Whether you’re a truck driver or a fleet manager, maintaining tires is always a critical part of working with semi trucks.
Whether you’re a truck driver or a fleet manager, maintaining tires is always a critical part of working with semi trucks. Nothing feels quite as bad as a flat or blowout when you’re out on the road, which doesn’t always cut into your productivity, but also creates huge safety issues. Aside from that, keeping your tires in good condition can impact fuel economy and increase the lifespan of other parts of a truck like the suspension system or brakes. Take these semi truck tire maintenance and care tips to heart and keep your tires in better condition.
Rotate Tires
Just like any other road vehicle, truck tires need their wheels rotated. This should happen approximately every 6,000-8,000 miles in order to distribute the tread wear and keep your tires working longer. One thing you may not realize is that the rear tires on commercial vehicles tend to wear out faster than the front tires so keep your eye out for that.
Get Wheels Aligned
Another common element of tire maintenance is wheel alignment. Once tires become unaligned, they wear out unevenly and much quicker than they otherwise would. The good news is that you can feel when your truck’s wheels start to get out of alignment. If the steering wheel is off-center, or if it pulls to one side, or if there is more vibration than normal when driving straight at fast speeds like on a highway, you may need to realign your wheels.
Tire Pressure
As always, you’re going to want to check your tire air pressure. Make sure they are properly inflated at the recommended air pressure in order to help them last longer and use fuel in an economic way.
Clean Tires
Having clean tires, like the rest of your truck being clean, can look and feel great. Not only that, though, but it’s also an important part of a tire’s health. Keeping away dirt, grime, and road salt can help prolong the life of a semi truck tire.
Be a Smart Driver
One underrated part of tire maintenance is the preventative aspect of staying away from poor driving habits. Accelerating too quickly, speeding, or an overreliance on your brakes can all lead to worn out tires. Smart drivers need to worry about their tires much less!
For All Your Trucking Needs
Follow us here at Evan Transportation to get more updates on driving tips and the trucking industry. Evan Transportation provides trucking and transportation services for clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. All of our drivers and staff are offered competitive salaries, benefits, and are guaranteed to be home every day. Interested in finding out more? Visit us online or give us a call at 443-673-3365. For even more information, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.