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26 • SEPTEMBER 2023
Equipment & Tech
Thetrucker.com
FLEET FOCUS
Regular inspection, maintenance
can help improve tire performance
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Tires are second only to fuel in annual
expenses for motor carriers both large and
small. With a new set of truck tires costing
$2,500 or more — plus the cost of repair and
replacement for damage, including road
service calls — it’s no wonder tires take up
such a large amount of the budget.
Sadly, much of the expense for tire
replacement and road service could be
avoided with a few simple precautions. Even
without service, the service life of the tires
on a truck can be extended.
Modern tires are built to run longer, and
they provide greater traction and require
less fuel to turn than ever before. No matter
how new the technology however, improper
inflation, overloading and damage from
road objects are still tire-killers. In some
cases, it happens quickly; in others the
damage builds over time, but the result is
the same — you need a new tire.
Choosing the right tires is a critical step.
Some buyers simply look for the best deal
they can find. That’s a great way to ensure
that you’ll be looking for another deal
sooner than you expected. It’s easy to find
reviews and ratings of each brand of tire and
its manufacturer on the internet, so do your
research.
But before you can choose a tire brand,
you’ll need to determine what type of tire
you’ll need. If you run heavy loads, you’ll
need a tire with a larger weight rating. Do
you drive offroad (including dirt or gravel
parking lots), or maybe put on a lot of miles
in winter weather? A lug type tread pattern
might be best for you. On the other hand, if
traction is a little less important and higher
fuel mileage is your goal, choose a ribbed tire.
Whatever type of tire you need, ask
around for brand advice. You’ll find plenty
of opinions about which brands last
longest, which manufacturers have the best
warrantee, and which to avoid altogether.
Once you’ve bought your new tires,
inspection and inflation are keys to getting
the most from them. A thorough daily
inspection is mandatory. Damage can occur
that can’t be seen unless you check carefully,
including the sidewalls between tandems
or inside, next to the frame rails. Sidewall
damage can include cuts, punctures and
scrapes, as well as bulges (bubbles of air
trapped between the sidewall layers). Most
sidewall damage will eventually cause the
tire to fail, which could lead to damage to
your truck or even an accident if the failure
happens at a critical moment.
Check the tread, too. Drivers and tire
technicians are often amazed at the objects
that get stuck in tire treads. Nails and screws
are common, but objects such as cigarette
lighters, table forks, keys and more have
worked their way into tire treads. Inspect
the tread often, removing any foreign
objects found as soon as possible. Timing is
important, because objects can work their
way into the tire interior over time, so an
object that hasn’t created a puncture at the
moment could be the cause of a flat tire
later.
When examining objects lodged in the
tread, listen for air leaks. If there’s any doubt
about a leak, a simple cup of water can be
very revealing. Pour the water on the object
or the tread around it and watch for bubbles.
Even a tiny leak will cause some bubbling.
If a leak is found, get it repaired as soon
as you can. The longer you wait, the more
damage will be done.
When it comes to inflation, many drivers
never go farther than using a hammer, a tire
“thumper” or a boot to determine inflation.
True, whacking a tire is a good way to tell if
it’s inflated or flat — but it doesn’t provide a
good estimate of the inflation level. Inflation
level can be critical.
In a tandem setup, for example, just a
iStock Photo
Tire expenses are second only to fuel expenditures for truck owners. In addition to choosing the right tire for your
needs, it’s important to properly inspect, inflate and maintain them.
few pounds difference in the inflation of
two side-by-side tires can have catastrophic
results. If one tire is lower than the other,
the tire with the greater inflation takes on
more weight. This causes heat to build up,
which can result in a blowout. That heat can
also damage the internal wrappings of the
tire, so the blowout may not occur today …
but it very well might later.
The underinflated tire bears less weight
but generates more heat because of the
continual flexing of the tread as it rotates.
Heat destroys tires. In some cases, the
overloaded tire fails, but it may do so without
blowing out. The driver may not hear the
failure; meantime, the remaining tire in
the tandem is now supporting the weight
previously held by two tires. Eventually, it
too will fail. That’s likely the scenario when
you spot a truck on the side of the road with
two blown tires on the same axle.
