The October issue of the Commercial Fleet Tire Digest (www.psitiredigest.com) discusses how the proper use of tire load inflation tables can help a fleet maximize tire wear by determining the optimal air pressure to maintain in their tires. An example shown in the October issue indicates that many fleets may be setting inflation for some tires too low, and in some cases too high, for the loads they carry.
Al Cohn, director of new market development and engineering support for Pressure Systems International and editor of the Tire Digest, explains that air is what carries the load, and as a result, the recommended tire pressure must be based on the worst-case load that each tire actually will carry. “The important piece of the puzzle is that a fleet must determine the actual worst-case load per tire, not per vehicle, and that’s where load inflation tables found on tire manufacturers’ websites are helpful,” Cohn says.
The material covered in the October Commercial Fleet Tire Digest shows that tire position and load distribution are critical to determining the appropriate air pressure that should be maintained in all tires throughout a fleet. The Commercial Fleet Tire Digest is a guide to reducing tire expenditures and is published monthly by Pressure Systems International, the manufacturer of the Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS) by PSI. To sign up to receive the free monthly newsletter and access all archive issues, go to www.psitiredigest.com.
