Tyres for trucks

One of the key aspects of reliable, long-lasting and safe truck operation is choosing the right tyres. So when picking "footwear" for a truck, you need to take into account the following main requirements placed on them.

First, the tyres must provide secure grip on the road surface, thereby guaranteeing good vehicle handling (and for trucks it's especially important that the tyre type match the season).

Second, they must withstand the required load and provide good off-road capability for the vehicle, based on the nature of the tasks it performs and its field of use.

Third, they need to be of sufficiently high quality to provide high wear resistance and long, trouble-free operation.

Fourth, the tyres should be reasonably light and easy to mount.

Fifth, they should suit the specifics of the particular truck (for example, only certain special tyres suit Japanese trucks, which are used today by most companies whose line of work is hauling freight around Moscow and beyond).

Beyond all of the above, when buying tyres for any category of vehicle, you should remember they have a set shelf life, which, under Russian Federation law, is five years regardless of whether they've been in use or not. So when buying, you should always check the tyre's date of manufacture. As already noted above, matching the tyre type to the season it's used in is a very important factor in ensuring safe truck operation. This requirement must be strictly followed by managers of companies hauling freight around Moscow and other cities, since it affects not only the safety of the cargo and the vehicle, but also people's life and health.

For accident-free and safe driving, you also need to follow these basic rules for using tyres:

• stick to the permitted pressure in them;
• carry out a thorough inspection of them once every six months;
• carry out periodic wheel balancing;
• keep an eye on the condition of the running gear;
• avoid loading them beyond the permitted value;
• stick to the speed rating recommended by the tyre manufacturer;
• tyres for trucks mounted on the same axle must be identical.