Did you know that tire replacement is just over 25% of the annual maintenance cost on your rig? Typically, you’ll need to replace 16 of the 18 tires on your tractor-trailer per year. That amounts to about $4,000 or 26.67% of the annual maintenance cost, averaging $15,000 for all trucks. But, of course, if you are driving an older truck, the maintenance will be more.

What’s more, independent truckers with only one truck pay more for maintenance than large fleets. They typically get a volume discount from fleet repair companies.

Other factors that many drivers and fleet managers don’t often consider are that regularly scheduled pressure checks, tire rotation, and other preventative maintenance (PM) will save money overall and considerably reduce the average 20,500 gallons of gas used per truck. That can add significant savings for medium and large fleets when you consider that fuel makes up 39% of your annual operating costs.

How Long Do Tires Last on a Tractor-Trailer?

Typically, high-quality tires last between three and six years on a rig if kept at the correct air pressure and rotated frequently. Experts recommend never keeping a set of tires for more than six years. Another possible money-saving measure is to replace tires in pairs. Several ingredients that make up a semi truck’s tires affect its lifespan.

What Your Tires Are Made From

The physical structure of your tire is crucial to its performance. There are seven layers and more than 200 different materials in your tire: the inner liner, carcass ply, belts, beads, sidewall, cap ply, and tread. you could get a traffic citation if the tread depth is less than 4/32″ or 1/8″.

PM on Tractor-Trailer Tires is Crucial

Not only will rotating your tires at regular intervals save money, but it improves safety as well. The most likely cause of a blowout is uneven wear or too old tires, inaccurate tire pressure or an unbalanced load. Unfortunately, a tractor-trailer tire blowout can be catastrophic.

Ultimate Fleet Repair (UFR) professionals perform PM on your tires as part of your scheduled maintenance, including tread depth checks, pressure checks, tire rotation, and balancing.

Contact Ultimate Fleet Repair for Your Truck or Fleet’s PM Today

Call the UFR professionals to schedule PM at (651) 454-8775 or use our handy contact form.