Thursday, June 08, 2006

Phat Tires

I’ve seen several 18-wheelers lately that have big fat tires instead of the usual dual tires.  Does anyone know anything about this?

(6) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1931 hrs
Off-Duty

  1. Owen, One is Cheaper then Two. Lighter too, Rims for one are 300# lighter then two, plus weight of tires. That means a truck can haul probabaly 1000 to 1500# more. x 4-5 Loads a day. 2 too 6 Tons a day. Payed by the ton a trucker makes a extra 30 to 60 a day. Helps pay fuel cost.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 08, 2006 at 1946 hrs


  2. They are new to the market, and have their ups and downs. They ride better, and they weigh about 800 lbs less comnsequently you can haul more or save fuel. They really suck in the snow, and when one blows out, and they do blow out, you are going to get towed in…period.

    Posted by Steven Thompson on June 08, 2006 at 1947 hrs


  3. I thought that was the point of 2 tires - if one blows out, the truck can make it to the next stop.  Going to one may reduce weight, but it seems that it opens the door to more frequent delays due to a down truck.

    Posted by Owen on June 08, 2006 at 2001 hrs


  4. Speaking as the owner/operator of a Quad axle dump truck, the weight savings are fairly small, only about 1500lbs however when you factor in that my 1999 freightliner weighs 27,000 lbs empty and I can haul only 73,000 lbs with a load, (not 80,000 lbs like a semi) the weight factor really becomes important. And that is the Main reason so many Cement mixers and a few dump trucks are switching over.

    Another factor though is that the big “Float tires” as their called cannot be retreaded. Which eliminates the Blow-out risk.

    Posted by Michael J. Cheaney on June 08, 2006 at 2124 hrs


  5. And just think how they will look on your pickup truck.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 08, 2006 at 2223 hrs


  6. Weight is only part of the equation.  The tires are supposed to also improve fuel economy by providing less resistance with the road because there are fewer tire sidewalls flexing.  The savings are supposedly in the 5-10% range, and it you are running a large fleet, that adds up.  Maintenance is also arguably easier than a dual.  It’s really about the fuel economy, though, which is a big topic for fleets today.

    Posted by Jib on June 09, 2006 at 0033 hrs


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