Relocating a Tyre Shop or Vulcanizer's Yard: Tyres, Rims and Compressors

The landlord has given the vulcanizer until the end of the month, and the yard behind the shop holds three hundred tyres, a stack of rims, a compressor the size of a small fridge and a tyre changer that nobody remembers how to dismantle. It does not look like much stock until you try to put it on a truck.

Tyres are light for their size and awkward for everything else. They roll, they shift, they leave black marks on anything they touch, and they fill the load area long before the truck reaches its weight limit. Rims and machines are the opposite: small, heavy and easy to damage. A tyre shop move mixes both problems in one load.

Count and sort before the truck is requested

Walk the yard with a notebook. Group the stock into new tyres, used tyres you still plan to sell, scrap and rubbish. Do not pay to move scrap. Sell it or dump it before moving day, and be honest with yourself about used tyres that have sat in the rain for a year.

Then count by size and type, for example car tyres, jeep tyres and truck tyres, because that tells the driver how much space the load will take. A rough count is enough, but write it down.

Stack tyres so they stay put

Loose tyres thrown into a truck bed will ride up and slide. Do it properly:

1. Lay the first row flat on the bed, tread down, edge to edge.
2. Stack upwards in rows that interlock, the way bricklayers do, so each tyre sits across two below it.
3. Keep stacks to a height the driver is happy with. A tall tyre stack catches wind and sways on corners.
4. Run ropes or straps over the top and down both sides, then check them again after the first few kilometres.

Big truck tyres can be rolled up a ramp one at a time, but never let a tyre roll freely down a slope. One person steers, another stands clear.

Rims, wheel weights and loose metal

Rims are heavy and the edges are sharp. Put them flat in a sturdy crate or lay them on a blanket in a low corner of the truck, never on top of the tyre stacks. Wheel weights, valves and small tools belong in a closed box or sack, labelled and kept out of the way. A box of wheel weights split open on a truck floor is a long afternoon of picking.

The compressor, the changer and the balancer

These machines make a vulcanizer's money, so protect them.

• Drain the compressor tank and switch off the supply before it is touched. Follow the manufacturer's guidance for any pressurised parts.
• Disconnect hoses and cap the ends so dirt does not get in.
• Take photographs of the machine and its wiring before it comes apart.
• Wrap tyre changers and wheel balancers in blankets, strap them upright and keep them away from the rim stacks.
• Carry the compressor with enough people. It is heavier than it looks, so read our guide on lifting heavy items safely before anyone strains a back.

If the machines were bolted to a floor, ask who will unbolt them and who will fix them down at the new place.

Oil, grease and black marks

Tyre shops are messy. Seal any oil, tyre shine or sealant containers, and stand them upright in a bucket or crate. Lay a tarpaulin under the tyre stacks if the truck bed is clean and borrowed. For protecting the truck bed, our driver guide on keeping the load bed clean shows what drivers care about.

Plan the order of loading

Heavy machines go first and low, near the cab. Rims and metal parts go next, spread so the weight sits evenly. Tyres go last, because they fill the space and are quick to unload first. Keep the signboard, the work stools and the umbrella for the very end so the new yard can open fast.

If the yard is large, a truck is the sensible choice. A smaller shop might manage with a pickup van and two trips. See how to choose the right truck size before you decide.

Closing and reopening

Tell regular customers the new address before you shut. Many vulcanizers lose business in the first week simply because nobody knew where they went. Put the new address on a board at the old spot, if the landlord allows.

Aim to reopen as soon as the compressor is wired. Even if shelves are not ready, you can start fixing punctures.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app and choose a truck or pickup van. Add the pickup and drop-off, and describe the load in specific terms: "about 120 car tyres, 30 jeep tyres, 40 rims, one compressor, one tyre changer, one balancer". Mention if there is a ramp or if the yard is on soft ground. Propose a price and nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers, and you choose which one to take. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept.

Useful pages: truck hire in Lagos and business moves in Lagos. If you are moving a car parts business instead, read our guide to relocating an auto spare parts shop.