Essential Tips to Getting Your Truck Where It Needs to Go
The biggest fear of any professional driver is having complications with your vehicle that could lead to an accident on the road. For semi-truck owners, particularly independent owners and operators, constant and careful maintenance is one of the most important aspects of ensuring that you are able to complete any job safely and efficiently. Even fixing minor issues that arise during routine inspections can end up saving you from big complications down the road. As we head into the winter season, when roads all over the country come with a new set of challenges, quality tires and tire care become all the more crucial.
“It’s critical these days that independent semi-truck owners conduct proper tire inspections to enhance the safety of their vehicle and others on the road,” says Jeff Schroeder, Sales Director at Bauer Built. “Plus, proper maintenance offers the added bonus of increasing fuel efficiency and minimizing operator expenses.”
There’s a lot of things that slip through the cracks, however…not just with tires, but with all aspects of proper truck maintenance. It can be difficult to remember all of the details that can improve your truck’s efficiency. As an independent operator, you don’t have the luxury of a fleet manager keeping track of the small stuff. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Let’s review a few of the absolute essentials when it comes to tire maintenance.
First, proper tire inflation is one of the most essential and overlooked aspects of truck maintenance. There has long been a myth that over inflating your tires a bit will not only give you better gas mileage, but even protect your tires. Unfortunately, it does neither and has even led to tire complications. Follow the Load and Inflation tables for your vehicle precisely. Under and over inflation are both equally dangerous this time of year.
Second, now is the optimal time to retread your tires. The best way to maximize the investment you’ve put into your tires is to take them in for retreading. Not only are you saving money by significantly extending the life of your tires, but often your retreaded tire will be better than the original.
Finally, never skimp on checking alignment. If you run your truck out of alignment, you run the risk of greatly decreasing your tire’s lifespan. In fact, estimates say that misaligned tires can end up cutting the life expectancy of a tire by one third. While the costs for alignment may seem steep, they far outweigh the alternative.
Independent operators have a tremendously difficult job. Not only are you responsible for the act of transportation itself, but you also have to keep track of what needs to be taken care of on your vehicle at all times. The most important part of ensuring any job goes smoothly – and that you don’t endanger yourself or others on the road – is simply day-to-day maintenance. Personally inspecting your vehicle and checking the tires in advance of any trip will go a long way, not only saving you money, but saving you from costly troubles on the road. Bauer Built is the industry leader in retread tires and we are dedicated to using our state of the art technology to get you where you need to go.
Want to learn more about how we can help you this season? Visit us online.
Categories: Bauer Built Blog, Commercial Tire Tips
