As a trucking professional, staying on time with your loads is critical to protecting your earning potential. A mechanical issue can leave you stalled on the side of road, unable to deliver or pick up loads. Focus your efforts on minimizing this scenario by ensuring you're on top of maintenance, especially when it comes to your tires. Here are some tips to help you get started.
While it might sound like a trivial idea, don't underestimate the power of looking at your tires and doing so often. Tires don't generally do a good job at masking a problem. Whether it's a puncture, extremely uneven tread wear, buckling or some other imperfection, you can typically clearly see the problem by simply looking at the tire. The quicker you can spot an issue, the sooner you can have it repaired and the less likely you are to experience a blowout.
Make it a common practice to look at your tires frequently, such as each time you fuel up. The reason you should do this so often is that each time you stop, you will probably get a different view of your tires given the fact that they are always in motion. The more frequently you check, the better the view you can receive of the total area of the tire.
When it comes to dropping off or picking up a load, the only real priority is getting there. How you get there is totally up to you. Always keep the care of your tires in mind when planning your routes. For instance, say you frequently drop off loads at the same warehouse. The main road into the facility may save you about 7 minutes of drive time, but it may also be full of huge potholes, bumps, and other issues.
However, there is an alternative back road that adds on about 5 minutes of drive time, but the road is free of imperfections. In this instance, saving a few minutes of drive time isn't worth causing damage to your tires. Sure, you might get there faster, but you're doing so at the expense of your tires. Don't just think of time and convenience, but also protecting your truck when planning your routes.
Make sure you are keeping tire care a top priority on your maintenance list. While you might overlook the condition of your tires, failure to care for them properly can have real consequences. Don't make this mistake.