Good, roadworthy tyres are an essential element of truck safety and efficiency. A driver of a truck bears a great responsibility on the roads, and as a truck or business owner, it's important to ensure that all of your trucks' tyres are up to par not only for the safety of your staff but for others too.
How often should you change your tyres?
Well, the rule of thumb is your tyres should be serviced every 10,000km and replaced every five years. However, it can depend on how often and how far the truck or vehicle travels, what kinds of roads are driven on, how hard the vehicle is on the tyres, and how worn your tyres get. Commercial trucks, vans and utes will usually cover much more mileage within a year than a standard household car, so it's best to know the signs that your tyres need servicing or replacing.
Look out for these signs, and if ever in doubt, give us a call on 1300 338 973.
Make it a habit to regularly check your tyre tread
Regularly checking your truck tyre's tread doesn't take long and can help you avoid an unwanted incident.
When checking your tyre's tread, look out for:
Uneven wear: the presence of uneven wear can indicate problems with your tyres or with your truck or vehicle. The issues could be incorrect alignment or tyre pressure. For example, an over-inflated tyre may present wear through the middle of the tyre and not on the edges, and an under-inflated tyre's wear would be the opposite. Even wear across the tyres is ideal (as long as it isn't too worn).
Shallow tread: According to the Heavy Vehicle National Law, a tyre "must have a tread pattern at least 1.5mm deep." However, keep in mind that 1.5mm is the absolute minimum, anything lower is deemed unroadworthy.
Large punctures: large punctures in the tread can't be fixed. Therefore, your tyre will need replacing.
Other signs of potential tyre failure to look out for:
Any cracks, bulges or lacerations: cracks, blisters, bumps and other signs of wear that shouldn't be there can cause your tyre to blow out, or to fail.
A flat tyre: you should never drive on a flat tyre. Make sure to replace the flat with your spare tyre and see if you can get your tyre repaired or replaced.
If unsure, seek a professional opinion
Even if you haven't noticed any of the above signs of wear on your tyres, take note of how it feels when you drive. A bumpy ride could be from damaged tyres. Also, pay attention to unusual vibrations and take note if your tyres aren't being as responsive as you'd like when breaking.
If you are concerned about one tyre, it's best to replace it with your spare. If you are concerned about more than one, we recommend pulling over somewhere safe and calling a professional service, like us.
If you would like your tyres services or replaced, please contact us on 1300 119 246.