Truck Curtains "Sticky" in the Track? Help Them Slide Again

Professional drivers may experience "sticky" truck curtains in the trucks they drive.

By that, we mean that the connections inside the track may not slide as easily as they should.

We have encountered this situation in both newer and older trucks.

This page shows how we remedied it in a Freightliner Columbia and Freightliner Cascadia.

First of all, the curtain connector installed in the track looks like this.

When we speak of sticking, we're not talking about resistance resulting from the connectors meeting one of the screws that holds the track against the truck's interior, like the one shown.

What we mean is that the connectors just seem reluctant to move down the track at all or in certain spots.

To solve this problem, we used

• a hemostat (or pair of needle-nosed pliers),
• a cotton ball and
• our trusty can of WD-40.

We prefer using the can of WD-40 with the "smart straw" as shown here.

Vicki sprayed a little WD-40 on the cotton ball (clamped firmly in place in the hemostat) and ran it inside the track on the passenger side of the cab to provide some lubrication.

In this photo, professional driver Mike Simons is running a cotton ball sprayed with WD-40 inside the curtain track on the driver's side of his company-owned truck.

He did this to help lubricate the area where the truck curtains will run.

This relieves the tendency for the curtains to be sticky.

Any further problems that might develop can be remedied by applying more WD-40.

If you make a direct application, make sure that you have a paper towel handy to catch any drips that may occur.

For the most effective aiming, you might consider using the attached straw.

WD-40 is an excellent lubricant but needs to be used in appropriate settings.

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Money saving tip: This is one of those handy tips that indirectly provides savings.

Consider this: the better your truck curtains work, the better your chances are of blocking out light and getting better sleep during your rest break.

The better you sleep, the more rested you feel.

The more rested you feel, the more clearly you think and the better you are able to perform your job.

The more clearly you think or are able to perform your job, the better your chances are for earning and saving money.

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Return from Truck Curtains "Sticky" in the Track? Help Them Slide Again to our Tricks of the Trade page or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.

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Recommended Trucker Accessories

• Portable Toilet
  
  
• Cold Food Storage Device
  
  
• Appliances to Cook in Your Truck
  
  
• Powering Your Appliances
  
  
• Navigation Tools
  
  
• Communication Tools

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