Top Choice Amongst Commercial Vehicle Garages in Essex | Hales Commercial

We’ve well and truly entered winter, with temperatures beginning to dip beyond “it’s a bit chilly” territory. This change in seasons brings with it a number of challenges that commercial vehicle owners need to take into account. At Hales Commercial in Romford, Essex, we help overcome these challenges by providing a range of proactive and reactive services. In the former camp, commercial vehicle servicing and van MOTs, in the latter camp, light commercial vehicle repairs. So whatever the size of your fleet, consider using us over other commercial vehicle garages and benefit from top quality mechanical expertise, at distinctly competitive prices.

The subject of our inaugural blog is winter driving and its risks, so you can be prepared and minimise any risk of breakdown or road accident. If you’ve stumbled across this page searching for commercial vehicle garages in Essex, you may be more interested in booking in a visit with the Hales team. If that’s the case, pick up the phone and call 01708 725 013. We can also answer any questions you might have surrounding van MOTs, light commercial vehicle repairs and commercial vehicle servicing.

Driving in Winter – 3 Things to Consider

Battery – Cold weather can put strain upon a car battery, as can continuously using air conditioning or windshield heaters to deal with effects on your view of the road, or a chilly vehicle temperature. This is why most commercial vehicle garages – including our own in Essex – recommend that clients have their battery checked over by a mechanic before any busy period of business heading into winter. Batteries are also checked during run of the mill commercial vehicle servicing and van MOTs, should you have one due before the change of seasons.

Tyres – Icy roads can dramatically increase stopping distances, especially if you’re driving with a heavy load. For this reason, it’s important you ensure your tyres have plenty of tread depth (well above the legal minimum of 1.6mm), and that no structural damage is increasing the likelihood of a nasty road accident. Essex clients should also regularly check tyre pressure, which will prevent handling from being negatively impacted. Should your tyres be damaged for any reason, don’t risk driving on them – winter roads are treacherous. Instead, visit us for light commercial vehicle repairs.

Fluids – There are a number of different fluids within your vehicle which ensure safe and smooth running, and when the temperature drops below zero, they can be at risk of freezing. This is especially true of windshield wiper fluid, which fulfils the essential purpose of keeping your view of the road unobstructed. Oil and transmission fluid can also be impacted, and we recommend an oil change prior to the change of seasons, as well as running your vehicle for a little while before driving (around 10 minutes should be sufficient) in seriously cold temps, to get the fluids warmed up and thinned out. Another concern is engine coolant, which needs to contain the right quantity of anti-freeze in it to function well in winter. If you struggle with testing or changing any of these fluids, visit Hales Commercial vehicle garages in Essex for assistance.