Road Trip Checklist for 2025

The fact is: your tires won’t perform well or safely without adequate tread depth.

Over time, your tread wears down and becomes less effective, giving you less control, traction, and stopping capability. You should replace your tires when the tread is down to 3/32” or when they’re six years or older, whichever comes first.

If you’re the DIY type, it’s easy to check your tire’s tread depth yourself (have you heard of the penny test?). But if you’d prefer the easy and convenient route, feel free to bring your vehicle in for a free tire inspection!

Like your tire’s tread, tire pressure is integral to keeping your tires performing as they should. Tire pressure affects:

• Road safety

• Traction (dry and wet)

• Tread life

• Fuel economy

• Handling, steering, stability, and cornering

Keeping your tires at the correct air pressure is just good overall maintenance, whether you’re on the road for a trip or just commuting around your neighborhood. Check out our instructions on how to check your tire pressure and what PSI your tires need.

Keep in mind that the number on your tire’s sidewall reflects the max allowed pressure for that tire and not the recommended pressure for your vehicle. For peak performance, follow your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended PSI.

Did you know Discount Tire offers FREE tire air pressure checks?

Tire rotation and balance helps maintain overall performance and extend the life of your tires. This is because changing their positions on your vehicle will keep one particular edge or spot from wearing more than others.

Why is wear bad? Besides needing to replace your tires, irregular wear can cause issues like noise, vibrations, and diminished performance (traction, cornering, braking, and accelerating).

Want to learn more tire rotation basics or schedule an appointment? You can count on us!

Just like your regular tires, your spare tire (if your vehicle has one), should be maintained and inspected. Spare tires are there for you in an emergency situation, so it won’t do you any good if it’s not in working order.

Do you need to buy a spare tire?

Also, note that many vehicle manufacturers don’t always include a spare tire in newer vehicles. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, almost a third of modern vehicles don’t come with a spare tire today! This is to reduce vehicle weight to increase fuel efficiency.

(We teach you how to put on your spare tire by yourself here).

Make sure you know what kind of emergency roadside safety tools your vehicle comes with. Whether you have a spare, a tire inflator kit, or run-flat tires, it pays to be aware of what equipment your vehicle has and where it's located—and how to use it, of course.

It’s also a good idea to keep a first aid kit with roadside emergency equipment handy for those unexpected emergencies.

A good roadside kit should include:

• Jumper cables

• Basic tools

• Warning signs/devices like road flares or reflectors

• Flashlight with spare batteries

• Bottled water and non-perishable foods

• Rags, paper towels, or wipes

• Blanket

• Gas can

Your kit may also include regional specific items like a snow brush/ice scraper, tarps, raincoats, traction aids like sand or non-clumping cat litter (for snow), shovels, and so on.

It’s tempting to take everything, including the kitchen sink, while you travel but we caution against this.

Whether you have a SUV or pickup capable of towing a trailer or a fuel-efficient commuter car, overloading can reduce gas mileage and increase safety risks.

Vehicles that are loaded up with more than just passengers or typical cargo or that are towing require special care regarding their tire pressure. The correct tire pressure for hauling will allow the tires to more easily bear the additional weight.

Overloading and/or underinflation can lead to instability, lower mpg, poor handling, and tire damage, potentially causing an accident or leaving you and your passengers stranded.

Learn more about vehicle overloading and underinflation!

Your vehicle’s load capacity and your tire’s load carrying capacity may be different. Your tire’s load index will be detailed on its sidewall. The load index explicitly states the max load it can carry. This number is different from its load range. (We talk about load range vs load index elsewhere).

Something you may also have forgotten to check: your windshield wipers! Discount Tire recommends changing them every 6-12 months. They are constantly exposed to UV rays, the weather, and road debris so they wear out faster than you expect. Don’t get caught in an unexpected downpour with blades that won’t keep your field of vision clear.

Do you think you need a new set? We got you!

And of course, don’t forget to keep your gas tank (or EV battery) full!

With all this tire maintenance talk, we’d also like to point out some tire safety myths, too.