Quest Global...all steer tires?

Forgot that. Thank you !

 

Not to be a mean guy, but "way up" is a matter of opinion. Some steer tires are more efficient on highway conditions, yep. But the RR rating, air pressure, temperature, road conditions, load characteristics, a lot of things have noticable impact on mph. I don't believe we could gain .1 or .2 mpg overall in most conditions. Is it worth it? Everyone has an opinion. I like a little more traction for those rare moments when I need a little more traction.

 

For a OTR truck that runs only asphalt, mostly southern states, all
position tires can work. Any off-roading will be a problem. My personal
opinion is sooner or later I find myself needing the extra traction. I
agree the fuel savings are really not worth the loss of traction. One
tow bill will cancel out the savings.

The lift axle is usually a non-drive axle. Means you have no
differential lock. I would think that could cause problems. I
don't use the differential lock much but it is very valuable in
some conditions. Unless the load actually pays by the pound
I would question whether the weight gain really balances
out the loss in traction as well as the loss in trade-in value
on those trucks.

 

Over the years I have seen various companies trying some
of these type of things to save a little money. I think companies
need to make enough money on the work they do to be
successful without these "desparate to survive" type of tricks.

If a company is not making enough money they made need
to find a different market. Trying to compete with 'mega'
carriers on rates is not a good plan. Small companies need
to find other ways to offer services to survive. Better service,
LTL type service, specially equipped trailers, better trained
drivers, etc.........

 

HHMMMM you asked for feedback from seasoned hands well I have run all steer tires on the tractor for 20 years with positive results but what I really need to know is how you managed to "slip in dry dirt" ?

 

I ran a Kenworth T800 single axle for a few years. It had a locking differential, with the switch on the dash.

 

I drove for a southern company for 11 years (9 years their truck, 2 in mine) and they always ran steer tread on the drives. We ran all over the Midwest and Northeast and I never once got stuck in the snow and ice. Some people just don't think at all when they drive and get themselves into all sorts of preventable situations.

 

I reference MVT , the MPG leader with a fleet average of 9.3 vs most hanging in the 5-6 area. Compound that number over a fleet fuel purchase and it's easy to see.

Cap costs are reduced on the front end also as the tag / pusher is cheaper than a PDL pig by at least 50%. plus there is a significant drop in required horsepower needed to pull through the PDL and the ultimate replacement / rebuild cost...eliminated.

Moving on we check in with heavier payload availability then lastly with tire wear / life.

Overall if you can run the model with your freight base it's a winner. The key is running the model. My fleet would need to stay South in the winter ..... and that's a problem . Customers don't give a sheet, they want now and cheap and to keep a national account you must service all areas at any cost.

JMO

 

if the drop lot is not compacted properly change in the tread pattern is not going to correct that issue