In brief
Tyres are a fleet's second variable cost after fuel, and almost everything that shortens their life is under the workshop's control. Pressure is measured cold with a calibrated gauge, never by hammer or by eye: a 10–15 % loss is invisible yet already heats the sidewall and raises fuel consumption. Irregular wear is not fixed by rotating the tyre but by finding the mechanical cause behind it — toe, camber, bushings, dampers, brakes. And the only measure that supports good decisions is cost per kilometre by position, not the purchase price of the tyre.
In most fleets tyres are managed reactively: checked when someone notices one is low, replaced when it can go no further. That practice pays twice — in fuel for months, and in lost life at the end — and neither appears labelled as a tyre cost.
Pressure is the parameter that governs
Pressure determines the shape of the contact patch, and the patch determines how load is distributed across the tread. Everything else — wear, fuel consumption, temperature, casing durability — follows from there.
- Measure cold, before running. A tyre that has been working is hot and its pressure has risen: a reading taken then is worthless.
- Use a calibrated, verified gauge. A knocked, out-of-calibration gauge has the whole fleet running badly with the comfort of believing it is measured.
- Correct pressure is set by axle load, not by habit and not by the maximum moulded on the sidewall, which is a limit and not a recommendation.
- Underinflation: the sidewall flexes excessively, heats and degrades; the patch bears on the shoulders and fuel consumption rises.
- Overinflation: the patch shrinks to the centre, wear concentrates there, and the casing loses its ability to absorb impacts.
Reading wear to find the cause
A worn tread is a diagnostic report. Replacing the tyre without reading it guarantees the next one wears the same way.
| Wear pattern | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Wear on both shoulders | Pressure too low for the load |
| Wear across the centre of the tread | Pressure too high |
| Wear on one shoulder only | Camber or axle geometry out of range |
| Feathered or sawtooth edges | Incorrect toe setting |
| Patchy, cupped wear | Poor damping, worn bushing or bearing play |
| Isolated flat spots | Wheel lock-up from a badly set brake or an ABS fault |
A pattern repeating in the same position across several units points to a specification or loading problem; a pattern on one unit alone points to that unit. That distinction on its own directs the workshop's work.
Duals: matching is not a detail
Two duals of different diameter travel different distances per revolution, so the larger one permanently drags the smaller. The result is accelerated wear on both and extra strain on the differential.
- Keep the diameter difference between duals within the manufacturer's stated margin; measure it with a circumference tape rather than estimating.
- Match by similar tread depth, not by age or brand.
- Equalise pressure between the two: a pressure difference produces an effective diameter difference even when tread depth matches.
- Check the gap between duals: if they touch under flexing, they heat and cut each other.
Cost per kilometre, the only useful measure
Comparing tyres on purchase price leads systematically to expensive decisions. The measure that supports a decision is cost per kilometre: purchase cost divided by the kilometres actually run to replacement, including whatever retreads contribute if the fleet uses them.
- 01
Identify every tyre
By serial number or your own marking. Without individual identification there is no history, and without history there is no cost per kilometre.
- 02
Record by position
Tread depth, pressure and mileage at each check. Position matters: the same tyre performs differently on steer, drive or trailer.
- 03
Calculate on removal
Accumulated kilometres against total cost. That is where it becomes clear which product and which practice actually perform in your specific operation.
- 04
Close the loop
Compare across units and across routes. A unit consuming tyres above the average almost never has a tyre problem.
Practices that extend life at no extra cost
- Daily cold pressure checks as part of the pre-trip inspection.
- Alignment at the first sign of irregular wear, not at the end of tyre life.
- Load control: axle overloading is one of the quietest causes of premature casing failure.
- Storing spares cool, dry and out of direct sunlight, away from electric motors.
- Operator training: most avoidable sidewall cuts and impacts happen in yard manoeuvres and site access.
Rodacaribe distributes Constancy Tire tyres for commercial transport, trailers and passenger service, with steel cord, reinforced casing, double nylon and butyl rubber technologies depending on the application.
Frequently asked questions
- How often should pressure be checked?
- Daily, cold and with a gauge, as part of the pre-trip inspection. It is the cheapest check in the fleet and the one that most directly affects fuel consumption and tyre life.
- Does rotating tyres fix irregular wear?
- It does not fix it: it spreads it. If the cause is geometry, suspension or brakes, the rotated tyre starts wearing the same way in its new position. Rotation is for evening out life once the mechanics are correct.
- Does nitrogen improve performance?
- Its real advantage is that it loses pressure more slowly and carries less moisture, which makes pressure more stable between checks. It does not replace periodic checking: a badly inflated tyre wears the same whatever is inside it.
- When should a tyre be removed?
- On reaching the legal or internal minimum tread depth, and earlier if the casing shows structural damage, separation or cuts reaching the plies. If the fleet retreads, removing it in time is what keeps the casing retreadable.
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About this contentThese guides collect industrial maintenance good practice and widely used standard references. They do not replace the technical documentation of the equipment or component manufacturer, which always prevails.