When you’re in the construction business, your trucks are your life. And when it comes to trucks for construction, tire life is just as important as engine life. The more life you get out of your construction fleet and tires, the more money you save and the more successful your business can be. So what are the best ways to extend the life of your fleet and its tires?
CARING FOR HAUL ROADS
How much thought do you give to the condition of your haul roads? The roads you use to transport your load play a large part in the condition and life of your trucks. Smooth and well-cared-for haul roads can help improve your truck fuel economy, increase the life of your tires, enhance productivity, reduce damage to your trucks, and provide a safer, calmer ride with less stress on your drivers and a lower chance of road hazard-related accidents.
Taking the time to plan, design, and care for your haul roads can be time-consuming and will require an investment of capital, but may be well worth it in the extra life you get out of your trucks.
REDUCING TRUCK WEIGHT
The heavier a truck is, the harder it has to work and the more stress it takes on. Some aspects of weight, like the truck’s payload, are unavoidable, but you can take many steps to reduce the weight of your construction fleet. If you’re still in the process of spec’ing your fleet, you can opt for smaller trucks or trucks that make use of lightweight materials like aluminum. You can also make sure not to keep any extra tools or other equipment in the vehicle when it is in use.
One more thing you may want to consider is only carrying as much fuel as you need for the job rather than filling the tank every time, as fuel adds weight as well.
BUYING QUALITY TIRES
You should pay as much attention to quality when buying tires for your construction vehicles as any other part of your truck, if not more. Your fleet depends on your tires for good performance, so buying low-rolling-resistance, highly-durable tires can pay massive dividends when it comes to the life of your truck and the productivity you get out of it. Also, keep in mind that you will probably have to replace higher-quality tires less often, so even if they do cost a little more, the expense can pay for itself.
Best Practice for Wheel Safety Guide
Wheel-end maintenance is crucial to having a safe fleet. Our Best Practice Guide for Wheel Safety can help!
Download the guide
Best Practice for Wheel Safety Guide
Wheel-end maintenance is crucial to having a safe fleet. Our Best Practice Guide for Wheel Safety can help!
Download the guidePROTECTING CONSTRUCTION TRUCK TIRES AND GENERAL TIRE CARE
Once you’ve bought great tires, you need to take care of them. That means making sure you have the correct wheel alignment and rotating your tires on a regular basis. It also means paying special attention to preventing tire blow-outs and wheel corrosion between the beads. By using a quality sealant, you can proactively seal multiple punctures from the inside. Or if your tires are prone to large gashes in the sidewall, invest in a tire and wheel conditioner to ensure the demounting process will be as easy as possible and your inner liner will remain well-protected. Take care of your tires and they will take care of you.
CONSTRUCTION FLEET TIRE SOLUTIONS
We have a number of innovative solutions that can help you care for your construction fleet tires, including:
- ECO SEAL: No matter how well you care for your haul roads, rocks, dirt and other debris are bound to get under your tires, potentially creating a puncture hazard. This innovative sealant is designed to instantly repair punctures from the inside, keeping your tires on the road and increasing your productivity. ECO SEAL reduces tire wear and downtime, reduces the risk of blowouts as well as air loss, seals up to 1/4″ punctures and twice as many punctures as the competition. ECO SEAL also contains no glycol, so it offers seven times more corrosion resistance than competitive sealants – and ECO SEAL lasts for the life of the tire.
- TOTAL TIRE AND WHEEL PROTECTION: Tires in aggressive hauling environments are prone to punctures, and many times they’re prone to larger gashes which cannot be sealed using commercial tire sealants. In these situations, you need to make sure that when you dismount that tire, there won’t be any corrosion, scale, or pitting which could cause damage during the process. Using IMI TOTAL TIRE PROTECTION will condition your tires while preventing corrosion, reducing labor costs associated with tire demounting, all while preserving the tire inner liner and bead area.
- CHECKPOINT: Your construction truck tires can’t help you much if your wheels aren’t secured properly. Our simple CHECKPOINT loose wheel nut indicator system provides a clear and easy way to know which, if any, of your construction truck wheel nuts need tightening. With the CHECKPOINT Point-to-Point system, there’s no need to worry or wonder if your lugnuts are on tight — just a quick glance to see if the indicators are pointed in the right direction and you’re ready to go.
For over 40 years, we have been dedicated to helping solve the problems that fleet managers face. We understand your challenges when it comes to keeping a construction operation running smoothly and we’re here to help with the highest-quality tire, wheel, and fuel-preserving solutions. For more information about extending the life of your tires, or to learn more about any of our solutions, give us a call right now at 1-800-233-7086 or get in touch with us online today.