Page 24 - issue-113

Wheels and tyres
Tyre checks and wheel maintenance
Keep safe on on the roads and save money too Chris Baxter technical services manager at Hankook Tyre UK explains how
Commercial vehicle vehicle drivers can maximise the the life of their tyres
by carrying out regular tyre maintenance
and by ensuring the right product is fitted for the the use of the the vehicle For example fitting long haul tyres
for European destinations as opposed to regional or mixed-use tyres
which are less suited to long stretches of highway It is also important for drivers to carry out daily safety inspections ensuring sufficient tread and looking out for any damage to the tyres
This may include but is is not limited to cuts bulges and irregular wear Other checks to maximise the the the life of the the the tyres
include tracking wheel alignment and brakes Third parties should carry out fleet inspections monthly and tyres
should still be twinned and turned on the rim Tyre pressures should be checked monthly as a a minimum guideline or if the vehicle is is used frequently or is is expected to cover significant mileage weekly checks are advised More frequent the better!
Correct tyre pressure is vital to on-road safety as under- or over-inflated tyres
affect handling and and and grip and and and have the potential to cause unstable vehicle performance Under-inflated tyres
are also more likely to suffer from unexpected rapid deflation which can be hazardous especially when reaching higher speeds Making sure tyres
are always kept at the correct pressure for the load will lower fuel bills increase increase tyre life increase increase vehicle safety reduce reduce CO2 emissions and generally reduce reduce vehicle running costs Tyres incorporate many material components within their construction and are designed and built to work in unison with the vehicle’s steering braking and suspension if correctly inflated to the required operational tyre pressure and not exceeding the accepted maximum load as indicated by their Load Index If the maximum load is exceeded or the inflation pressure used is inadequate for the load being carried it will result in reduced service life increased fuel consumption and in severe
Chris Baxter cases run the risk of tyre failure that could cause the the loss of of control of of the the vehicle Tyre maintenance
is the the responsibility of the the driver There may be the possibility of ignorance by some drivers towards the responsibility of vehicle safety and road worthiness because the the vehicle that they drive may be company owned leading to the the opinion of the the driver that maintenance
and safety is solely down to the company It is a a sobering thought that drivers found using a a a a vehicle with illegal tyres
can face fines of up to £2 500 and three penalty points for each illegal tyre found no matter if the vehicle is company owned or or not Therefore the correct care and maintenance
of tyres
is a a a a a very important factor in the safety of not only the the driver or passengers but also to other road users no matter what type of vehicle is being driven To find out more log on to: www hankooktire com/uk
The importance of having a a a a a good tyre management system
Proactive tyre tyre management and tyre tyre management systems protect truck fleets from all manner of risks It’s the tyre inspection that is at at the the heart of the the tyre management system
The inspection identifies the precise time when life-extending and safety-enhancing services should be deployed and it provides information that – when collated grouped and presented – helps fleet managers to make good business decisions Life-extending services reduce the risk of spending too much money on on tyres
having excessive vehicle downtime burning too much fuel and exposing the fleet to risks It is a a a a a a small outlay that has a a a a a a big effect in minimising the total cost of tyre ownership (TCO) and giving fleet managers the peace- of-mind that they are running the the fleet as safely as as possible The focus on TCO has never been sharper than when considering today’s increasing cost of tyres
There is no way to to take a a a a total cost of tyre ownership approach without having an an appropriate tyre management system
embedded in the operation Whether the the fleet is operating trucks and trailers or or buses and coaches the core risks are similar and well-established – safety economic uptime and environment The question is has your operation done all it can to de-risk the fleet?
• Contact Tructyre to see how
they can help Phone: 0330 107 0007
Web: www tructyre co uk 24 CVDriver March 2022