Tire pressure

Your mileage may vary.

While true that some of these things do happen, daily checking of air pressure usually finds them when little things occur..they are preceded by incidents that hint they may need replacing.

As for inaccurate stick readings, I haven't seen it. It helps that proper use of the air guage will help, for instance, before sticking it on the valve, clean it if there is caked mud, snow, etc. by wiping it off, and then hitting the cap seal with the blunt end of the air guage prior to checking the air pressure to allow any trapped moisture, dirt, snow, etc... to be blown out of the cap by tire pressure before putting the measuring end on to check it. The auto guages have a little nub on the back of the round head to allow auto's to do this, but because Truck tires have to be checked with a straight on and angled back head, there is no room for one of those little nubs..hence we have to improvise.

 

I was taught dropping 5 to 7 pounds was not that bad of a thing to do on a warm tire, but was also taught that every 10 pound below max tire pressure can reduce fuel mileage up to 1 percent and damage the tire or tires. Drivers or O/O pulling their own trailer do not encounter this as much as company drivers, pulling hundreds of trailers with mismatched tires, missing or bent valve stems and low air pressure on many different types of trailers. (it just the way many trailers are found) All of this becomes a real chore and a real big stumbling block when it comes to making money and being safe at the same time. A lot of drivers have many tricks to battle these things to save time so they don't lose money. This can be really tough on the new drivers doing everything by the book, not advocating that they don't, but hiding a flat tire through the DOT checkpoint just to get 20 miles to the other side and make delivery just might be something that has to be done every now and then. The DOT is real good at finding some of thees tricks, so be careful. At times it comes down to safety or starving, talk about pressure !!

 

the reason tires blow in the first place. is LOW PRESSURE.

low pressure gets HOTTER. so the correct thing would be to ADD 10 POUNDS. NOT DROP 10 POUNDS

it's why you see rubber all over the freeways in the summer. but very rarely in the winter

 

the correct procedure would be to check pressure.

but since we're in a lazy world.

thumping won't tell anything really till pressure hits about 60 pounds.

but ifyou look at the tires when loaded you will see tires bulging before they drop to 60 pounds.

but then again. drivers say it only does that when it's loaded. DING DING. THERE'S YOUR SIGN.

 

I don't know anyone that would drop tire pressure ten pounds on a big truck. maybe a dune buggy for the sand dunes is the only thing I can think of.

 

That's the only time I've ever dropped pressure on something. I've dropped them to as low as 10 psi after getting stuck in the sand in a 2WD pickup. Works every time, you just better have an air compressor when you get out.

 

I do recall using a spray bottle with water and two drops of dish soap and a can of compressed air like you would use on your P/C at home. When I was doing a lot of piggybacks out of Vernon CA. Hit the tire valve with some water right in the end, then a short blast with can of air with the long red extension on the end. That would clear the opening of the tire valves for my tire gauge to get a good reading. That yard had a lot of mud in it when it rained.

 

Old thread but I'm gonna open it back up. For the past 60 days I have tested the thumping to checking debate. From what I have seen just in MPG's I take back everything I said about thumping tires as a ok way to check tires. Its not.

I spent the last 60 days doing my run which is drop and hook twice a night and checked tires on both ends and can tell you most the time you think a tire is good it's actually 20-30lbs low. I watched other drivers thump there tires beside me and would ask if they wanted to see what the "ok" tires were actually at and no one was even close to actual pressure. In fact thanks to one driver I became $50 richer one night because he was so sure.

The biggest thing I've noticed is MPG's. Honestly tho we all know this but most don't care. I've seen a difference in as much as 5 tenths just from tires being properly filled. Now the drivers that are on fuel bonuses (I'm not) I'd think that would be an incentive to you to fill tires instead of standing in the shipping office every day whining. And for the drivers leased to a company whose mentality is "it's not my #### equipment" well your right. But it is your #### money your putting in your fuel tanks. You wouldn't want to be paid less than you already are but your costing yourself money every day.

 

As much as 0.5 mpg improvement is about right. We have a tire inflation system on our trailers, so I'll thump 'em to find one going flat- there's usually a reason. Always check your tires when going from an area of warmer temperatures to an area that's colder. The pressure will be low.

 

I've noticed that but knew it would start happening. What's surprising to me is how much they lose. Before when it was warmer I'd run across tires that were anywhere from 90-60lbs. Now it's more like 30lbs on the low side.