We understand how complex the maintenance of tires can be. The majority of truck drivers don’t keep daily tabs on the maintenance of their tires, since the haul of driving can be a distraction. It’s quite easy to pay no mind to your tires until somehow one of your treads drop out, or you pick up a bolt – and unfortunately, tires can be quite temperamental, and profit guzzling. Here’s how to avoid letting your tires become a drain on your profits.
Know when to replace and retread tires
The lowest legal depth of a tire is 4/32’ on the steer tires, and 2/32” on the rest. The average wearing rate of tires is somewhere around 1/32” for every 13-14,000 miles driven. To stay prepared, measure your tire treads, and mark down the projected date to replace them based on your calculations of what your average mileage is. This will help you avoid any future upsets.
Keep tires of the same measurements together
Keep new tires with new tires, and used tires with used tires. Keep all tires of the same diameter together. If you don’t do this, you will end up with a tire skipping the ground or scraping it because it isn’t the same size as the others. Early tire wear is never a good thing.
Listen to damaged tires
If your tire keeps getting damaged, don’t just ignore it. It can be a signal to you that you need to get your tires realigned, so understanding exactly what pattern is reoccuring will help you identify exactly what you need to do. Many tire expert websites have solution charts listing the types of damages that can occur with every type of problem.
Install directly on steering axles
Don’t just install retreads on these axles – start fresh, from scratch, and you’ll receive a much smoother ride.
Change pressure based on environment
Make sure to change your tire pressure based on the climate of your area – if you’ve been driving in a warmer area and go into a much colder one, your tire’s air will contract and suddenly your truck is driving with underinflated tires – make sure to check pressure periodically throughout your drive.
Make sure you have the appropriate inflation based on weight
The weight of the load the truck is carrying will affect how the tires operate at varying pressures. Tires that are underinflated for the weight they are bearing will accumulate damage very quickly, at an exponential rate.
Make sure that your wheels are balanced
Any unbalanced wheels will cause serious damage to tires – after making every trip, visually inspect your wheels to see signs of any dents or damages.