COMMERCIAL TRUCK TIRES

We Offer High-Quality Commercial Truck Tires to Keep You Safe on the Road

No matter what brand of truck you buy or how well you care for it, your tires will always be one of the most important maintenance items to focus on. Every commercial vehicle, no matter how new or well-maintained, needs quality tires to operate at peak efficiency and safety.

Your commercial truck tires are where the rubber meets the road, so ensure you choose wisely. Well-designed commercial tires can handle the stresses of high-capacity loads and long distances, offering superior traction and wear properties.

The best commercial tires can also be specifically tailored to handle a variety of conditions. For instance, you should be able to get tires made specifically for everything from muddy, bumpy terrain to miles and miles of smooth pavement, depending on your needs.

What to Look for When Buying Commercial Tires

While every commercial vehicle should have quality tires, that doesn’t mean every commercial vehicle will benefit from the same tires. By carefully shopping and weighing your options, you can find a tire that’s right for your company’s vehicles.

When in doubt, consult with experienced tire experts to be confident you’re making the correct decision. In general, though, you’ll need to look at several factors, including the following, to make your purchasing decisions:

• Cost: Save money by considering commercial tires with longer lifespans
• Weight Requirements: If you need a higher load capacity, seek higher ratings
• Road Conditions: Tires can be designed for specific conditions, such as warm or icy climates
• Warranties: Some tires guarantee specific lifespans or numbers of retreads

Additionally, you should be very careful about purchasing used tires. You don’t know how the previous owners cared for them, nor the conditions in which they were used, which makes the decision a risky one.

Even if the tire passes your inspection, you should still swap it out as soon as you can. This is especially important if it’s a steer-position tire.

Types of Tractor Trailer Tires We Carry

Commercial truck tires are designed to work with specific positions on a tractor-trailer. Each wheel requires different attributes for optimal performance, and you should avoid using a tire intended for one position in a different one when you can easily procure new tires for your tractor-trailer.

Steer Tires

Arguably, steer tires are the most important tires on the entire truck and have the most work to do. They are responsible for steering, which explains the name “steer tires” or “steer position tires.” They must also have solid handling dynamics to maintain maneuverability, channel water safely away, and provide a stable ride.

Now, even though trailer tires may have to handle high loads, keep in mind that those tires are almost always doubled up and often with tandem axles to distribute weight. Meanwhile, steer tires must bear high weight without the benefit of a neighbor tire.

Additionally, steer tires take the brunt of the forces under braking and must redirect the mass of the truck, while up to 24 other tires are fighting the change in direction. As such, steer tires must be exceptionally strong and provide a fantastic grip. This is why it is possible to use steer tires in other positions on the truck and trailer.

Drive Tires

Unlike steer-position tires, the drive position tires prioritize power and traction since they don’t have to turn. These types are mounted on the drive axles in the rear of the truck.

The treads are generally siped or lug-type. Being siped means they have many slits to improve traction in water and snow. Lug-type drive tire treads use perpendicular grooves for excellent dirt performance while resisting abrasions and cuts.

Trailer Tires

The wheels on trailers don’t have to put power down to the ground or aid in steering a truck around corners. However, they do have to bear the massive weight of a trailer’s contents.

They must have a balance between low rolling resistance to maximize economy while having traction to keep the trailer on the road. The sidewalls of trailer tires are exceptionally strong to prevent deformation and damage, and must handle high braking and lateral forces.

Beyond the tire position, you must also consider the difference between regional and long-haul tires.

Regional Commercial Tires

These tires are used on trucks that don’t need to travel beyond a 300-mile radius. Typically, they don’t need to sustain high speeds and only average 30,000 to 80,000 miles per year.

Long-Haul Commercial Tires

For trucks that must drive routes farther than 300 miles from the base of operations, their tires must be exceptionally robust to handle constant freeway speeds with lots of weight. Long-haul tires must be able to take 100,000 miles of use annually.

So which type of tire do you need? The answer entirely depends on how far your trucks need to travel. Regional tires simply can’t handle the abuse of cross-country deliveries.

