Tires are constructed of tread, casing and are inflated. All three of these properties can affect your fleet’s fuel consumption.

Tire design and manufacture have various ways of affecting the operations of the vehicles in your fleet. Modern technology has enabled tires to be one of the easiest ways a fleet manager can change the fuel efficiency of their vehicles.

Tire rolling resistance, along with air resistance and frictional losses in the engine and drive train are the main actions holding back a truck. The higher these forces are, the more energy your vehicles need in order to move forward.

While rolling resistance tends to be an overshadowed force, dealing with tires can be the fastest, easiest way to increase fuel efficiency. Short of re-engineering your motor and drive train or modifying your vehicle’s aerodynamics, swapping in a set of radials may be the fastest way to positively impact your fuel saving.

Radial tires are one way to positively affect your fuel consumption. Bias tires are 30 to 40% less effective at reducing rolling resistance. As a result, when your fleet service changes over to radials, it is easy to have gains up to 10% in total fuel savings.

With much of the resistance coming through the tread, time and effort is constantly being spent on the design and compounding of the tread. Research is showing that innovative approaches to tread depth, the amalgamation of natural and synthetic compounds and width of the tread patterns, all lead to reducing a tire’s overall rolling resistance. This increases the fuel savings of vehicles using more modern,  tires.

The sides of tires, or casings, also have a large impact on how efficient a tire is with relation to fuel consumption. While about a third of a tire’s rolling resistance is attributed to the casing, changes and enhancements in its design can be more challenging than treads or tire inflation.

Many tires are designed to allow for retreading, thus extending the life of a tire. Casing design changes can be a challenge when it comes to retreading. Naturally, there are limitations to how radical the casing can be redesigned while having negligible effects on the tire’s retreadability.

Directly related to the casing issues on fuel efficiency in tires is having them at proper inflation. Given that the air inside a tire is what actually supports the load as well as giving the casing its proper shape and support qualities, it’s clear that having your fleet’s tires at correct inflation is crucial to maximizing fuel savings.

Regular inspection of your fleet’s tire pressure will also save you money. On average, tires lose one to two pounds per square inch (PSI) per month or more depending upon use, weather, and other factors. Keeping them properly inflated at the maximum recommended levels has shown to be the best way to save on the fuel those vehicles are using.

Under inflated tires cause the casing to wear prematurely and increase heat generation; it has been established that over inflation is not effective in additional fuel savings. Although it seems like your tires would be better off near their maximum PSI rating, the reality is, you don’t get an effective boost in fuel savings. In fact, over inflation may contribute to uneven wear, decreasing the useful lifespan of your tires.

Consider switching your vehicles to fuel efficient, radial tires, make sure they are properly inflated, and check wear and tear regularly to maximize your fleet fuel savings.

Technorati Tags: fleets, fuel costs, reduce expenses