Truck tire blowouts happen suddenly and without warning. A truck tire blowout is different from a simple flat tire. It involves the sudden bursting or rupturing of a truck tire, typically while a truck is traveling at a high speed along the highway. When a truck’s tire blows out, the truck driver can lose control of the vehicle, potentially causing a catastrophic accident. The vast majority of tire blowout causes are linked to poor tire condition. Here are some of the top truck tire blowout causes and how truck drivers can work to prevent tire blowouts from occurring.
Truck Tire Blowout Cause #1: Under-Inflation
Truck tires that do not have enough air can become more easily overheated. An overheated tire is prone to sudden failure, which can end in a truck tire blowout. It is estimated that about eighty percent of truck tire blowouts occur because of under-inflated tires. This means that these tire blowouts can be avoided by making sure all tires are properly inflated. Truck drivers should check the tire pressure in each of their tires at least once a month, if not more. To know what the tire pressure should be, truck drivers should check the tire manufacturer’s load and inflation tables. These provide a range of the ideal tire pressure for your tires.
Truck Tire Blowout Cause #2: Road Conditions
Poor road conditions can cause truck tire blowouts. Large potholes can weaken and damage truck tires, resulting in tire ruptures. Road debris can also damage tires and lead to truck tires blowing out. For this reason, truck drivers should beware of hitting potholes and debris on the road to save their tires and prevent blowouts. The temperature of the road surface can also play a role in causing truck tire blowouts. High temperatures can weaken truck tires, making them more susceptible to blowing out. Driving at high speeds can also act as a catalyst to cause a truck tire blowout.
All of these road conditions can increase the likelihood of a truck tire blowout by weakening a tire that is already in poor condition or by acting as the final spark that ignites a tire blowout. To prevent truck tire blowouts that are caused by road conditions, truck drivers should be cautious while driving and avoid hitting potholes and debris whenever possible. When driving on a road that is in poor condition, truck drivers should slow down to do the least amount of damage to their truck tires as possible.
Truck Tire Blowout Cause #3: Overloading
An overloaded truck is a dangerous truck for many reasons. One of these reasons is because too heavy of a load can put too much pressure on the truck’s tires. This pressure can weaken the tires and make them more prone to blowing out. This is especially true if the truck is consistently overloaded for extended periods of time. The tires will eventually give out from the strain of the heavy load. To prevent truck tire blowouts, truck drivers should avoid overloading their truck. Do not try to haul a load that is too heavy for your truck to bear.
Truck Tire Blowout Cause #4: Poor Tire Maintenance
A truck tire blowout is much more likely to occur when a tire is in poor condition. Fleets of trucks need regularly scheduled preventative maintenance to keep them running and on the road, and these regular maintenance checks should include an inspection of all eighteen tires to make sure they are in good condition. These inspections should involve checking the tire pressure and tread wear as well as looking for any cuts or other signs of leaks in the tires. This is the best way to prevent truck tire blowouts.
Truck Tire Blowout Cause #5: Mechanical Issues
Truck mechanical issues have the potential to cause tire blowouts. Trucks that have misalignments, bent axles, loose wheel bearings, or axles with too much flex will experience wear and tear in their tires much more quickly. This extra wear and tear will weaken the tire and make it more susceptible to blowing out. To prevent a truck tire blowout due to mechanical issues, truck drivers should schedule routine maintenance on their truck and get any mechanical issues fixed as soon as they occur. These types of mechanical issues are easy to detect and can be fixed before they cause a truck tire blowout.
Flatbed Truck Transportation Company in East Tennessee
Roane Transportation is a transportation company in East Tennessee that specializes in flatbed truck shipping. We care about the safety of our truck drivers, and our goal is ensuring their safety and the safety of the freight we transport. We take every precaution to guarantee our flatbed trucks are safe for the road, including making sure truck tires are in good condition to avoid tire blowouts.
Here at Roane Transportation, we are always looking for dedicated truck drivers to join our team. If you are interested in a stable, progressive truck driving career with great benefits, come drive for Roane Transportation! Or, if you have freight that needs to be shipped and you want to hire a transportation company that you can trust, look no further. Whether you are a truck driver looking for a job or a customer looking to safely and efficiently transport freight, Roane Transportation is the transportation company for you. Reach out to us today at 865-354-3288 or online.