31/10/2023
Looking to increase your cargo size? Downsizing your tyres can give you the wiggle room you need to fit a bigger trailer, without risking an ‘oversized load’ classification. In this article, you’ll learn all you need to know to maximise both your cargo space and tyre performance.
Like many industries, cargo transport is heavily regulated. To guarantee safety on the roads and standardise infrastructure, the maximum allowed size of a tractor + trailer combination is standardised and written in stone.
That is, so to speak, the box that you’re allowed to take up on the highways. If you don’t fit in those dimensions, you are classified as an ‘oversized load’ or ‘Convoi exceptionnel’, dramatically reducing your options on the road.
That means that, since your dimensions are so strictly regulated, there are relatively few steps you can take to increase your cargo space. Simply making the trailer bigger results in getting an ‘oversized load’ classification. So, what to do?
Fitting your truck with smaller tyres is an excellent way to get more cargo space, without getting classified as an oversized load. That might mean having only two vehicles on the road instead of three to transport a load. It’s easy to see how this might be beneficial to the fleets and more sustainable for the environment.
But as is the case with so many seemingly bulletproof solutions, there are some things to be aware of. We've listed them here to help you stay safe and productive on the road.
Most of the vehicle weight is carried by the air inside the tyre. So naturally, a smaller tyre will impact your vehicle’s carrying capacity.
Less air also means a faster drop in pressure. Properly pressurising your tyre is always critical, but it becomes even more important when dealing with smaller tyres. Luckily, Goodyear TPMS makes that process easy.
Goodyear TPMS monitors your tyre pressure in real time and lets you plan out preventative maintenance – so you can spot issues long before they turn into emergencies.
Tyres wear down as they rotate. So, a smaller tyre – which rotates more – will wear down faster. Sadly, there is no getting around that fact. But there are ways to mitigate it and help you get the maximum out of your tyres, large or small.
First things first: to combat the issue of faster wear, be sure to choose tyres made with more robust materials. To help carry some of the weight, but mostly to add structural integrity and extend the tyre life.
Second, it’s important you stay on top of your regular maintenance cycle to get the most out of your smaller tyres. While this might have to happen a bit more frequently than larger tyres, the old saying holds: take good care of your equipment and it will take care of you.
There doesn’t need to be an exact match in tyre size across all your axles, but there is relatively little wiggle room. First of all, to ensure proper distribution and guarantee proper function of all your systems. Since tyres of different sizes rotate at different speeds, a big discrepancy between different tyres can result in several internal systems malfunctioning.
When you decide to change the tyres on your newly bought vehicle, it’s important to ensure you conform to the vehicle manufacturer allowed tyre sizes. Should you change the tyres on your existing trucks, you’ll need the green light from your vehicle manufacturer and the approval of local road authorities.
If you need some guidance, the tyre size reference chart at the bottom of the article will help you find a good combination.
So, it’s clear that fitting your truck with smaller tyres is a great solution, but there are a few factors you need to be aware of. Time-consuming maintenance becomes even more critical and frequent, meaning more downtime and less earning time on the road.
Luckily, there are several Goodyear Solutions that can help speed up the maintenance process, so that you’ll get back on the road with confidence as fast as possible.
1. Goodyear TPMS
As mentioned in the above section, maintaining pressure is critical. But Goodyear TPMS goes much further than simple pressure monitoring. G-predict technology helps turn raw data into user-friendly reports. It detects leaks and underinflation early, letting you avoid the problems before they occur.
* features available only on the in-ground version of the Goodyear CheckPoint
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