Asa Sharp - Contributor, Tire Review
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Light- and Medium-Duty Tire Basics

Tire size and type selection for Class 6-8 highway trucks is almost a science for most fleet users and their dealers. Recent developments, such as super wide single tire options and selected self-sealing highway tires, may warrant a fresh look, but the choices are relatively simple and well known among dealers. This is certainly not

Keeping Up Appearances

Wheels need proper maintenance to look and perform their best – and new wheel-end technology provides a finished package. Bright, shiny wheels make a great impression. A good wheel needs to be behind that shine. Finding the best wheels and properly maintaining them offers paybacks in reliability and performance. Step one in the process is

Where Will All the Street Tires Go?

Having the ability to interchange used and retreaded tires of the same size on different axles is a luxury most tire managers have enjoyed for decades. Although new tires are almost always selected to be axle-specific, the differences relate to tread pattern design and tread depth. Long wear and resistance to irregular wear are properties

Choosing the Right Retread Partner

Tires consistently rank as the greatest expense for a fleet after labor and fuel costs, so it is important for fleets to get the most out of these assets. One way to extend tire life is to use retreads and many fleets work with retreaders to achieve the longest tire life. What does a fleet

Is It in the Stars?

Will truck tires always remain round and black, essentially their present form? It would seem unlikely that our current tubeless radials would follow, for example, some farm tires that are being replaced by reinforced rubber belts or the lowly wheelbarrow tires where solid urethane flat-proof tires are replacing their pneumatic predecessors. Increased traction, reduced soil

Times (and Tires) Are Changing

Not many years ago, industry veterans would have characterized our industry as conservative, resistant to change and in some cases, downright stubborn to accept new ideas. Today a number of changes are being forced on fleets, some by regulations and others by an intensely competitive transportation market. Let’s take a look at how some trends

Side Benefits: TPMS for Commercial Trucks May Save Money, Lives

It’s old news that tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are now required on new passenger cars, light trucks, and SUVs with GVW ratings up to 10,000 lbs. However, most regulatory observers agree that the congressional mandate applies to all highway vehicles, and requirements covering commercial trucks through Class 8 are likely within the next several

Reaching the Pressure Point

While watching some old open-wheel racing films recently, I was struck by several things. First, everyone involved is so much safer these days. The second revelation is that technical progress seems to move at progressively faster rates lately. Not only racecars, but most vehicles – including our modern over-the-road trucks – retreat into technical obsolescence

Change? Analyze Total Tire Cost First

There is always considerable pressure on trucking firms to examine all significant expenses with an eye toward cost reduction. In recent years, tire prices have escalated significantly, with some manufacturers announcing three or more increases each year over the past three years. Driven by fast rising raw material costs, more increases are expected in the

Smoother Ride Smoothes Out Budget

Well thought-out and properly executed tire programs have many benefits. Not so long ago, the emphasis was on avoiding unscheduled tire replacement, road calls and single tire purchases from unfamiliar suppliers. Tire reliability and casing durability have improved to the point where multiple retreads are common, provided inflations are maintained and needed repairs are attended

Tire Management: A Good Program Finds True Cost-Per-Mile

Fleets know they need to have good tire management to control costs, but setting up the right program can be a challenge. Many fleets work with their tire dealers and count on them to provide cradle-to-grave service. However, even the best supplier-support programs require fleets to provide some basic tire care. By establishing a consistent

Less Stressful Pressure Checks

I’m ready to go out on a limb and say that conventional truck tire pressure checks, especially with that old faithful “calibrated to the shop master gauge” measuring tool, may soon become a thing of the past. That may not be such a bad thing. Several aspects of the traditional tire pressure checking have always