The annual Work Truck Show took place last week, and your friendly neighborhood Tire Answer Man was there! Here are some random observations from the show:

The Answer Man (and friends) at The Work Truck Show!

* Lots of utility fleet, construction and municipality (snow plows, dump trucks, etc.) equipment were displayed.

* Representatives from several fleets approached me during the show, asking about how to enroll as Goodyear national accounts.

* On top of interest in Goodyear’s wide range of commercial truck tires, there also was a great deal of interest in Goodyear light truck tires – particularly our Wrangler MT/R, Wrangler ProGrade and Wrangler DuraTrac products.

I’m heading to the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville next week (March 22-24, to be exact.) Like The Work Truck Show, Mid-America promises to be a super event, and will give you plenty of opportunities to see new things and interact with your peers.

Goodyear will have a booth at Mid-America, and we also will announce the winner of our annual North America Highway Hero Award during the show! Stop by our booth and say “hello.” And bring some questions with you! Hope to see you there.

Since this blog launched last summer, we’ve shared plenty of ideas designed to help you get optimal service out of your tires – after they’ve been mounted on your truck. But so far, we haven’t said a lot about tire selection.

Proper tire selection is critical.

The importance of proper tire selection cannot be understated. Tires with the correct depth and composition for the driving conditions you encounter will last longer.

In some circles, there is a misconception that a tire with deeper tread grooves will deliver more miles to removal. However, if you put too much rubber on the road surface – particularly in line haul applications – tread elements can “squirm,” which can lead to irregular and faster tread wear.

And remember: a sensible tire management program also is essential to getting the most out of your tire investment. A basic tire management program will include frequent tire inflation and tread depth checks, regularly scheduled truck alignments, component (bearings, suspensions, etc.) inspections and more. Your nearest Goodyear commercial tire dealer can help you develop a comprehensive maintenance program that will fit the unique needs of your fleet.

You invest a lot of hard-earned money in your tires. It only makes sense to use every avenue and method available to get as many miles out of them as possible.

It’s time to replace the tires on your tanker truck. Should you buy new tires or outfit your rig with retreaded tires? The choice is up to you. Either type of product will do the job. Retreaded tires certainly can be used on vehicles that haul gasoline or any kind of fuel, for that matter.

Good retreads start with quality casings.

If you decide to equip your tanker with retreaded tires, make sure you source them from a quality supplier. A Goodyear Authorized Retreader is a great place to start!

Here are some tips: Take some time to visit the shop that will produce your retreads. Look for competent employees and a clean work environment. Make sure the shop owner or manager can give you real-time information about the state of the casings you’ve submitted for retreading. Also make sure he or she can provide an accounting of your casing history, including rejections and reasons for rejection.

If you start with a quality tire, which has a solid casing, you have the fundamental building block of a quality retread. But you need a quality retreader to make it all happen!

Are you running retreads on your tanker? Drop me a line and tell me about it!

I’m on the road again – this week at The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Ind., which runs through March 8!

The Work Truck Show spans 500,000 square feet with hundreds of exhibiting companies – everything from truck chassis manufacturers and snow/ice control equipment suppliers to lift gate, crane, aerial device and material handling equipment manufacturers.

This year’s Work Truck Show also will include The Green Truck Summit, a day-and-a-half-long event that will offer insight into the real-world application of green technologies, and how they impact commercial trucks.

And best of all, in my opinion, the show gives me an opportunity to personally interact with you! Stop by the Goodyear booth and say “hi.”

In this blog entry, I will answer two questions that pop up from time to time. The first one, in particular, is worth paying close attention to. Here we go!

Don't mismatch drive tires!

1. What happens when you mismatch tires on a drive axle? A lot of things, potentially. Mismatched drive tires can mean mistmatched tread patterns, mismatched diameters, or both. That’s why we like to see tires matched within ¼-inch diameter across the axle.

Diameter differences larger than ¼-inch can create scrubbing patterns for the smaller of a pair of dual tires, and differential problems with tires mismatched from side-to-side on the drive axle. The gears within the differential will work overtime to compensate for the difference in tire diameter. The resulting heat will cause it to fail.

2. Is there a calculation or guideline for estimating treadwear? In short, the answer is no. Treadwear depends upon road surface, vehicle speed, load, tread design, tread depth, temperature, weather conditions, driving style and terrain. With so many variables, it’s nearly impossible to provide a calculation.

 Do you have a question? Send it to me by clicking on this link!

I just returned from this year’s TMC Expo in Tampa, and here are some of the hot topics that were discussed at this event:

Is the economy bouncing back? This was a hot topic at TMC!