Conversely, using long-haul tires for regional jobs would be a waste of those tires' abilities. Since long-haul tires are designed for such intense use, they might not reach their wear limits before it would be time to replace them due to age.

Commercial Truck Tire FAQs

What’s the Difference Between Commercial Truck Tires & Regular Tires or Light Truck Tires?

Light truck tires are optimized for comfort, smoothness, and low noise. The vehicles that most benefit from light truck tires will often be used solely for transportation, as opposed to delivering heavy loads across vast distances.

Commercial tires, by contrast, focus on load capacity, longevity, and durability, with noise and smoothness being far less important. This is accomplished in several ways:

• Tread patterns that maximize traction
• Heavy, strong sidewalls
• Low rolling resistance
• Higher-grade tread rubber with anti-aging compounds

Commercial tires are simply built for more extreme applications than light truck tires. However, commercial tires are rarely rated for use past 75 mph.

While light truck tires may be rated for speeds over 100 mph, commercial tires rarely are. This is because they are not intended for high-speed vehicles going around racetracks. Instead, they’re designed for deliveries at relatively low, constant velocities.

Most highways have a speed limit of 75 mph. As such, there’s no need to engineer commercial tires to handle higher speeds.

While there are businesses that will push their trucks to 80 or 85 mph (and beyond), doing so can be dangerous if the tires are below manufacturer-recommended pressures. Wear will also increase exponentially as speeds rise.

How Long Should Commercial Tires Last?

On average, commercial truck tires should last between three and six years. This is a wide range of longevity, but that’s due to the varying needs of commercial trucking operations. Trucks that see relatively few miles and light loads can indeed achieve six years of viable use, but the tires should never see service beyond six years.

Remember, too, that tires age quickly and can become dry-rotted in surprisingly little time. Even a well-maintained commercial tire with little wear can become unsafe to use simply because the rubber has become hard and brittle. Even with anti-aging compounds in commercial tires, it’s still wise to replace them once their time is up.

What Are the Speed Ratings on Commercial Truck Tires?

Most commercial truck tires are rated for 75 mph. To maintain that pace, operators need to pay close attention to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. Low PSI will lead to decreased sidewall support and exacerbate wear, in addition to affecting handling and efficiency.

Over time, the constant flexing will lead to weak spots in the tires that can cause blowouts. Exceeding the speed rating is also bad for the tires since they weren’t designed to handle that extra force.

Some drivers may exceed the speed rating of their tires by 5 to 10 mph. When done sparingly and with manufacturer-recommended tire pressure, this can be accomplished without causing too much extra wear or unsafe driving conditions.

However, make sure that the tires are not underinflated or exhibiting concerning levels of wear. In such cases, exceeding the tires’ speed rating can be dangerous.

What Is the Tread Depth of a Commercial Tire?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires the tread depth of steer tires to be at least 4/32 of an inch. Other tires may have a tread of 2/32 of an inch in depth.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance states that steer tires must have at least 2/32 of an inch of tread in two adjacent grooves. The rest of the tires may have 1/32 of an inch in adjacent grooves.

To measure commercial truck tire tread depth, use a tire tread depth gauge by inserting it into the tread groove. Then, press until it’s flush with the tire, and check the measurement on the gauge.

Why Buy Commercial Tires From Us?

Tires4That maintains a superior range of tires, yet we are committed to competitive pricing. When businesses like yours need to purchase tires for your fleets, you deserve to have a reliable source for specialty tires that won’t charge exorbitant prices.

We carry major brands such as Firestone and Goodyear. We also stock tires for a diverse range of vehicles, from large commercial trucks and skid steers to ATVs and golf carts.

Beyond tires, we also offer wheels, tubes, flaps, valves, chains, and more. Everything you need to keep your tires in excellent shape and your vehicle in service is available at Tires4That.

When you need expert advice and experience, Tires4That has your back. We’ve got 50 years under our belts and look forward to serving you for 50 more. Our customer-oriented reputation demonstrates our passion for providing quality service, allowing us to become a trusted partner rather than simply a tire supplier.