Commercial Tire & Vehicle Inspection Training Charlie Clifford Bridgestone Commercial Solutions

Meeting Agenda The impact of tire cost The impact of tire maintenance The impact of CSA score Commercial tire construction Inflation pressure Temperature & Air pressure on tire life Inspecting tires and wheels Fleet program specs Pre/Post-trip inspection

The impact of tire cost Tires are one of the greatest expenses to any commercial fleet. Education/Training reduces fleet costs. Preventative maintenance reduces fleet costs. Many tire-related issues are preventable. Fleets cannot deliver on-time performance without the right equipment – especially tires. If managed correctly, tire expenses can be controlled – and reduced.

The impact of tire maintenance Tire costs are controllable with a tire maintenance program. Properly maintained tires provide vehicle stability, traction and stopping ability. When fleets institute consistent tire maintenance policies, they: Reduce maintenance costs Increase Vehicle Safety Reduce Vehicle Downtime Improve communication between Drivers, Maintenance and Operations It is the driver’s responsibility be insure the safe operation of fleet equipment, but the fleet, tire dealer, and manufacturer must work together to implement an effective maintenance program.

The impact of tires on CSA score One of many tasks that drivers must complete to insure the vehicle is in safe operating condition is to be able to properly check tire and wheel assemblies to insure they are in good working order. Federal Motor Carrier DOT rules clearly state a commercial truck may not be operated with a flat or leaking air tire, two of many DOT tire rules.

CSA is the FMCSA’s safety compliance and enforcement program CSA is the FMCSA’s safety compliance and enforcement program. The FMCSA is promoting safety compliance to help keep our Nation’s roadways safer for everyone. The impact of tires on CSA score: 3 points for speeding 11 to 15 MPH over the limit. 5 points for dangerous driving, i.e. following to close. 8 points for a flat, or leaking tire. You can see how much the safe operation of your fleet’s vehicles rests on the correct air pressure and total tire maintenance. Drivers should check, record, and report all tire issues on the DVIR Pre and Post trip and best practice is to verbally communicate these issue to the fleet manager.

Commercial Truck Tire Construction In order to truly understand tire performance - we need to know the components of a tire.....

Four Basic Functions Of A Tire Supporting Loads Absorbing Road Shocks Transferring Traction & Braking Forces to The Road Surface Changing and Maintaining Direction Of Travel

Tire Construction Tread Belts Casing Bead

COMPONENTS OF RADIAL TIRE Belt Package Tread Radial Body Ply Inner Liner Bead Bundle

Tire Sections Crown Shoulder Shoulder Sidewall Interior Sidewall Bead Area Bead Area

Proper Tire Inflation

Inflation Pressure Single most important factor in tire life (Tire does not carry load, AIR carries the load) Correct Under Inflated Over Inflated Over Inflation and under inflation affect tire footprint Changes in footprint affect: Rate of wear -Traction -Casing Life Irregular wear -Braking -Fuel Economy

Bead damage from brake heat and under-inflation is one of the leading cause of waste segment casing rejections in the retread industry.

The effect of air pressure on: Tire Temperature & Tread Life Rubber Breaks Down at 270 Degrees At 55 MPH (70 degree day) Tire Temp = Approx 210 Degrees For every 1 PSI low = 2.5 Degree increase In Tire Temp For every 20 LBS low = 50 Degree increase In Tire Temp If a tire is 20% Over Inflated = 5% Tire Life Decrease If a tire is 20% Under Inflated = 20% Tire Life Decrease

Proper Tire & Wheel Inspection

VISUAL INSPECTION – TREAD DEPTH Tread Depth Inspection STEER - 4/32nd DOT Minimum OTHER - 2/32nd DOT Minimum Check at Lowest Point Not on Wear Indicator More Tread Remaining: Better Traction, Braking, Lateral Stability, & Casing for Retreading

VISUAL INSPECTION – TREAD AREA Inspect the tread area Remove all foreign material Must be removed and replaced if the following is found: Cuts or punctures to steel / Nail, etc. in tread Flat spots Tread depth at or below pull point

Object in Tread If you see something like this in the tread, notate on DVIR and let Maintenance know about it so they can remove the tire. There is always a possibility that this tire could be saved. Many crown punctures can be repaired. Remember to communicate all tire issues to your Fleet Manager.

VISUAL INSPECTION - SIDEWALL Inspect the Sidewall Look for any damage Tire must be removed and replaced if the following is found: cuts or cracks into steel sidewall rubber is soft bulge indicating separation

VISUAL INSPECTION - RIMS Inspect the rim flange for bent or damaged bead seats. If found, assembly must be removed and replaced. Inspect the wheel for rust or any other damage.

Damaged Fasteners Keep your eye open for worn out/damaged hardware. The lock washer is cracked on the above lugnuts. They should be replaced.

Fasteners Have “Walked”

Missing or damaged lug nuts

Cracked wheels

Do we have a torque and re-torque procedure in place? Loose Fasteners If a leaky hub seal is noticed, notate that on the DVIR. If any petroleum product accidently spreads on the sidewall of the tire, chances are, the tire will no be retreadable Do we have a torque and re-torque procedure in place?

Leaky Hub If a leaky hub seal is noticed, notate that on the DVIR. If any petroleum product accidently spreads on the sidewall of the tire, chances are, the tire will no be retreadable Although tires are made of oil, any petroleum contact with a commercial truck tire could make the tire non-retreadable.

Flow Thru Valve Caps Simplify pre-trip inspections for air pressure! Flow Thru Valve Caps are required on all Valve Stems. If missing, report it on DVIR Simplify pre-trip inspections for air pressure!

FLEET AIR PRESSURE SPEC CHART Air Pressure Charts help maintenance and operations work together: Measure PSI with a tire gauge calibrated against the master air gauge. NEVER inflate a tire that is 20% under-inflated. Air gauges should be re-calibrated monthly. Note - a commercial truck tire will lose 3 psi per month. Steer Tires (315/80R22.5) Standard 130PSI Flat @ 104PSI Drive Tires (315/80R22.5) 110PSI 88PSI Review the slide Ask the participants if they have any questions Vendor will know tire spec. Maintenance Managers must consult with the tire vendor and provide Drive/Steer tire pressure targets. Maintenance Managers must communicate this to all parties.

Use a commercial (adjustable) WHEN CHECKING AIR PRESSURE Use a commercial (adjustable) Air Gauge

Fleet Air Pressure Checks Should be performed daily during pre/post-trip inspection. Use calibrated (monthly) air gauge to take pressure from every tire, every day. Record all pressures on the Vehicle Inspection Report. Report all issues/problems. Recommend that tires have flow-through valve caps. Review the slide Ask the participants if they have any questions Emphasize that the Driver is an essential component of the Tire Program. Emphasize Post Inspection: Take tire pressure at the end of the day (during post trip inspection) Tire will be WARM – this is not the best time to take tire pressure. This allows adjustments, changes, etc. to take place overnight. Taking tire pressures during post trip inspection minimizes the impact of a low tire cutting a driver’s productivity. Driver Check-In may be with Debrief Clerk, Dispatcher or other, based on situation. Checking tires upon post-trip inspection will allow tire changes and pressure adjustments to be performed at night. This will reduce door traffic and minimize downtime.

Thank You!

QUESTIONS?