The tires of your semi-truck and trailer will experience extreme stress and strain during the course of operating the vehicle. Avoiding a handful of common tire care mistakes can be critical for avoiding a potentially catastrophic tire failure while operating the vehicle.

Failing To Update Tires For The Expected Weather Conditions

The weather that you can expect to encounter when driving the truck is an important factor to consider. For those that are driving in snow and ice, having the correct tires can be critical for maintaining sufficient traction on the roads. While changing the tires of your semi-truck can be an involved process, it is a critical safety step for maintaining effective control of the truck when driving through wintry weather conditions.  

Allowing Tires To Become Excessively Worn

The tires of your semi-truck will suffer wear over the miles that you drive it, and this can lead to the truck having a much longer stopping distance as well as generally having worse handling. When it comes time to buy replacement tires for your semi-truck, you may be tempted to use providers that sell used tires. However, this may not always be worth the savings as these tires will not have warranty protection, and they will have suffered previous wear that may shorten their lifespan. While new tires will avoid these problems, they will have a slightly higher cost. However, many individuals will find that this is worth it to maximize the lifespan and performance of their truck's tires.

Improper Inflation Of The Tires

Poor inflation can be another factor that will substantially reduce the lifespan of your tires. When the tires are underinflated, they will experience wear far more quickly and can be easily punctured. Overinflated tires may be at a greater risk of rupture in response to hitting bumps in the road or even due to routine driving. Checking the inflation for your tires can alert you to the presence of slow leaks that are allowing air to escape. However, this can also help you to identify situations where the tires have become either under or overinflated due to the volume of the air in the tires changing in response to temperature changes. Luckily, the process of checking the air pressure in your truck tires will only take a few minutes, but it can significantly improve the performance and durability of the tires that your vehicle relies upon.

For more information on semi-truck care, contact a service provider in your area, such as Iron Maintenance.