Posts Tagged ‘tires’
Fleet Safety Tips: Wet Roads
Friday, June 18th, 2010
Automotive Fleet has another edition of Fleet Safety Tip of the Week up, so are here to pass the information along to you and your drivers. This week’s safety advice involves driving on wet roads.
When it is raining or the road is wet, most tires have good traction up to about 35 mph. However, as you move faster, your tires will start to ride up on the water, much like water skis. This is called “hydroplaning.” In a heavy rain, your tires can lose all traction with the road at around 50 mph. Bald or badly worn tires will lose traction at much lower speed. The best way to keep from hydroplaning is to drive slower in the rain, or when the road is wet.
If it feels like your tires have lost traction with the surface of the road you should:
-Ease your foot off the gas pedal
-Keep the steering wheel straight. Only try to turn if it’s an emergency. If you must turn, do it slowly, or you will cause your vehicle to skid
-Do not try to stop or turn until your tires are gripping the road again.
Photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks under the Creative Commons License
Tags: gas pedal, hydroplaning, raining, safety tips, tires, wet roads
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Majority of Vehicles Have Under-Inflated Tires
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
According to a recent survey conducted by the Rubber Manufacturers Association, 55 percent of vehicles in the United States have at least one under-inflated tire at any given time, and only one out of every six vehicles has all of its tires properly inflated.
The RMA’s findings showed that most of the offenders’ tires were only under-inflated by 4 psi (31 percent). 20 percent were under-inflated by 6 psi, and 15 percent showed at least one tire under-inflated by 8 psi.
While these numbers may seem troubling, they are actually a vast improvement over previous years’ studies. The number of vehicles with four properly inflated tires nearly doubles compared to last year’s survey.
Proper tire inflation is an important issue for fleet operators. Keeping your fleet’s tired properly inflated improves overall fuel efficiency by 3.3 percent and can save you up to nine cents per gallon in wasted fuel costs. And fuel efficiency is not the only issue: the NHTSA estimates that under-inflated tires contribute to over 600 fatalities and 33,000 injuries each year.
Photo courtesy of Gavin St. Ours under the Creative Commons License
Tags: fatalities, fuel efficiency, Rubber Manufacturers Association, tires, Under-Inflated, vehicles
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Potholes Wreak Havoc on Fleets
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
We have all experienced the dreaded pothole. Formed by the erosion of road surfaces due to stress fractures, these unsightly and undercarriage-rattling depressions have caused endless frustration for drivers since the introduction of paved roads. The damage caused by potholes can be costly for fleets and dangerous for drivers.
Recent icy conditions across the country will most likely make existing potholes far worse and lead to further expenses for commercial drivers and commuters alike. In one recent month, the city of Atlanta paid out more than $6,300 in repair costs to five motorists for the potholes on one city block alone.
To keep your vehicles safe from potholes, here are a few easy tips:
- Keep an eye on the road and leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Avoiding potholes is much easier when you see them coming.
- Pay special attention in areas with a lot of heavy truck traffic and bus stops. Heavy vehicles produce additional road stress that can exacerbate potholes.
- Avoid swerving to avoid the pothole- you could pose a danger to other drivers.
- If you do end up hitting a pothole, check your tires and make sure no damage has been done to your wheels or car body.
Photo courtesy of MSVG under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: damage, fleets, icy, pothole, tips, tires
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All New Tires May Require Label for Fuel Economy, Environmental Impact
Monday, June 29th, 2009
As you know, a tire’s performance plays a critical role in your fleet’s fuel economy. And if the U.S. Department of Transportation gets its way, you soon won’t have to guess at your tire’s impact on fuel economy and carbon dioxide emission reductions, according to government-fleet.com. You’ll just have to look at the label on your tires when you purchase them.
The proposal, which was put forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), also would provide customers “with two other key pieces of tire performance information: wet weather traction and tread wear,” according to NHTSA officials, as reported by Modern Tire Dealer (MTD).
