Looking After Your Truck Tyres on Heavy Loads: Pressure, Wear and Checks

The truck is loaded, the customer is waiting at the gate, and you notice the rear tyre looks a little flat. It is easy to tell yourself the road will sort it out. It will not. A tyre that is soft under a full load heats up, wears fast and can fail when you can least afford it.

For a driver doing bulk moves, tyres are the part of the truck that touches the road, carries the whole load and takes every pothole. A few minutes each morning saves a lot of money and a lot of embarrassment.

Check pressure when the tyres are cold

Pressure should be checked before the truck has driven far, because driving warms the tyre and gives a higher reading.

1. Use a proper gauge, not your eyes. A tyre can look fine and be well below the right pressure, especially on a loaded truck.
2. Look for the recommended pressure in the owner's manual or on the vehicle's sticker or placard. Many manufacturers give different figures for a light load and a full load, so follow the manufacturer's guidance for the weight you are carrying.
3. Check every tyre, including the spare. A spare that has been sitting flat for months is no help on the road.
4. Fix any slow leak at once. If a tyre needs air every few days, something is wrong.

Under-inflated tyres run hot under a heavy load, wear on the edges and use more fuel. Over-inflated tyres wear in the middle and ride harder over potholes. Neither helps the load or your pocket.

Look at the tread and the sidewalls

Walk around the truck and look closely.

• Tread that is worn smooth gives poor grip, especially in rain. Our guide on driving a loaded truck in heavy rain explains why grip matters when the road is wet.
• Cuts, bulges or cracks in the sidewall are a warning. Do not gamble with a bulge. Replace the tyre.
• Uneven wear can show problems with alignment or suspension.
• Stones or nails stuck in the tread should be removed and the tyre checked at a vulcanizer.

If you find damage you are not sure about, ask someone experienced or visit a trusted tyre shop. It is cheaper to lose ten minutes than to be stranded with a customer's whole house on board.

Watch the load, not just the tyres

Tyres suffer when the load is heavy, uneven or too much for the truck.

• Never load above what the vehicle is rated to carry. Capacities listed on Sphere are the upper limits, and a truck that is already tired should carry less.
• Spread heavy items so weight sits evenly across the axles. Our loading guide for drivers shows how to do that.
• If the customer's load is much bigger than described, speak up before you accept, not on the road.

Heat, speed and long drives

On a long trip, tyres warm up. Fast driving, soft tyres and heavy loads add to that. Stop at a safe place from time to time and put your hand near the tyre, taking care not to burn yourself. If one tyre is much hotter than the others, something may be wrong. Our guide on staying alert on a long haul covers rest stops, and a check of the tyres fits naturally into each one.

Slow down on rough sections. Potholes and speed bumps hit loaded tyres hard. Read our notes on driving over speed bumps and potholes.

Keep the spare and the tools ready

A good spare is useless without a jack, a wheel spanner and something to chock the wheels. Check that the nuts loosen and the jack works before you need them. Our post on carrying a spare tyre, jack and basic tools lists the roadside kit.

When to replace a tyre

Replace a tyre when the tread is worn down to the wear marks, when there is a bulge or deep cut, or when a repair has been done more than once in the same place. Do not mix very worn tyres with new ones on the same axle if you can avoid it. If you cannot afford a new tyre now, plan for it and avoid long loaded trips on the worst one.

Make it a morning habit

Before the first job of the day, walk around the truck, check the pressure, look at the tread and sidewalls and make sure the spare is ready. It takes five minutes and fits into the walk-round in checking your truck before a bulk move.

How this helps your work on Sphere

Sphere drivers submit their licence, ID and vehicle details for approval before taking jobs, and customers choose between offers from verified drivers. A truck in good shape lets you accept jobs with confidence, arrive on time and keep customers happy. Joining as a driver is free, and drivers keep 90% of each job. Learn more on drive and earn.