Why Truck Tires Are Only As Good As Your Maintenance
Tires. Tires are flat out important when it comes to the performance of your fleet. There’s just no way around it.
There’s a reason the upcoming CSVA inspections are focused on tires. And there’s a reason companies are going so far as to evaluate the performance of self-inflating tire systems.
Tires are perhaps one of the most-tested pieces of equipment on a truck. Why? Because good tires can make a big difference…just as bad ones can.
Tire Testing
What you may not know is that many of tomorrow’s truck tires are actually on the road today. The latest tires are always being tested by private fleets. Smaller fleets that are hauling food and picking up trash. Tires are being tested in all different types of weather conditions all across the world.
Big brands such as Goodyear rely on fleets to help them gather concrete data on performance. The company “tests its truck tires in a wide range of ways and in a wide range of venues before these products enter the field,” said Brian Buckham, general manager of product marketing for Goodyear. Goodyear uses in-house lab testing and evaluation by third-party testing companies, along with testing at its proving grounds in San Angelo, Texas, and on-road fleet evaluations. “Fleet testing is particularly important as it generates a tremendous amount of real world data,” Buckham said. Although it can take years to get results, tire executives said it is important to find fleets willing to test products under a variety of different conditions.
But What About Your Maintenance?
After knowing all of this, it’s absolutely imperative to say – no matter how great your tires are, they’re only as good as your maintenance.
Think about it for a moment, semi truck tires routinely endure long driving times and distance, and have to perform in all conditions, rain, cold, snow, and heat. They need retreads, proper inflation and proper rotation.
And with the high cost of good tires, extending the life of them should be a top priority. Think of it like this – tires are an investment. An investment that will depreciate. But guess what, you have a lot of control over how fast that value falls.
A big part of that is having a solid semi truck maintenance plan in place. This means working with a company and technicians who understand that the 1st 2 tire rotations are arguably the most important because they set up the wear pattern for the tires. And knowing so doesn’t advise that you group this service in with other maintenance that isn’t required until later.
Need Truck Maintenance Help?
Contact us online or call 855-DFS-411
Not a Maintenance Provider, a Maintenance Partner
When it comes to things such as tire life and truck maintenance in general, you don’t want a provider. You want a partner. A partner is a company that understands the fleet’s activities over the course of time. A partner grasps the different between off-road, and inner city versus primarily highway driving.
A maintenance partner looks at fleet mileage over an extended period to get a good reading on the resistance and traction performance, as well as other tire specification requirements a fleet needs. A partner informs you on things such as overall tire life, cost-per-mile, retreadability, warranty, and price.
Dickinson Fleet is YOUR Partner
At Dickinson Fleet, we aren’t your truck maintenance provider. You are your fleet maintenance partner. This means giving our technicians the tools and education needed to act as an extension of your time.
This means advising you in the best way possible and performing maintenance on YOUR schedule at YOUR location to minimize downtime. This means being there when you need us the most…time and time again.
Looking for a Maintenance Partner?
Contact us online or call 855-DFS-411
* Photo from Omar Barcena
