The 5 Dangers Associated with Driving on Worn Out Commercial Truck Tires

Your commercial truck tires should be maintained professionally to ensure optimal performance throughout the year. While most fleet operators understand the full value of a comprehensive maintenance program, they may not know that driving on worn out commercial truck tires can have a number of dangerous consequences. In this post, we’ll explain a little more about the dangers of driving on worn out commercial truck tires.

Potential hydroplaning

One of the most common potential dangers of driving on worn out commercial truck tires is hydroplaning. Hydroplaning occurs when water gets between the road and the tire. The water causes the tire to lose its grip on the road. A worn out tire has a limited amount of tread through which to reduce hydroplaning, making it less effective at directing the water away from the vehicle.

Heat buildup

Friction occurs as you drive, which then creates heat between the tire and the road. The faster a person drives, the more heat is created. The treads help to cool the tire by allowing air to flow between the grooves. Today’s tires have been engineered to withstand the high levels of heat associated with modern driving. But if the tire has been worn down, the heat can still climb to unsafe levels and the tire can blow out.

Unsafe handling on snow

Your trucks’ snow tires can help keep drivers safe on the road during the winter weather. But many fleet operators find that their winter tires wear down over time. This is especially true if the tires don’t have snipes, or small grooves, that help improve traction. When the tires wear down, the grooves are smoothed, which limits the traction and causes significant handling issues.

Air pressure challenges

The research shows that worn down tires lose air pressure quicker than tires with solid tread depth. When tires are underinflated, the risk of dangerous driving conditions grows significantly. The improperly inflated tire cannot grip the road properly, making the vehicle harder to steer and causing it to skid.

Tire blowouts

Another one of the more common challenges associated with worn out commercial truck tires is sudden blowouts. A tire with full rubber coverage and strong tread depth is better able to resist punctures and limit blowouts. Once the rubber wears down, there is less material protecting the casings of your commercial truck tires against debris on the road, leading to dangerous blowouts. Our team at STTC is here to guide you in analyzing the performance of your commercial truck tires and selecting new models for your fleet. Call today to learn more about our products.