3 Ways To Save Your Tires
Keep your tires safe this winter!
Tires on trucks are a depreciating asset, as they endure wear and tear over time. Slowing the rate of depreciation in regards to them is key. In fact, replacement tires as a cost category are amongst the largest operating expenses of most fleets and are generally only exceeded by fuel costs. Depending on the number of trucks in a fleet, less than optimal management of tires can be incredibly costly to the bottom line. Maximizing tread life on tires is simply economical. Read below to discover ways to slow the depreciation of tires.
Proper Inflation Levels
It turns out that the largest influence on tire life is inflation pressure. Every fleet of trucks should require numerous checks to ensure this is well managed. Pre-trip inspections and weekly or daily air pressure checks should be performed.
Ensure Tire Inflation Pressure is Appropriate For The Load
Tires are designed specifically to be inflated based on specific pressures based on the total weight of the load. In order to make sure of the correct air pressure, gather information on your fleet’s actual axle loads and refer to the tire load charts, which are readily available online on the websites of most major tire manufacturers. Depending on the average speed a fleet of trucks operates on, you will be able to use the listed formulas to make the proper adjustments.
Proper Training For Drivers
Aggressive or inept driving, which can often involve sudden stops and starts, leads to excessive wear not only on the tires of trucks but on their various other mechanical components. This can also be due to the management pressure placed on drivers, however. The pressure to deliver more and more goods in shorter and shorter time frames actually has the often unanticipated effect of increased operational costs and increased potential liability risk exposure. These things should be taken into account when trying to save tires.
Middleton & Meads can handle all of your winter truck maintenance needs!
Middleton & Meads. provides quality truck and bus repair, service, and fleet management for the Baltimore, MD area. We have over 90 years of experience in the trucking industry and will provide you with customer service like you have never experienced before! If you are interested in seeing how we can help your business, give us a call at (410) 752-5588 or visit us online today! For more articles and trucking tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and LinkedIn.