Checking tire pressure - how do you do it?

I have spent many nights parked in truck stops and company terminals. I have watched many drivers do their pretrips. I have seen drivers thump more by far then check with a gauge. This of course is those that actually took the time to pre trip or post trip.

 

Pre trip check tires wtf is that. I only do what I'm payed to do. Flat tire so what I still have 17 more

 

What r u trying to do win driver of the year. You trying to get your picture on the back of a dart trailer. Just deliver the bosses freight

 

I tell you, I love watching those guys that roll out of the bunk in the morning, start their truck, flip on the lights and go around the truck banging on the tires with the little girly hammer they stole out of their daughters little pink tool kit. After bouncing that cute little hammer off every other tire they clime in the cab, update their log book with a '15 min pre-trip' and drive off. The best part is watching them do that with one or two major lights burned out, a mud flap missing, air lines dragging, air leak hissing, and a tire that is can be seen as clearly bald across the truck stop parking lot. But what the hell they did a 'pre-trip.'

 

I swear those lights were working and that tyre had full tread on it when I did my pretrip, occifer

 

I press my thumb against the sidewall,
Freight liner doesn't want me using a gauge

 

Has anyone ever seen a DOT bear take an air gauge to a truck? I never have. All they do is look at them. Gauge the thread yes, check the air no. My understanding is, they will thump them, and if they suspect a tire is low they check it. They calculate by weight as to how much air the tire should have. If you're light, you can get away with less than 90psi. I've jumped back and forth between owning and company driving. If it's my truck it gets a tire gauge every couple of days, thumped every pretrip, and they all get kicked every time I stop. Company equipment gets kicked.

 

i just check my trailer tires for nails, screws, bolts, etc. i do not check the air pressure, as we have this on all our trailers..

http://www.hendrickson-intl.com/products/product_detail/tiremaax.asp

on the cab, yes, i check the air pressure monthly with a gauge, then take it to the garage to air up, if ever it needs it. but most times, the mechanic shop checks our trucks when they fuel them.

 

For me, it's thump the tire and if it sounds low bring it to the shop. If I were out on the open road, it would be thump the tire and if it's low, fill it up (and check with a gauge). Most companies really don't want you messing around with tire pressure. A well-maintained tire (as I've been told) will hold it's pressure and if it doesn't, it probably has a leak that needs a professional to fix.

If it's your own equipment, then you become the "professional".

 

Hammer or tie down bar for drives. Trailer has tire inflation system.