Record high temperatures this summer have caused excessive tire blowoutsand many fleets and owner-operators saw their tire repairs increase up to 8 percent. With tires being one of the highest costs for owner-operators, an 8 percent increase may not seem like much, but this can really affect your bottom line.
Tires and excessive heat are a bad combo for every driver from NASCAR to Owner/Operators. NASCAR drivers use Nitrogen instead of compressed air in their tires for increased pressure stabilization on excessive runs. Unfortunately, the transportation industry has not caught up with this technology, and Nitrogen is not easily accessible to truck drivers as of today. Even though Nitrogen is not conveniently available to the transportation industry, there are some pre-emptive measures you can take to protect your tires from the heat, which means protecting your bottom line.
Proper inflation pressure significantly helps to reduce tire blowouts. It’s not typically the wear that causes a tire to blow, but over or under inflation. You should frequently conduct tire inspections, as often as twice a day in the summer. Do not neglect tire inspections in the winter, though, because an underinflated tire in the winter will likely blowout when the summer heat hits.
A Tire Pressure and Temperature Monitoring Systems (TPMS) alerts you when one of your tires has low pressure, giving you the opportunity to adjust the pressure before it blows. Prime, Inc. created a TPMS specially designed to meet the professional truck drivers needs - the TST 507SCE TPMS. The TST 507SCE TPMS system runs on industrial-grade, sealed tire sensors with brass threading and military-grade 5-7 year lithium-cadmium batteries. This system costs anywhere from $299 - $1099 depending on how many tires your truck rides on. The TPMS system can also be purchased with an optional flow through censor that allows you to check and monitor the tire pressure easily. I recommend that every driver purchase a TPMS, especially if you are running on recap tires. It is worth the investment and the monitor will pay for itself within a year due to your decrease in tire blowouts.
Another clear advantage from purchasing a TPMS is that consistently having the correct pressure in your tires will also increase your fuel efficiency. The Pros at Prime claim the TST 507SCE TPMS will save you an average of over $2800 a year in fuel!
Beat the heat the rest of the summer by monitoring your tire inflation pressure. Perform a tire inspection twice a day and invest in a TPMS to ensure your tires are properly inflated. These few pre-emptive measures will protect your tires and protect your bottom line.
Come back to Truck Smart for more tire pressure tips and tricks coming soon!
* The TST 507SCE TPMS is available from Truck System Technologies, Inc. and sold direct from DTNA.