When making your tire selection, this process is much like deciding which shoes to put on for the day. The difference is you don’t change out your tires for each day’s activities.

Your tires will generally last through all four seasons. This is a large purchase decision and you want to do your research. Prior to giving over a large sum of your hard earned money, you will want to go online and view all your options.

Each of the tire manufacturers offer very detailed information on their available tires as well as their intended purpose. Also offered are many different calculators for the Life cycle cost and/or fuel costs associated with any given tire.

Most tire companies will have a breakdown of their steer, drive and trailer tires into 4 main categories. (Line haul highway, regional, on/off road and urban.)

If your operation requires off road duties, Such as a logger or dump truck business, your priorities lean towards traction vs. tread wear and fuel mileage. It doesn’t matter how well a tread wears or how well the tire does on fuel if you’re stuck before you even get onto the road.

If your operation has its highest percentage of urban running, you’ll want to select tires with side wall protection and tread compounds designed for resistance to high scrub conditions.

Regional tires mix some of the features of both the line haul highway and the urban tire. If you have a blended operation with a higher percentage of urban hauling, this tire would be a good choice.

My business is mostly a line haul operation. Therefore, I’m generally searching for the following criteria: Low rolling resistance for fuel efficiency and resistance to irregular tread wear.

Keep in mind when shopping at your local tire distributor, your there to get the best tire for your type of business. “Not the special of the week.”

You wouldn’t want to show up to run a marathon in hiking boots, nor would you want to climb a mountain in running shoes.

Henry

Picking the right tire is much more than a styling statement

Comments (4)

Henry Albert

Henry Albert is the owner of Albert Transport, Inc., based in Statesville, NC. Before participating in the "Slice of Life" program, Albert drove a 2001 Freightliner Century Class S/Tâ„¢, and will use his Cascadia for general freight and a dry van trailer. Albert, who has been a trucker since 1983, was recognized by Overdrive as its 2007 Trucker of the Year.

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Since the bulk of my operation is off road I look for tires with good traction. All of the pros here put on far more miles each year than I do, so for me mileage isn't a concern. There is a strange rule in our wildland fire agreement that states I have to have drive tires rated for mud and snow, they have M&S stamped on the sidewall. I've been very clear with them that if it's muddy or snowing they won't need my services. They don't listen. My biggest concern is putting a rock or small tree stump through a tire sidewall. I also watch for chunks of my tread that end up getting removed due to the roads we drive. I still haven't figured out how a chuck of tread can be removed from the middle of the tire tread without damaging the rest of the tire but it happens.

May 16, 2014 8:11:04 AM

There is a balance on how long will our tires last to how much will they save me in fuel. Also I would not want to have low rolling resistant tires if I had an off road operation. There is a shoe or tire to fit every operation and a balance needs to be achieved.

May 16, 2014 6:03:38 AM

Nice comparison. I've often heard drivers tell me that they're going to get some new tennis shoes as they proceed to the tire shop.

May 16, 2014 5:40:08 AM

Tires are a small part of your budget. Fuels is a huge part. I am more concerned with rolling resistance than, how long my tires last.

May 16, 2014 5:37:18 AM