Inflation is the whole game
Every 10 PSI under-inflation costs 1–2% MPG and 25% tire life. Drive-axle tires lose pressure fastest. Use TPMS or CTIS on tractors; manual weekly checks on trailers.
Tires are the third-largest variable cost in fleet ops and the #1 cause of roadside breakdowns. Treat them as a program, not a purchase.
Tire blowouts are mostly preventable. The fleets with the lowest tire CPM share three habits: weekly inflation, position rotation, and aggressive retread.
Every 10 PSI under-inflation costs 1–2% MPG and 25% tire life. Drive-axle tires lose pressure fastest. Use TPMS or CTIS on tractors; manual weekly checks on trailers.
Steer tires last longest (highway) but wear fastest if alignment is off. Drive tires get pulled at 6/32" and rotated to trailer. Trailer tires get pulled at 4/32" and sent to retread casing inventory.
A casing in good condition retreads 2–3 times. Retread cost is ~30–40% of a new tire. Major fleets (UPS, J.B. Hunt) run 80%+ retread on trailers. Save new caps for steer position only.
Weekly minimum on trailers, daily on tractors via DVIR. TPMS makes daily checks automatic.
Yes — DOT data shows retread failure rates are no higher than new tires when sourced from quality casings. The 'road gators' are mostly under-inflated tire carcasses, retread or new.