Trailer Maintenance

Trailer Maintenance Policies and Procedures

General Maintenance *

1.  Unless special terms have been included in your lease, our rates include major maintenance.

2.  Major maintenance includes all preventative maintenance, federal inspections, road service and all normal wear repairs including parts and labor.  Items not covered by Southwest Trailer Leasing and are the customer’s financial responsibility include any physical damages, flat tire repairs, brakes locked up due to cold weather, and all mudflap replacements.  Also, all light bulb replacements and brake adjustments between PMs will be done at the customer’s expense.  The customer is further liable for maintaining proper fluid levels and tire pressures between PM services.

3.  In order to maintain the equipment to proper standards, trailers must be made available for routine P.M. service every 90 – 120 days.  Trailers due for service are identified monthly by letter.  Arrangements should be made with our service department to either schedule your trailers through our garage or have one of our service trucks service your equipment on site.  Preventative maintenance is included in your rental rates.  Failure to make trailers available for routine service may result in us denying credit for future repairs.
Local Emergency Service

4. Whenever you experience a local breakdown after hours and it cannot wait until the next business day, remember our local telephone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  A Southwest Trailer Leasing Company representative will respond to your local breakdown and as a general rule, have you back on the road again within two hours.
Over-the-Road Emergency Service

5.  Southwest Trailer Leasing provides a 24-hour Emergency Road Assist service in the US.  Service is not available in Mexico.  Service is requested by calling the toll-free number listed on the nose of every trailer.  Please instruct your driver to have the following information before calling in a breakdown:

* Southwest Trailer Leasing trailer unit number and current hubometer reading

* Exact location of the breakdown and the telephone number that the driver is calling from or where he can be reached

* Exact nature of the problem.  If it is tire related, the exact size, wheel type, and position (i.e. 295/75R x 22.5, budd wheel, and right front outside tire.)

Having this information will help avoid confusion and will insure the fastest response at a time when emergency road assistance is vital to your company’s success.

6. Whenever a tire replacement is necessary, please instruct your driver to keep the off-tire.  Any tire replacement expense will be invoiced back to you if tire casings have not been returned to us.

7. After we have received the off-tire casing and determined the exact nature of the failure, Southwest Trailer Leasing Company will do one of two things.
a.  If we determine the tire failed through no fault of your company’s driver and / or your type of operation, Southwest Trailer Leasing will pay 100% of any related tire expense.

b.  If we determine the tire failed though your driver’s abuse and / or your type of operation, Southwest Trailer Leasing Company will pro-rate the tire and send your company an invoice representing this amount plus 100% of any related service charges.  In this event, your company will be notified prior to any tire-related invoice being sent.

* Tire casings must be returned before Southwest Trailer Leasing Company will pay 100% of any tire replacement costs.

*Standard Maintenance of .03 per mile

*Net/Net, Customer pays no maintenance and replace tires at cost

© Southwest Trailer Leasing Corp. 2004 All rights reserved.