Should the proposal get approved, tire dealers would be required to display the label until that tire has been sold. The new ratings would also be posted on safecar.gov where savvy shoppers can compare overall tire performance before buying them.
“Today’s proposal takes the guess work out of buying the best tires for your vehicle,” says U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Our proposal would let customers look at a single label and compare a tire’s overall performance as it relates to fuel economy, safety and durability.”
Tags: Modern Tire Dealer, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safecar.gov, tires, vehicle maintenance, vehicle performance
Posted in Fleet Resources, Industry News | 1 Comment »
Pressure Points
Friday, March 27th, 2009
Improve safety and save money on your fleet
Did you know that the maintaining the right tire pressure can save you about two weeks worth of fuel a year?
Fleet Equipment posted an article back in 2005 that may have even more relevance today, discussing the importance of keeping the tires on your commercial trucks properly inflated.
While it’s sometimes easier said than done, just having your fleet drivers follow a few simple steps could help save your company a lot of money at the pump and even more when it comes to maintenance:
- Make sure your drivers have an accurate pressure gauge and check the tires on their truck each day.
- Give every tire on your truck a quick inspection prior to operation.
- If you’re changing a tire, make sure to use a safety cage when inflating tires after mounting.
- Avoid mixing tires types on your vehicle.
- More extensive tire repair and service should be done by trained mechanics.
- If a tire has been running at less than 80 percent of the recommended pressure, always dismount and inspect that tire before putting it back on the road.
- Driving on a flat tire dual can cause irreparable damage to both tires because of the increased load the inflated tire must carry.
Keep this guide of handy and make it a regular practice and maybe some of those calls you get off of those “how’s my driving?” bumper stickers will just be to compliment you on how good those tires look.
Click here to read the entire article.
Tags: company savings, Fleet Equipment, maintenance, safety, tires
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Tire Shipments Continue to Drop in 2009
Monday, March 23rd, 2009
According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, tire shipments are expected to drop more then 7% in 2009, following an almost 9% decline from the previous year.
As we reported earlier, the decline in units is closely tied to the cost of oil, a primary ingredient in the manufacturing process. The RMA also noted decreased consumer confidence, higher unemployment rates and a decline in vehicle miles travelled as other factors in the nearly 21 million unit decline.
However, 2010 will bring better news as analysts are predicting a turn-around in line with economic forecasts. Analysts predict that the industry will begin to recovery and ship an anticipated 270 million units.
With tire shipments on the decline for the next few months, its more important then ever that you get the most mileage out of the ones that you have. With a fleet card, you can monitor your vehicles performance and maintenance schedules to ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly rotated and checked at the right time, giving you the most bang for your buck.
Click here to read the entire article.
Photo copyright of Mykl Roventine.
Tags: fleet monitoring, Rubber Manufacturers Association, tires, vehicle performance
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Fleet Management Costs are on the Rise: Are You Prepared?
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
In addition to an unstable economy, fleet managers and business owners now have to contend with fleet management costs on the rise.
Our colleagues at Business Fleet have released some key findings from GE Capital Solutions Fleet Services 14th annual fleet passenger car maintenance study. One major finding was that fleet management costs have risen 5% from 2007 to 2008.
The main source for this uptick in costs came from increased prices for replacement tires along with higher labor rates. Since oil is a key ingredient in the tire manufacturing process, when oil prices sky-rocketed, so did the price of tires. Add to that the cost of labor rising 3-4% from the previous year due to shops feeling the economic pinch, and you can see how these costs can quickly add up and affect your bottom line.
One way to combat these rising costs, especially in relation to tires, is with the maintenance reporting that a fleet fuel card offers. You’ll know exactly when your vehicles need their tires replaced, so you’re not spending extra money replacing them too often and you’re not letting them go so long that something else breaks.
Read the entire story here, and we want to know: what will you be doing in 2009 to combat rising fleet management costs?
Tags: economy, fleet management, labor, operating costs, tires
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
