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Professional truck drivers must perform a pre-trip inspection each day before operating their tractor-trailer on the highway. Tire safety for 18-wheelers begins with the pre-trip inspection, where making sure that the tires on the tractor and trailer are correctly inflated and in safe operating condition is an integral part.
Trucking companies know of downtime for their rigs. Ensuring that the tires on the tractor and trailer are properly inflated is the easiest way to maintain proper tire life and reduce tire failure.
Experts suggest that eyeballing a tire is not an accurate way to determine the proper inflation level. Using a calibrated air pressure gauge is the only way to ensure the pressure is suitable for the tire. All tires usually lose pressure. Having an under-inflated tire is a leading cause of premature tire failure.
Drivers should also look for damage to the tread or sidewall area, as well as unusual patterns of wear, such as tapered tread depth or bald spots.
With under-inflation, tires cannot maintain their proper shape and become flatter, resulting in less contact with the roadway. As little as six psi under-inflation can lead to a tire failure. Tread life is also substantially reduced with under-inflated tires. The fuel economy can be hurt.
A tire with too much air becomes stiff, and the area that contacts the highway is reduced. Damage from debris or bumps in the roadway is much more likely to damage an overinflated tire. The ride becomes stiffer when the tires are overinflated. However, steering is improved to a point.
By keeping up with tire pressure and wear, drivers can increase the useful life of their tires, be more fuel-efficient, and maximize uptime and safety.
Resources:
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/USDOT_1168_1097_TireAdvisory.pdf
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=1
https://aaofoo.com/
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