When it comes to safety, no precaution is wasted and no expense is too great. The most foundational thing you can do to make sure you and your truck are safe is to ensure that you have the right semi tires, and that they are properly inflated and regularly maintained. A bald or underinflated tire is far more likely to blow or strip on the road. This is dangerous, not only for you, but for those around you.
With that in mind, we’ve collected some tips for selecting and maintaining the correct semi tires in Florida for your truck.
Choosing the right tires
The simplest rule of thumb is to buy middle-shelf tires. You should be changing your tires periodically anyway, so not going for the top of the line is not too much of an issue. But bottom-of-the-line tires are simply not worth staking your livelihood on. Choose something with a high-mileage grade, and change the tires before you’ve reached the tires’ certified mileage limit. There’s such a wide variety of tire brands, mileage grades and specialty tires that it might seem difficult to choose, but really, if you just pick the tire in the mid-tier of your favorite brand’s tire lineup, you can’t go wrong.
If worse comes to worst, we understand when people buy lower-tier tires, but please never buy retread tires. The new tread often just peels off the tire and goes flying into traffic behind your truck. They are not reliable.
Check your tires regularly
It should be part of your pre-check routine to check the tread and fill of your tires. In addition to this, once a month you should examine your tires for uneven wear, excessive balding, bubbling or any other issue that would suggest it’s time to replace the tires. Also, you should regularly replace your tires even if they look to be in good shape. The vast majority of truck breakdowns and disruptions come from blown tires.
Invest in maintenance software
Because maintenance is such a fundamental part of owning and operating a semi-truck, we suggest that every fleet owner or owner-operator invest in maintenance software, which can help keep track of truck maintenance and predict when future maintenance will be needed. This can keep all of your trucks up and running smoothly—and 100 percent operation is the goal.
Bottom line, don’t skimp––this will save you money in the long run
As a driver or a fleet owner, the most important thing you can do to protect your profit margins and secure your business is to make sure that your vehicles are safe. This ensures you are protected from facing legal liabilities or prosecution in the future for negligence.
J & M Trailer Repair has been serving the Ocala, FL area since 2002. We’ve built a reputation of doing excellent reliable work taking care of truck equipment so that fleet owners and owner-operators can focus on taking care of their businesses. We offer a full range of maintenance work and truck parts, including semi tires in Florida, and are fully certified and insured. Call today for an estimate, or to schedule an appointment.