In fleet management, every single tire carries the livelihood of your business. Lives are carried on its treads and lives depend on its performance on the road. Tire failures cause thousands of crashes and injuries, and over 200 fatalities each year in the US. Each of your vehicle tires, often dozens or hundreds in a commercial fleet, could be the next one to blow.
However, that risk is considerably lower if your entire team can work together to maintain tires and raise the alarm when tires show warning signs upon inspection or in performance. While your fleet mechanics serve a vital role in this effort, it's your drivers who will need to keep an eye on their tires every single day. This is why it's vital to teach your drivers how to maintain tires, just in case a quick stop can prevent a tragedy on the road.
Tire inflation matters more than most people realize. A flat tire reduces control over the vehicle, in addition to causing damage to your rims. An overinflated tire can blow at the next bump or pothole.
Train your drivers to eyeball their tire levels and learn the right resistance with a quick tire kick at any time before they set out or during their routes. There's a sound, look, and feel to tires with the right pressure, and experienced fleet drivers can learn to recognize it.
Always keep a pressure gauge in a known place in the vehicle like the console or glove compartment. Teach your drivers to remove the cap on each tire and take a read. Make sure they know the safe pressure range - and also how weather and road conditions affect tire pressure.
For example, tire pressure is often 'low' on a cold morning, but will increase when the tires heat up on the pavement. In the heat of summer, tires filled in the winter risk becoming over-inflated.
Encourage your drivers to check their tire pressure often. Make it a routine before departing and something they can do while waiting for clients, pumping gas, or cleaning up a job site on their routes.
If a tire needs air, or if tires need to be air-balanced, make sure your drivers know which gas and service stations have an air pump -with the quarters or payment card to use them. Not all gas stations have one, but every town has a few.
Tire tread quality also determines the safety of your tires. A thin or thread-bare tire is at much more risk of puncture or blow-out, so your drivers should regularly check the tread of their daily vehicles - for their own safety and everyone else's.
Tread can be quickly checked using the penny trick. Have a penny in each vehicle to use for the purpose. Teach your drivers to place the penny upsidedown in the tire tread. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, install new tires immediately. If the tread comes down to his nose or chin, you're in good shape.
Check for signs of wear beyond just the depth of the tread. look for uneven wear, sighs of loose threads in the rubber, or signs of any damage like tears or bulges in the tread.
For dual-wheel trucks, sometimes a quick tire change will lead to mismatched tires. However, the rear dual-wheels must always have matching tread. Have these fixed immediately if mismatched tread ever occurs, and ask your drivers to point out mismatched tread whenever they see it.
Damage to your tire sidewalls can also be dangerous. Sidwall damage typically occurs when scraping against curbs, past potholes, and other obstacles that brush past the side of the tire.
Signs of cuts or bulging at thin places in the sidewalls are signs of damage. If they appear, your drivers should report the vehicle in immediately for a new tire.
Standing water and heavy rain can sometimes result in corrosion around the steel belts in a tire, which can result in weakness. This is also a major red-flag for tire change if noticed.
Tire failures don't have to be a source of everyday risk in your fleet. When all of your drivers are trained to maintain tiers and report tires in critical condition, you can significantly reduce the incidences where your fleet is on bare or damaged tires on the road; keeping everyone safe from the risks of a blowout or loss of control.
Wilmar is a proud fleet management source for businesses across the country. Contact us today for more fleet management tips or fleet-building services.