For those who make a living off transporting goods and services over the road, managing your fleet’s tires is imperative. Tires are, after all, the component that makes your commercial vehicles move.
But good tire management is an often overlooked component of running a business, and this is definitely a mistake we at Discount Tire see again and again. As your tire and wheel experts, we’ve got some tips on how to keep your fleet on its feet!
(Did you know we have our own fleet program? Join today for unmatched value and amenities!)
DISCOUNT TIRE FLEET PROGRAMFLEET VEHICLE MAINTENANCE FOR TIRES
Depending on the size of your force, managing and maintaining your tires can be an extreme challenge. If your business has you going over the road, the miles can really rack up with increased chances of something going wrong.
Below are six best practices to optimize the maintenance and management of your fleet’s tires.
1. Set and understand baseline metrics for your fleet tires
You can’t know if you are succeeding or failing if you don’t create metrics and goals for your business.
Creating a baseline set of expectations and metrics you plan to monitor will simplify tire fleet management because it will automatically create points of focus. These focal points can be discussed between you, your staff and your tire technicians–hopefully with the goal of improvement or remedy.
What do we mean by this? You should choose which tire standards to monitor. We have fleet customers with only a few vehicles and we have fleet customers with dozens of fleet vehicles; keeping on top of metrics will make a world of a difference (and less of a headache). Two in particular we recommend you should be familiar with:
Tire Pressure
Tire pressure directly affects dry and wet performance. It also affects your vehicle’s fuel efficiency and service life expectancy. Tire pressure can be altered by a drop or lift in temperatures, too, so keep on top of it when the seasons change.
Keeping your fleet’s tires at the correct air pressure is vital to safety and performance as it is the air that supports your commercial vehicle, not the tire itself. A fleet with inconsistent tire pressure monitoring and management is a recipe for frequent breakdowns, safety incidents, and increased costs.
Most fleet vehicles have a manufacturer-recommended tire pressure range between 28 and 36 PSI. Follow your tire manufacturer’s recommendations to avoid a premature end to your tire’s service.
Tread Depth
Like tire pressure, keeping on top and standardizing (as much as possible, anyway) your fleet’s tread depths will help keep operational hiccups at bay. Federal law requires tread depths of 4/32’’ for front and 2/32’’ for all other tires. However, these are bare minimums and you should set your sights higher. 6/32’’ is considered by most tire experts as optimal.
How well a vehicle brakes depends on the tire’s tread depth, as it is the place where tread elements work to perform functions, such as wet handling, braking or cornering.
Keeping an eye on your fleet’s tread will allow you to better plan and formulate repair and replacement schedules. There should be as few surprises as possible!
For those unavoidable bad days, we highly recommend adding our Certificates to your fleet tire purchase. It is a unique tire protection program. If we can’t safely repair a damaged tire (from road hazard or manufacturer defect), we will replace it for free!
CHECK OUT CERTIFICATES2. Perform inspections regularly
Early prevention is the best protection against disaster.
Fleet vehicles encounter extreme wear and tear due to high mileage and environmental factors such as weather, congestion, stop-and-go traffic and so on. Keeping on top of wear and tear will make sure there are as few surprises as possible.
We recommend performing inspections on at least a monthly basis. Your drivers, however, should be completing trip pre-checks before every dispatch in order to catch damage and potential dangers before they’re on the road.
Any irregularities, such as bumps, wear and tear, cuts and cracking should be immediately reported, inspected and repaired as quickly as possible. Blowouts, flats and accidents will cost you time and money.
Discount Tire offers free tire inspection services!
FREE TIRE INSPECTION SERVICES3. Empower your team
Whether you’re a team of one or one hundred, keeping your employees on top of things is key to effective fleet maintenance.
Training can make or break a fleet’s efficiency; well-trained drivers are better able to maintain their vehicles and stay on schedule.
Train drivers to be consistent and thorough in their inspections and paperwork. Consider regular training and refreshes to keep the goal of safety in mind. Employees should have constant and easy access to tools, knowledge and help. Equip them with the tools they need, including tire pressure gauges, cell phones and roadside hazard kits.
If your fleet keeps its own technicians to perform maintenance and repair, know that better equipped techs are more effective at keeping your fleet on its feet.
4. Keep good notes and records
You’re familiar with the phrase: Knowledge is power, and that rings true with your fleet tires, too.
You need to keep a thorough log of maintenance data, such as tire inspections, damages, driver notes, mileage, repair, services performed, and replacement. Tracking information like installation and repair dates allows you to better plan replacement and future repairs.
For commercial tires, experts agree that tires should be replaced every three to six years. In practice, this may be much shorter depending upon your fleet’s load weight and journey length. More miles means more wear.
Even if a tire doesn’t appear to have any damage, you should still replace it within three to six years. This is the safest recommendation.
When it comes to tire rotations, it is recommended that commercial vehicles rotate their tires every 5–8,000 miles depending on the vehicle. The owner’s manual will have more specific guidance.
Discount Tire offers free tire rotations to customers!
FREE TIRE ROTATIONSAnd keeping good notes that are easily reached throughout all parts of your organization (from your tire tech, driver, administration and you, the owner) ensures a smoother, seamless workflow. Withholding or stopping information at a certain level of operation could be disastrous.
5. Utilize your data for the future
Predicting the needs of your fleet can be difficult, especially regarding your vehicle’s needs but luckily tires can be somewhat predictable. Except for unexpected events like nails, damage and flats, tires tend to perform similarly.
Use the data you’ve accumulated from the previous recommendations to formulate a calendar and budget for future expenses. You may already do this without realizing when you plan for your next quarter’s costs. Perhaps one particular season is expense heavy? You’ll be better capable of preparing for it using the data you’ve accumulated.
Data-backed budgeting helps minimize unexpected costs and account for shortfalls or problem areas. It also allows you to compare tire brands and models to judge which works best for your fleet. For example, did you notice better performance when you equipped winter tires? Are all-season tires better for your fleet’s region and driving needs? Data will help you find out.
6. Embrace a system for keeping track
Keeping track of your fleet and fleet tires can be quite a challenge, even if you only maintain one or two commercial vehicles. Spreadsheets are great but can be unwieldy and offer limited functions.
Your best bet? Fleet management software.
Software can help organize and provide space for important details and data. It also allows for easy, standardized communication between you, the owner, operators and technicians. Say goodbye to stuttered workflows that make operations difficult and hello to advanced dispatch and routing.
Some fleet management software even has additional capabilities beyond tracking metrics such as analytics, remote management, GPS, dashcam technology, work orders, driver safety and more.
FLEET MANAGEMENT
Keeping tabs on your fleet’s tires is not just practical, it’s essential to keeping your business in the black. Maintaining your fleet tires allows for:
Reduced downtime
Reduced costs
Optimized performance
Controlled inventory
Improved driver safety
Discount Tire’s fleet program includes a dedicated online portal for you to manage vehicles, drivers, invoices, appointments and more. It’s easy to join and allows you to utilize Discount Tire’s huge network of stores across the country, Motorq telematics tracking, Coast fuel and fleet expense card, and 24/7 roadside assistance.
You can also enjoy our mobile van fleet services (available in select cities).
Ready to roll?
If you’re still not sure, give us a ring or drop in and we’ll help you get the best option possible for you and your vehicle.
Walk-ins are always welcome but we encourage you to buy and make your appointment online first. Buy and book online to save some time!
For more information on this and other tire and wheel services, check out our YouTube Channel or reach out to us on X, Facebook and Instagram.