Did you recently open your own shipping business and just don't seem to be seeing the reward on the investment you have made in it yet, even though you have many clients keeping your trucks on the road? The key to finally getting "out of the red" and making the profit your business has the potential to make may be looking into how you purchase and maintain your trucks' tires. Here are three ways to make sure your trucks' tires are helping you save money and not waste it. 

1. Make Sure Your Trucks' Tires Are Always Properly Inflated

You likely know that making sure all of the tires on your truck fleet are inflated properly can improve each truck's MPG, and you likely even think all of your truck tires are inflated properly at all times. However, according to a recent study performed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, over half of all tires that were tested for inflation levels by the association were at least 5% over or under the target pressure for the tire, even when the drivers thought they were properly inflated.

This means that the odds are that at least a few of your trucks are being driven with tires that are not at the proper inflation level each day. Be sure to remind your drivers to check their tire pressure during their routine inspections before making deliveries and how important it is for your business to keep its gasoline costs down. 

2. Consider Low-Rolling-Resistance Tires

Switching to low-rolling-resistance tires on your trucks can also increase every truck's gas mileage. What is rolling resistance? Put simply, it is how much a truck "fights" to stay inert when the driver along the energy from the gasoline are attempting to move it forward. For example, driving into a strong wind can decrease a truck's rolling resistance slightly, which is why it is called "wind resistance."

Low-rolling-resistance tires are designed to eliminate this resistance as much as possible and decrease the energy needed to push the truck forward. Since this energy is produced by gasoline, these tires reduce the amount of gasoline needed to move the truck in the desired direction. There are many styles of low-rolling-resistance tires now on the market, and they vary in how they achieve the goal of absorbing less of that energy. However, no matter which brand or style you choose, be sure to choose tires that have low-profile sidewalls, because this feature alone lessens the rolling resistance of a tire by as much as 65 percent. 

3. Stop Buying Those Replacement Tires One-By-One

No matter what type of tires you choose to keep on your trucks and how well your drivers keep your fleet's tires properly inflated, you are throwing money away if you don't buy your tires in bulk. Buying bulk cannot only save you tremendously on the cost of each tire compared to buying just a few at a time, but each tire's lower cost can also afford you the ability to replace each truck's tires more often. New tires with relatively fresh tread not only keep your drivers safer on the road (especially when driving in bad weather), but they also help increase your trucks' gas mileage. 

What do you do with all those extra tires once your shipment arrives? It is relatively easy to keep tires you are not currently using in good shape, even on a tight budget. You must simply store them away from direct sunlight and other sources of intense heat and keep them dry. Placing each tire in a thick plastic bag can help you keep them dry, and if you choose a dark bag (such as black), it can also protect them from light. To further guard your tires against dry-rot, make sure to remove as much air from each bag you place each tire in and seal the bag tightly to prevent tire outgassing. Outgassing occurs as the natural oils in your tires evaporate, although it typically only occurs in tires that are stored very haphazardly (such as in direct sunlight) for long periods of time. 

If your new shipping company is not yet as profitable as you had hoped it would be, then follow these tips on using your trucks' tires to help you save money and not waste it. Also, look into other small ways to reduce your truck maintenance costs and overall business overhead. You may be surprised that after just a few tweaks, your once-struggling business becomes a very profitable endeavor!

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