In the shop and on the road, maintenance staff and drivers should work together to avoid wheel-end issues and reduce downtime

North America's truck drivers log countless hours a year crisscrossing the continent, delivering loads safely and on schedule. However, maintenance issues involving wheel ends can occasionally lead to costly delays and potential safety risks.

The National Transportation Safety Board estimates that anywhere from 750 to 1,050 wheel separations occur annually. While that's a small percentage compared to the number of trucks and trips on the road each year, it's a worst case scenario and it's too many for something that is preventable. Here are a few recommendations for your maintenance checklist to help you strive to avoid this and all the other wheel-end issues that, while less severe, can still mean time out-of-service for trucks in your fleet.