Commercial Tires and Fuel Mileage – How the Right Tire Choices Optimize Your Fleet’s Efficiency
As a fleet owner or manager, you are always looking for ways to minimize costs and boost the bottom line. Fleets confront a variety of issues, including improving driver performance, reducing fuel expenses, and avoiding downtime while maintaining a competitive edge in the marketplace. Tires are among the most important factors in enhancing fleet performance. They account for a quarter to a third of a truck’s overall rolling resistance. And when a vehicle has lower rolling resistance, it uses less fuel.
Here, we discuss the importance of tires when it comes to improving a fleet’s fuel mileage.
What Is Tire Rolling Resistance?
Tire rolling resistance is the amount of energy a truck expends to keep moving across a surface at a constant speed. Hysteresis is the most significant factor in rolling resistance. It is the loss of energy that occurs as a tire moves across its tread. The vehicle’s engine has to work harder to counteract the energy loss, leading to fuel wastage. According to some studies, rolling resistance contributes 10% to 13% of fuel consumption.
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Ways to Improve Rolling Resistance
If you are looking to improve rolling tire rolling resistance and, ultimately, the fuel efficiency of your fleet, here are some ways to do so:
Choosing Tires Designed for Fuel Efficiency
Commercial tires are getting increasingly specialized for certain applications in the same way that vehicles, machinery, and tools are. Low rolling resistance (LRR) tires are becoming increasingly popular with fleets who realize that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks and that LRR tires are a worthwhile investment in fuel efficiency.
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Using Lower-tread or Retreaded Tires through Their Tread Life
Using retreads, fleets may maximize productivity while lowering overall ownership costs. In terms of performance, good retreads can be on par with new tires of the same type and design. According to estimates, those that average two retreads for every tire casing were able to reduce their tire expenses to 1.2 cents per mile, which is far below the market average. Additionally, high-quality retreads are among the most fuel-efficient options available to fleets because of their low rolling resistance.
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Ensuring Adequate Tire Pressure
Maintaining proper tire pressure is another critical element in achieving maximum fuel efficiency. Fuel consumption is increased when tires are under-inflated. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a 1% drop in tire pressure is associated with a 0.3% drop in fuel efficiency. Under-inflated tires can also cause tire failure. Low tire pressure causes the casing of the tire to flex and heat up during repeated use, resulting in roadside downtime and other issues.
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Get Top-Quality Tractor Tires Now
If you want to improve the performance of your fleet tires, follow the methods we’ve shared above: select the right tires designed for fuel efficiency, and lower-tread or retreaded tires and ensure even tire pressure. In addition to improving their performance, this will help to extend the life of your tires.
To learn more about choosing the right commercial tires and fuel mileage, visit our website or contact us today.
Categories: Bauer Built Blog