* Economic optimism. There was a lot of discussion about how the trucking industry, in general, is optimistic about economic recovery but is being squeezed by both government regulations and the rising price of fuel, new vehicles and vehicle replacement components – which leads us to our next topic…

* Fuel. The number-one operating costs for fleets always seems to be a hot topic. In various meetings and on the trade show floor, fuel-saving products, alternative fuels and government fuel efficiency mandates were front and center. From the tire side of things, look for the Environmental Protection Agency to verify tires for Class 4 – 7 commercial vehicles, plus retreads, in the years ahead.

* Tire pressure monitoring/automatic tire inflation systems. Lots of talk on this front, as well. In a nutshell, these systems work well to help keep air in tires and by doing so, lower costs by reducing fuel consumption and improving tread life.

I also noticed that attendance by fleets and vendors was up considerably from last year. To me, this is a good sign that the economy is truly gaining momentum and that fleets and vendors who were forced to ratchet back over the last few years are regaining confidence. 

Did you attend TMC last week? What did you observe? Feel free to share!

The Goodyear Highway Hero Award ceremony is one of my favorite events of the year. I’m looking forward to attending this year’s ceremony on March 22 during the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.

Earlier today, Goodyear announced the finalists for this year’s Highway Hero Award.

Talk about some true heroes! One of our finalists saved a woman’s life by stepping between her and a gun-wielding attacker. Another finalist pulled a motorist out of a burning car minutes before it exploded. Our third finalist came to the aid of an elderly man and woman who had been trapped in a car during a raging snowstorm. And our fourth finalist rescued a motorist whose car had plunged into a pond.

Through the Highway Hero Award, Goodyear has been recognizing truck drivers’ heroic deeds for nearly 30 years.  I can’t wait to find out this year’s winner!

In the meantime, I’m heading to the TMC Show in Tampa. Hope to see you there next week!

Most people associate the words “tire rotation” with passenger vehicles. Truck tires should be rotated, too – particularly in slow wear-rate situations.

Rotation is for more than just car tires.

If you own trailers, it’s generally recommended that you remove steer tires at 6/32nds to 8/32nds and run them on your trailer axles down to 4/32nds to achieve optimal uniform wear prior to retreading. Retreaded steer tires would be moved to the drive axles and run to 4/32nds. At that point, the second retread can be installed on the trailer.

Meanwhile, in line-haul service, you should remove new drive tires at 4/32nds. The first retreads can be re-installed on the drive axle. The second retreads can be used on the trailer.

For tires in mixed-service applications or in situations where stones are stuck in the grooves, continuous inspections for possible tire damage are recommended. In these cases, drive tires should be removed for retreading at 6/32nds. Trailer tires should be retreaded at 3/32nds and 4/32nds.

First retreads can be run as drive or trailer tires, while second retreads should only be used as trailer tires.

Any questions? Send me a message and I’ll be happy to elaborate!

In this blog, I’ve talked about the importance of putting your trucks on a regular alignment schedule. When your rig runs straight down the road, the chances of fast (or irregular) wear are minimized.

Make sure your rig runs straight down the road.

One thing about alignments that we haven’t discussed until now is the role of worn components.

To make the most of an alignment, technicians should check for worn kingpins, bearings and steering components. And before checking axle alignment, tolerances for each component should be in spec. Excessive movement in any component helps lead to fast and/or irregular tire wear.

In addition, techs should check shock absorbers for wear. A worn shock is an open invitation for irregular wear patterns. Air-ride suspensions make it paramount that shocks should be replaced when they wear down. And when an old shock is replaced, make sure the new one will be adequate for the job.

Keep all of the above in mind and you’ll optimize your alignment investment!

I just returned from Goodyear’s annual Dealer Conference, where we unveiled three brand new truck tires that will definitely be of interest to you!

The G619 RST is for tough spread axle applications.

First off is the new Goodyear G619 RST, which has been developed for demanding spread axle trailer applications. Features include a deep, 18/32-inch tread depth to help promote long tread life; a high-scrub compound that helps resist curb damage; a four-belt casing to help provide toughness; and more.

The G619 RST is available in size 295/75R22.5 in Load Range G. Three new sizes will be introduced during the second quarter.

Goodyear commercial tire dealers also got a look at the Dunlop SP348, an all-position steer tire that has been developed for regional fleet, school bus, and pickup and delivery applications.

The SP348 boasts deep tread for more miles to removal; a rugged casing design; enhanced shoulder ribs for scrub resistance and protection against curb impact; and other features. It’s currently available in seven sizes, and two sizes will be added later this year.

Also new is the Goodyear G741 MSD, a new tire for oil field, mining, logging and construction applications. Its features include deep 33/32-inch tread with a wide footprint, an aggressive, self-cleaning tread design; a cut- and chip-resistant tread compound; and more. It will be available this May in size 11R24.5, Load Range H.

 For more about these new tires, drop me a line or contact your local Goodyear commercial tire dealer!