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If you talk to a veteran owner operator of any kind chances are they may tell you steer tires are a pain. They are prone to having more problems and they don't last very long. At one time, that was true. But changes in how tires are made have made many steer tire problems practically a thing of the past.
Unlike 20 or 30 years ago, there are very few steer tire problems out there today. That's because truck tires are not made the way they used to be. Before the advent of steel belted tires, trucking relied on bias-ply nylon tires. Bias-ply tires were prone to durability failures, especially on the steer axle because of the tough workload put on steer tires. The transition to steel belted radial tires began in the mid-'70s and was completed about 10 years later.
"In the old bias ply tires, steer tire durability was an issue because the one thing that's unique about steer tires is they are, in a durability sense, the hardest used tires on the truck," says Asa Sharp a retired engineer and marketing man for Goodyear now working as a consultant to trucking companies. "That's because they are single mounted ... [and] they are carrying individually a heavier load than either of the properly inflated and maintained duals would be."
Truck tires, including steer tires, are simply safer than they used to be. A study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute a few years ago found that only a very small percentage of fatal truck crashes are associated with truck tire failures. When tires do fail, especially those on the steer axle, the cause these days isn't usually the fault of the tire, but rather poor tire maintenance procedures.
Trucking between the United States and Canada has always been a bit of a hassle. Complying with different regulations on either side of the border can range from confusing to downright maddening. Since the 9-11 attacks on the U.S., the situation for some drivers has become even more frustrating. Add to this conflicting rules from Uncle Sam regarding cabotage (the transportation of freight between two points within the same country), and it makes some drivers wish they had been an accountant rather than a trucker.
To clear up some misconceptions in this area, we spoke to Debbie Dent, a licensed customs broker based in Windsor, Ontario. She's spent 30 years specializing in border issues. Currently she is director of compliance and customs in the consulting services division for Panalpina, a large freight forwarder, and she is an expert on the international movement of freight, between Canada and the U.S. or anywhere in the world.
Have you ever noticed on those windy, snowy winter days on the highway, when you're keeping your speed down and driving with extra caution, that's when a Billy Bigrigger will blow by your truck at the speed limit or over, leaving a rooster tail of the white stuff in his wake?
And, have you noticed how often you see the same truck again a few miles down the road laying on its side in the median or in a ditch off to the right?
According to the Journal of Transportation and Statistics, there are about 20 percent more truck crashes during the winter than summer in the central United States. The number climbs to 60 percent in the northern third of the country.
Tires are one of the biggest expenses for any truck owner, but a little care can not only make them last longer, but also reduces the chance of a roadside tire emergency.
Keeping tires properly inflated is the most important thing you can do to increase tire life. Low tire pressure can lead to uneven and premature tire wear, failure on the road and earlier replacement.
"The proper inflation, and the inflation of a set of dual tires within 5 psi of each other, takes care of the lion's share of tire problems," says Curtis Decker, national manager, field engineering, for Continental Tire North America.
This means doing away with a tire billy and getting a good tire pressure gauge. Either buy a new gauge, or use one you already own that hasn't been dropped on the ground (which can throw it out of calibration and give you false readings).
At this point in the development of engines compliant with 2007 emissions requirements, manufacturers have generally been forthcoming about them. While many are expressing concerns about cost and performance, the subject of overall maintenance seems to raise fewer eyebrows than longevity issues, the price and availability of ultra low sulfur diesel and new oil, and care of the newly added after treatment device, the diesel particulate filter, to name a few concerns. To be sure, emissions standards have upped the ante. In '04, NOx limits were lowered from 4.0 to 2.0 g/bhp-hr. In ‘'07 NOx threshold will be a measly .20 g/bhp-hr.
It seems as though advances in technology never cease, particularly in the area of traffic and vehicle safety. These advances include vehicle safety camera systems, vehicle radar proximity systems and a whole list of new products designed to keep the commercial driver safe.
One system that is finding increasing acceptance among U.S. trucking fleets is a technology called lane-departure warning system (LDW).
Terry and Rene O'Connell are familiar names to the visitors to ExpeditersOnline.com. They entered the expedited trucking business in 1989 and have traversed North America as cargo van expediters since that time. Terry and Rene have contributed their time and labor to making the Expedite Expo and Expediter Workshops a success as well and Terry continues that tradition of service as a moderator on EO's Open Forum.
In this article, Terry has drawn upon his many years in the emergency freight business and compiled these observations.
Wide single tires have been with us for awhile but have not really captured the attention of the general trucking world.
Presently, wide single tire usage has been concentrated in fleet operations that are looking for, on a large scale, reduced weight, improved fuel economy and simpler maintenance.
Initially, these tires, known as "super singles," required expensive retrofitting, including adjustments in gear ratios. Around the beginning of this decade, Michelin introduced its X One wide-base single tires.
These tires are direct replacements for dual low-profile 22.5 wheels and tires and require a 14-inch wide wheel that takes the place of a dual pair.
Traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death in America, and have become increasingly problematic in other countries as well.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that more than half of the fatalities involved with traffic accidents each year occur at night. Driving at night is more of a challenge than many people think. It's also more dangerous.
Despite the danger, there are some drivers who enjoy the challenge: Expediter Chet Merithew states, "I love driving at night because there's not much traffic, you're not being cut off by 4-wheelers, it's easier to get through the big cities, etc."
Coolant leaks can be detected and repaired before they corrode your bearings and liners. Other types of problems oil analysis can catch early include faulty or worn injectors, leaking air filters, and problems with pistons, piston rings, valvetrains, etc.
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