Maintaining the correct tire pressure extends the life of the tire while also making your vehicle more fuel-efficient. Getting tire pressure right sounds straightforward enough—but when it comes to tire maintenance for a fleet of vehicles, finding the right balance is rarely simple. Here’s what you need to know about determining the right tire pressure for your fleet.
Why Tire Pressure Is Important
According to the US Department of Energy, keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure can improve the vehicle's gas mileage by 0.6 percent, on average, which is the equivalent of about $.01 in savings per gallon.[1]
Every fleet manager knows that fuel costs are responsible for a large portion of fleet spend. While a penny a gallon won’t translate to huge savings for an individual driver, for a vehicle fleet, it can lead to thousands in savings every year.
Right now, all businesses are looking for ways to save money and run more efficient operations. Simply by focusing on proper tire pressure, it’s possible to reduce fuel costs and protect your tires from damage.
In addition to saving on fuel costs, maintaining the right pressure will help your tires last longer.
- An overinflated tire can wear down faster because the tire is not soft enough to respond to the road the way it was designed to.
- An underinflated tire is too elastic, which makes it vulnerable to irregular wear and tire blowouts.
What Is the Recommended Tire Pressure for Trucks?
The recommended tire pressure for fleet trucks varies. It depends on the load, the manufacturer, and the tire position. Take these steps to figure out a good baseline tire pressure for your fleet.
1. Each tire manufacturer will have a load and inflation standards table (the L&I table) which outlines recommended tire pressure based on the load. Check the table to determine the desired pressure.
2. You’ll use a different pressure depending on the tire position because each position bears the load differently. Always check the recommended pressure for the steer, drive, and trailer wheel positions rather than using the same pressure for all of the tires.
3. These tables don’t tell you the optimal pressure for your fleet. They tell you the minimum or maximum. Determine the optimal pressure using these guidelines:
Some fleet managers opt for the maximum recommended pressure, regardless of the load. This strategy can be useful if you’re worried about losing air pressure over a long trip or if the weather is cold—heat causes air pressure to increase while cold causes pressure to decrease. It’s also the best route to take for better fuel economy.
Another method you can use is to inflate the tires to slightly under the maximum air pressure. You may want to do this if your fleet runs light loads or if the weather is hot. Herman Miller, president of HJM Fleet Maintenance, says he’s noticed an improvement in tire life by running lower pressures. “We experience much less tire wear and casing damage than I hear other fleets complaining about,” adds Miller.[2]
As a general rule, you want your tires within the desired range, so check the tire pressure regularly. The reality is, an underinflated tire can be dangerous. With too little pressure, the tire can generate excessive internal heat, which increases the risk of tire failure.
Being slightly overinflated, on the other hand, isn’t going to pose a safety issue. The only risk of your tire being a few PSI overinflated is faster wear.
What If You Check the Tire Pressure and It’s Too High?
Should you let some of the air out of the tires?
Probably not. Wait until the tires are cool and the vehicle has been at rest for several hours, or even overnight. Then check the pressure again and see if it’s still too high.
When a truck is on the road, the tires will naturally heat up. Combine this natural temperature increase with hot asphalt roads, and even more generated heat if your driver is moving at a faster speed, and your tire could be as much as 25 percent overinflated. This shouldn’t be a problem—tires are designed to handle natural pressure changes due to speed, load, and temperature.
How to Make Maintaining the Right Tire Pressure More Efficient
You can use a manual tire pressure gauge to check the pressure. For large fleets, consider investing in a tire pressure monitoring system or an automatic tire inflation system. These electronic systems reduce time spent on tire maintenance and streamline the process of keeping your tires properly inflated.
You can also browse our selection of reliable vehicle maintenance products online, including manual gauges and tire pressure sensor parts. Whether you are looking for a hard-to-find part or an everyday product from a trusted brand, we have what you need.
Product Compliance and Suitability
The product statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such product statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand and follow all manufacturer instructions.