Every driver should have — and use — a
quality tire gauge to measure tire pressure
in each tire on the vehicle. Pressure changes
when tires heat up, so check them before
starting out, when possible. Remember
that the sun shining on tires can add a few
pounds of pressure by heating the air inside,
so don’t make adjustments based on the
initial measurement alone.
It’s a good idea to carry an air hose
that attaches to the emergency tractor
gladhand. Such a setup can be used to fill
tires anywhere the truck engine can be run.
The hose can also be used to blow dust and
dirt from the radiator or to power polishers,
grinders and other pneumatic equipment.
Finally, tire inspection should be
ongoing, because damage can occur at any
time. Make it a habit to look at the tires
when you stop. For example, you can inspect
the tires on one side of the truck and trailer
while walking to the restroom, then the
other side while walking back. This is where
use of a tire thumper helps in identifying a
tire that’s low or flat. After driving through
an area with debris or any rough surface, it’s
best to inspect again.
Take good care of your tires and they’ll
take good care of you. 8
TRUCK SALES cont. from Page 25
pany’s assets, including trucks, and continue
at least a part of the business.
Unless and until that happens, however,
Yellow customers must look elsewhere for
their shipping needs. Carriers that get that
freight will need more trucks and trailers
to handle it, resulting in more pressure on
manufacturers to keep the assembly lines
going. Carriers who acquire more pick-up
and delivery routes may turn to irregularroute
carriers for some of the linehaul operations,
increasing their need for equipment
and drivers.
Drivers might also be at a premium for
some carriers that are trying to pick up additional
business. While an estimated 22,000
former Yellow drivers may be in the market
for new jobs, most will be competing with
non-union drivers for available positions.
As for the individual OEMs, Freightliner
led the way once again with sales of 7,610,
down 15.4% from June’s 8,991 and down 3.1%
from sales of 7,855 in July 2022. For the year
to date, the company has sold 20.5% more
trucks than at the same point in 2022.
Volvo sales of 1,944 slipped 19.1% from
June sales of 2,403 and were down 8.4% from
sales in July 2022. Year to date, the company
is up 3% from July last year, the smallest
increase of any of the major manufacturers
and far below the industry average of 18.1%.
Volvo sibling Mack Truck sold 1,336
trucks on the U.S. Class 8 market in July, a
decrease of 21.7% from June but 5.5% better
than June 2022. Year to date, Mack is outperforming
the market with a 19.7% increase
over sales at the same point last year.
International’s 3,039 sold in July was a
decrease of 11.3% from June’s 3,426 but was
a blistering 36.3% improvement over June
2022 sales numbers. Year to date, the company
is 6,516 trucks (41.6%) ahead of last year’s
pace. July was the fifth consecutive month of
U.S. sales over 3,000 units for International.
Kenworth reported sales of 3,026 in July,
down 13.8% from June sales and down 1.3%
from July 2022. Year to date, the company
has sold 21,745 Class 8 trucks on the U.S.
market, up 14.6% from last year’s pace. Peterbilt,
the other PACCAR OEM, reported sales
of 3,325 in July, up 2.5% from June but down
2% from July 2022. Year to date, Peterbilt’s
22,121 leads Kenworth and is 7.7% ahead of
last year.
Western Star sold 681 Class 8 trucks
in July, a decline of 7.2% from June sales of
734 but 23.4% ahead of July 2022 sales. Year
to date, they are 12.7% ahead of sales at the
same point last year. The company is on pace
to top annual sales of 7,400 for the first time
since being acquired by Freightliner in 2000
(and possibly in its history).
The 2023 market share breakdown shows
Freightliner in the lead with 38.6% of reported
U.S. sales, followed by International with
14.1%. Peterbilt also shows 14.1% but, with
63 fewer trucks sold, trails International by
four-hundredths of a percentage point. Kenworth
is close at 13.9% of reported sales,
followed by Volvo with 9.8% and Mack with
6.6%. Western Star, even with its great year,
is at 2.8% of the market, and Tesla, just getting
started with sales, has cracked 0.1% of
the market with sales of 195 for the year.
Expect Class 8 truck sales to remain
strong for the remainder of the year. 8