Few things are more frightening as a car driver than being close to a semi-truck when one of its tires blows out. Even though trucks have eighteen wheels, a blowout of one tire might be enough to cause a catastrophic accident. Whether through flying tire fragments or because the truck veers across the road into your path.
Truck tires work harder than those on a personal vehicle. They support heavier loads and roll for hours at a time without stopping. By contrast, cars are rarely fully loaded and spend most of their time making short trips. Thus the tires get time to rest, which is especially important in hot weather when road surfaces can cause tires to overheat.
WHAT CAN TRUCKERS DO TO REDUCE THE RISK OF TIRE PROBLEMS?
Here are some things truck drivers and trucking companies must do to reduce the chance that a tire blowout causes an accident:
- Check tires before setting out: Pre-trip inspections are vital to spot foreign objects such as nails.
- Run tires at the correct pressure: Ensuring you inflate 18 tires correctly takes time. Yet, it is vital to ensure tires have an adequate grip on the road. If you run them at too high a pressure, you reduce traction. Run them too low, and you could damage your wheels and have sloppy handling.
- Rotate tires: Tire rotation evens out the wear. It increases tire longevity and safety.
- Replace tires at the proper intervals: Tires have a finite lifespan. Haulage companies must replace them before they become dangerous.
Trucking companies work their drivers and vehicles hard. When tired or running late, they may skip the vital checks or fail to carry out essential tire maintenance to save money or time. It increases the risk of a trucking accident, which could cause catastrophic injuries to anyone passing in a car.
