Buying and Maintaining Truck Batteries

Truck batteries are a type of lead-acid battery.  These batteries are not unique to trucks -- they are also used to power most automotive machinery such as cars, tractors, and motorcycles. The truck batteries have a rectangular shape that contains sulfuric acid.  Exposure to the sulfuric acid will burn the skin on contact.  

When you are buying truck batteries, be sure to ask the dealer about disposing your old battery.  Oftentimes the dealer can recycle the battery and give you a discount on the new battery because you are trading in the old one.  When delivering your old battery for trade, place it in a non-metallic container that does not leak.  You don't want the sulfuric acid to spill onto your skin or in your vehicle.  

If the truck batteries that you are using or trading in have a leak, you can neutralize the acid by spreading baking soda or calcium carbonate on the area and then flushing the area with water.  If acid spills from the leak onto your skin, immediately flush the exposed skin with water. If there is burning, you should visit your doctor or perhaps an emergency room.

More Maintenance and Safety Tips for Handling Your Truck Batteries

• Always handle truck batteries with leather or acid-resistant gloves.
• Keep the battery away from flames. 
• Do not place anything metal on top of your truck batteries because this can cause sparks that can lead to a fire.
• Before handling the battery, remove anything metallic such as rings and chains.
• When you are lifting or moving truck batteries, make sure that the battery stays right side so that acid will not spill from the battery.

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Disposal of Truck Batteries

Recycling is the best way to dispose truck batteries because there are many components to the battery which can be used again. For example, the lead used in construction of truck batteries can be used to produce new batteries.  As a matter of fact, around 96% of all lead is eventually recycled.  Similarly, the plastics that are recovered from recycled batteries can be used again.  

While truck batteries are easily recycled, many people forget to recycle.  It is estimated that 20 percent of all households in the United States stores at least one type of battery from an automobile or truck. This figure amounts to around 30 to 40 million used lead based batteries that are not stored properly or recycled.

"Buying and Maintaining Truck Batteries" contributed by Geoff Oden