Love’s Truck Tire Care is offering the tips below on how to keep your wheels and tires in the best possible condition for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Roadcheck 2014, taking place this week.
“Tires are among the highest expenses for fleets and owner-operators. Tires and wheels accounted for 10 percent of out-of-service violations during last year’s Roadcheck,” said Dan Jensen, director of tire sales and service for Love’s. “Our roadside assistance calls increase every year during Roadcheck. We’re happy to assist, but by checking with a Love’s Truck Tire Care certified technician and keeping some simple things in mind, drivers can stay on the road and cut down on costs.”
1) Air pressure: Increase the life of your tires and maximize fuel efficiency by making sure your tires are properly inflated. Poorly inflated tires can cause a road failure, as well as decreased tread life and added stress and possible failure of the casing.
2) Alignment: Operating a vehicle without proper alignment causes irregular wear. Driver fatigue can be caused by counter-steering due to alignment issues. A number of things can cause improper alignment at any time. Tires should be monitored for irregular wear and aligned as needed.
3) Matching tread depth: Mismatched tread depth can cause excessive and rapid wear. Tires should be matched within 1/8 of an inch (4/32) on an axle.
4) Ask about retreads: Retreads maximize casing value and have the same tread and capability of a new tire. Retreads are an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution. Love’s Truck Tire Care centers offer Michelin XT-1 Retreads
5) Valve caps: Federal DOT regulations require drivers to have valve caps on their tires at all times. A loose or faulty valve cap can result in loss of air and tire pressure, which can cause a tire to fail. Flow through valve caps allows you to check, inflate or deflate tires without removing the cap, which saves drivers time.
Love’s says its Truck Tire Centers can take a look at all of the above and help where necessary.
