New To Trucking Yearly Tire Expense

Ottomatic

Member
Is there a rule of thumb of how many miles will tires take before they need to be rethreaded or replaced to avoid blowouts? I know the best way to determine is to measure the thread depth but I am trying to calculate yearly costs ahead of time to understand how much money need to be set apart for this.
 
Depends on the kind of tires you're running. Low rolling resistance tires have a lower yearly cost of ownership due to better fuel economy. I run Michelin Energy tires, and usually expect to get around 250,000 miles out of them. Tires rated for regional use cost more to operate due to lower fuel economy, but will give you longer service.
 
Depends on the type of driving you will do really. Dirt work, local delivery with lots of start/stop and turning won't get near the life out f OTR.

I got 220-240k miles out of a set of aeolus tires. It cost me $2200 out the door for a full set of 8. I'd still get 6.5-6.7 mpg with them.

Compare that to a set of Michelin at near 2.5-3 times the cost and similar miles.


Changes in recap policy is the only reason I would consider not going back to them.
 
Wait for it.....

Why? Lets just pitch into it.

I'd still get 6.5-6.7 mpg with them.

Those cheap Chinese tires get poorer fuel mileage than a set of Michelins. You could probably get somewhere nearer to a mile per gallon improvement. At 7.5 mpg and $3.25 per gallon over 250,000 miles, that's around $18,000 in savings. Lets say you get just half of that. You've paid for the Michelins and have quite a bit of cash in your pocket, and a higher quality tire that is less prone to blowouts and weird tread wear than your Chinese junk.

But hey? WTF do I know?
 
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In @mndriver's defense, it does depend on what kind of trucking you're doing. @mndriver is a flatbedder, and I pull a reefer. Most of my miles are on paved highways. If you're getting off road a lot, rough surfaces, etc, a tougher tread that gets poorer fuel economy may be necessary keep from tearing up your tires.
 
Is there a rule of thumb of how many miles will tires take before they need to be rethreaded or replaced to avoid blowouts? I know the best way to determine is to measure the thread depth but I am trying to calculate yearly costs ahead of time to understand how much money need to be set apart for this.

Give it a good jab with a Gerber knife. That's how you test tires nowadays.
Gotta use the hands on approach.:pickle:
 
Just kidding. A new tire can typically last a few days or even a few years, depending on traffic conditions and driver skills. Its hard to tell. But, if it gets your noodle going. Create a company account with a tire shop and get free tires after they fail the warranty. Most do and vehicle owners don't know that they already have a prorated mileage warranty.
 
1 tractor,4 trailers
this year I have spent 3291.08
that included a set of tries for my pickup I bought under my trucking business

ahem!

I have 7 brand new trailer tires in my building also
 

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