Tire Management: Debris, Neglect Leading Causes of Failures

ire failures — caused largely by road debris, nails, bolts, poor tire maintenance or driver inattention to tire pressure — are more than a nuisance. Such failures, according to one road service provider, account for almost 40% of road service calls and are the leading reason why tractor-trailer combinations are stranded beside the road.

The biggest reason for tire failure is neglecting to keep tires properly inflated, said Troy Sweeten, shop manager for West Winds Truck Stop, Green River, Utah. Under-inflated tires will run flat; that leads to a “zipper break in the steel cords, and the sidewall explodes,” he said.

As a result, getting rigs that have been disabled by tire failures moving again is a top priority for fleets as well as road service providers, truck stops and tire maker service networks — most of which have developed sophisticated, competitive programs to assist fleets with tire breakdowns.