9 Smart Habits to Keep Your Truck Running Forever

If you’re like most truck owners, you want your rig to last. Whether it’s hauling tools, towing a camper, or just getting you to work and back, a truck that stays reliable means more money in your pocket and less time in the shop.

Robert Sikorsky’s book Drive It Forever is packed with practical advice for stretching the life of your vehicle. While it’s aimed at cars, the tips hit home for trucks too—especially if you’re serious about keeping your ride on the road for the long haul.

Here are 9 key takeaways every truck owner should know:

---

1. Drive Smooth, Not Fast and Furious

Quick starts, hard stops, and jerky lane changes wear your truck out faster than you think. The smoother you drive, the less stress you put on your engine, transmission, and suspension.

Pro Tip: When rolling up to a red light that’s about to turn green, ease off the gas and coast instead of stopping hard. Your brakes (and gas tank) will thank you.

2. Idling Wastes Engine Life

Letting your truck idle for more than 30 seconds is like lighting money on fire. It wears the engine and burns unnecessary fuel.

What to do instead: Kill the engine if you’re waiting in a parking lot, loading up gear, or just chilling with the A/C on. Restarting costs less wear than prolonged idling.

3. Never Rev While Standing Still

Revving your engine in park might sound cool, but it’s not doing your truck any favors. You’re just racking up engine wear without getting anywhere.

4. Kill the A/C in Bumper-to-Bumper Traffic

When you’re crawling through stop-and-go traffic, running the air conditioner puts extra load on your engine. That means more wear—and more gas burned.

Best move: Roll the windows down if you can stand the heat. Your engine will work less, and your truck will thank you.

5. Give It a Good Highway Stretch

Short trips never let your truck fully warm up, and that causes carbon buildup over time. Taking it out for a long cruise on the freeway now and then helps clean things out and gets your fluids up to temp.

Tip: A weekly highway run is good medicine for your truck.

6. Avoid Short Trips in Freezing Temps

If it’s below 32°F, and you’re only driving a mile or two, you’re asking for trouble. Cold starts and short runs are brutal on your engine, exhaust, and battery.

Rule of thumb: Wait until you’ve got at least a 5-mile errand—or consolidate your trips.

7. Don’t Waste Time Circling the Lot

Looking for the “perfect” parking spot? It’s not worth it. The longer you idle and creep through the lot, the more wear you’re putting on your truck.

Better move: Park a little further out, walk a few extra steps, and reduce wear and tear.

8. Ease Into Acceleration

Unless you’re dodging an accident or merging into fast traffic, slamming the gas isn’t helping anything. Fast takeoffs burn more fuel, stress your drivetrain, and shorten your engine life.

9. Avoid Parking Facing Uphill

Sounds odd, but when you park nose-up on a steep hill, your engine has to work harder on startup. Gravity’s fighting your truck, and it adds unnecessary load.

Better option: Park facing downhill or on level ground when you can.

Bonus Tip: Watch the Dust

If you drive a lot of dirt roads—common for off-roaders and job sites—make sure you’re changing your air filter regularly. Dust not only hurts fuel economy, it slowly chokes your engine.

Final Thoughts

Drive It Forever is a great little read—even if you’re not a gearhead. Sikorsky breaks it down in plain English, and the advice could easily save you a year’s worth of truck payments by helping your current ride last longer.

Check it out here: Drive It Forever on Amazon

Like tips like this? Subscribe to the blog or follow us for more truck maintenance hacks and DIY upgrades.

Let me know if you’d like a version of this for email or social media sharing!