Tips for Preventing Tire Blowouts
A tire blowing out is one of the worst things that can happen to any vehicle. Any time this happens, it results in a few moments of panic followed by interminable waiting and frustration while the tow arrives and hopefully brings you a spare if you don’t have one. But tire blowouts for long haul truckers are an entirely different animal.
Inflate the Tires
First, don’t underestimate how important it is to keep the tires inflated to their correct levels. More than 20% of truck fleets have at least one truck that is below the amount of pressure it needs for its tires by 20 psi or more. While that doesn’t sound like a big deal, when it comes to avoiding tire blowouts, it really is. Underinflation is the culprit for 80% of tire blowouts. Checking the tire pressure every week is a smart move, especially if the truck has been going on multiple long trips lately.
Balance Them
Once the tires are inflated, they also need to be balanced. When the tires aren’t balanced correctly, they will wear out more quickly, which means you are spending more money than you need to on replacement tires. Even a mismatch of an inch can mean disaster. Worn out tires are more likely to fail, which is why the conditions of the tires need to be monitored as closely as the conditions under the hood that affect the engine and other ignition and emissions systems.
Keep Up with Maintenance
Finally, you need to keep up with maintenance on your truck. Every truck in your fleet needs to be well-maintained at all times. If you’re not making the most of gas mileage and tire integrity, then you could be losing business to your competitors without even knowing it. Get the tires aligned as often as possible to prevent wear and tear causing tire blowouts. Everything needs to be inspected and ensure that it is roadworthy – don’t dismiss anything as unimportant! The next tire blowout that happens could affect you, and you don’t want that to happen when you’re facing tight shipping deadlines!
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