By Kenneth Reily

Heavy trucks are big vehicles with the main function to transport cargo, this is mainly done on highways in what is referred to as long haul transport. A truck will have the cab, which is where the driver will sit and the cab will connect to the trailer. These trucks haul heavy loads. Road damage and wear increase very rapidly with the axle weight, thus they will often have up to six axles, you can also have double trailer trucks.

The first axle is the steering axle, which is the most important axle of the truck. This will need to have the best grip with deep grooves to be able to channel away water and slush. Stability and good precise driving is essential.

The second axle and sometimes also the third, is the drive axle. It is located in the front of the trailer. These tires will have to translate the torque to drive the truck. Tires will need to be of special rubber compound for long service life and need to have low heat build-up to ensure that the tires will wear evenly and will last a long time. Also here good grip is needed and low rolling resistance for good fuel economy.

Finally you have the trailer tires, which are the last axles on the trailer. Trailer tires need to take a lot of load and need to be very durable, you should aim to have good grip on all axles to make the truck is more stable and to avoid any sway or loss of grip. Puncture resistant tires ensures also that you don’t have punctures on any of the tires around the truck.

A truck, regardless of the position, will need to have durable tires that have low rolling resistance, while still exhibiting good grip. The low rolling resistance will guarantee good fuel economy. If you will experience winter weather during the winter season, you should equip the truck with winter tires in all the tire positions. Winter tires will guarantee that you can drive safely on the highways without putting anyone in jeopardy. Winter tires should be approved for winter use and should have the 3MPSF-symbol on the sidewall. With these tires on the truck you will be able to more safely drive on the highways when you deliver cargo.

For better tire economy, truck tires are good for retreading as the main wear is coming from real depleting of the tread hat can be added again, while the other main parts of the tire should be intact. Retreading of a tire is a fraction of the price of buying a new tire. Retreaded tires are nowadays as good as new tires if they are done by a premium tire manufacturer.

Long haul tires are made for these long and medium hauls. The ability to deliver cargo all over the worlds relies as much on the durability of the truck as well as the durability of the haul tire. You will need both to deliver a reliable service for long haul delivery.