Tire triage: A visual guide to troubleshoot tire wear

Premature tire wear costs fleets money, so catching problems early during pre- and post-trip inspection should be a priority, according to Kevin Rohlwing, chief technical officer at the Tire Industry Association.

Fleets also need a mechanism in place, such as electronic driver vehicle inspection reports (eDVIRs) to quickly communicate issues to the shop.

“If a driver doesn’t notify maintenance personnel, technicians won’t spot the problem until the next preventative maintenance check,” Rohlwing explained. “In most cases, enough time will have passed to permanently damage the casing or create wear issues that cannot be corrected.”

It’s just as important to figure out what’s causing the premature wear so it doesn’t keep happening. The good news is that most root causes are controllable through basic maintenance practices.

“We just need to train personnel on what to look for,” said Tom Clauer, senior manager of commercial product planning at Yokohama Tire.

The challenge for technicians is that tire wear, like tires themselves, comes in all shapes and patterns. There are dozens of different types. A good tire technician should at least know how to spot the most common wear types and what causes them. With the help of our vast network of OE and shop sources, we submit to you the ones you’re likely to see the most, along with a few rarities to increase your own expertise.