, the lights, wiring and charging, and the clutch and gearbox. Anything wearing but not yet urgent goes on the report as an advisory, with a straight view on how long it can wait, so you can budget for it instead of discovering it.
One trip, not two
Most Loughborough operators have PMI safety inspections to fit in as well. When the two fall close together we line them up, so the vehicle makes one journey to Melbourne and comes back serviced, inspected and signed off. For a vehicle that earns every weekday, avoiding a second day off the road is worth planning for.
Before the seasons turn
Autumn is the moment to look at batteries, starter motors, charging and lights, because the first cold mornings find every weak one. Before summer, cooling systems and air conditioning deserve the same attention. A planned service is the natural time to do both.
The whole fleet, one workshop
Coaches and minibuses go up on the same lifts as the trucks, along with specialist and emergency-service vehicles, so a mixed fleet can be maintained in one place.
Booking
Ring 01332 916028 with the vehicle, its mileage or hours and when the service is due. The workshop at Calke Mill Farm, Ashby Road, Melbourne takes planned work Monday to Friday, 07:30 to 17:00. If something changes between services, such as a warning light, air pressure slow to build or fluid levels dropping, ring before the due date rather than waiting for it.
