Anatomy of a Steer Tire and Ways to Improve Mileage
Steer tires typically receive a lot of attention from fleets and drivers. Certainly, these tires have a huge impact when it comes to driver comfort and road noise, but their weight-bearing abilities are more of a concern. These tires usually carry more load than any other tire on the vehicle. An individual drive or trailer
Stretching Those Tire Dollars
The best way for any fleet to keep operating costs down is to manage tires. After fuel, tires are a fleet’s largest expenditure. Yet so many fleets tend to under-budget and under-manage this cost center. In fact, many fleets still treat tire management as an entry-level position and appoint the newest, least-experienced technicians to handle
Many Alternatives to Tire Fuel Economy
As record-high fuel prices continue to impact the bottom lines of all types of trucking operations, fleet managers are taking a much closer look at all of the factors that contribute to fuel efficiency. One significant part of the miles per gallon equation is tires, and, as a sizable aspect of any fleet’s costs, maximizing
The Heat is On
Many factors combine to increase temperatures that tires must endure. Proper inflation is the lifeblood of tire durability. Modern radials perform admirably in demanding, high-speed, line-haul service when properly maintained. That wasn’t always the case. In the latter days of bias-ply truck tires and even during early generations of line-haul radials, excessive heat was touted
Keep it Contained: Proper Inflation Still the Best Way to Extend Casing Life
All good commercial tire dealers know that proper inflation is the single most important maintenance issue for extended treadlife and long-term casing durability. It is equally well known that tires, even if initially inflated to the optimum pressure, require periodic checks and occasional top-offs to maintain that pressure. Let’s examine why this is true and
Gateway to Inflation Programs
Typically, tire and wheel programs receive lots of attention in most fleet maintenance programs – and for very good reasons. First, the operating expense is considerable; they are second only to fuel in most over-the-road operations. Secondly, en-route failures often trigger a sequence of emergency service requirements that are delaying, expensive and often result in
Right Tire, Right Time: Smart Inventory Strategy is Key to Serving Fleets’ Immediate Needs
While the new year is still fresh, the question of how many tire and wheel spares a fleet – large or small – has available on short notice might be a good one to re-examine. The sheer complexity of modern, axle-specific truck tire designs, new vocational niche market tires, increasing use of higher quality retreads,
Keeping it Contained…Air That Is
Proper inflation is the most important maintenance issue for extending treadlife and protecting casings. Even if the tire is initially inflated to the optimum pressure, periodic checks and occasional top-offs are needed to maintain pressure. There are two basic air-loss mechanisms responsible for pressure loss over time. All pneumatic tires lose some of their high-pressure
Tire/Wheel Inventory a Place to Find Savings
How many tire and wheel spares should a fleet keep on hand? This difficult question is compounded by the sheer complexity of axle specific tire designs, increased use of higher quality retreads and the introduction of super wide tires. One point to consider is the cost of not having a replacement piece immediately available, or
Rubber Redux: Scrap-Tire Disposal May Create New Opportunity for Fleet Customers
The trucking industry, in recent years, has been on the receiving end of a barrage of new technology, equipment and operating practices. In fact, one saying keeps cropping up in trucking circles: “The only constant is change itself.” Certainly, the issue of scrap tires and how to dispose of them responsibly has historically been a
Old Problem or Golden Opportunity?
Historically, the issue of scrap tires and how to dispose of them responsibly has been a thorny problem for most fleet operators. Fleets of sufficient size (negotiating leverage) often pass this task along to their supplying dealers, but the costs and logistics of handling scrap tires continues to be viewed as a problem. There is
Money to Burn?: Simple Tire Tactics Will Help Commercial Customers Save on Fuel
With the price of fuel as high and as volatile as we’ve ever seen, many truck operators are reviewing ways to conserve that precious commodity that can so severely impact the bottom line of any trucking operation. You might wonder how this is related to tires. The answer comes in a number of ways, several