MAINTAINING proper inflation pressure on commercial truck tires is the number one maintenance issue facing truck fleets today. Yet, there are several reasons why the procedure is not followed, according to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.
Checking 18 tires on a typical tractor-trailer rig can take up to 15 minutes. Valve caps must be taken off and then put back. Inside duals are sometimes difficult to access. And of course the driver can get dirty.
Analysis of thousands of tires at truck stops throughout the country show some amazing statistics. Steer position tires have the best air pressure, followed by the first drive axle, then the second drive axle, the first trailer axle, and then the second trailer axle.
Inside duals often have significantly lower air pressure than the outside duals. The left side tires (driver side) have higher pressures versus the right side. The right rear inside trailer tire is always the worst tire when it comes to proper inflation pressure.
What do all of these low pressure tires mean to the typical owner-operator and/or fleet? Low inflation pressure only leads to problems:
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Fuel economy decreases dramatically. If the tires on a rig are underinflated 20%, fuel economy of the vehicle will decrease 3%.
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Casing life goes down (reducing retreadability) because of extra heat being generated at low inflation pressure.
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Frequency of punctures increase. The “hot” tire tends to pick up puncturing objects more easily.