The Importance of HGV Tyres Beyond Reactive Maintenance

The condition of your HGVs’ tyres is vital for the overall safety and efficiency of your fleet. Serving as the only component in direct contact with the road, they play an integral role as your primary line of defence against breakdowns and incidents. A single tyre failure can bring your fleet operations to a standstill and may even result in legal penalties.

While daily walkaround checks were once deemed adequate to ensure the roadworthiness of HGV tyres, certain advancements in fleet tyre management now offer more precise methods. In this guide, we provide you with all the details.

Why are HGV Tyres Important?

Essentially, proper HGV tyre maintenance is paramount for fleet safety, encompassing various critical aspects. Specifically, underinflated tyres can generate excessive heat, potentially leading to a blowout, this being detrimental as it can result in loss of control and therefore a severe accident.

Furthermore, tyres are designed to work in tandem with a vehicle's brake, steering, and suspension systems. In the case of underinflation, the tyre lacks sufficient air to support the vehicle's weight, thereby adversely impacting acceleration, braking, and cornering.

Not to mention, in the event of an actual tyre failure, any debris left on the motorway or road can endanger other motorists too. Responding reactively isn’t a matter of an easy fix either, considering that replacing a tyre on the roadside is generally quite hazardous. As such, tyre maintenance significantly mitigates these risks, fostering a safer environment for fleet drivers, maintenance personnel, as well as other road users.

What is a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System?

A tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) does precisely as its name suggests, it automatically alerts fleet managers when tyre pressures fall below a particular threshold. This eliminates the necessity for manual checks, enabling organisations to proactively manage the pressure of their fleet vehicles’ tyres. Additionally, through remote TPMS, real-time monitoring of this data is possible across the entire fleet.

The Benefits of Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems

Accident Prevention

Underinflated tyres can compromise vehicle handling, elevating the risk of accidents. Beyond the concern for driver safety, accidents can lead to substantial financial implications, including damages to goods, missed deliveries, and greater insurance premiums. In more ways than one, then, it’s in fleet managers’ best interests to improve driver safety via TPMS.

Legal Compliance

According to UK regulations governing commercial vehicles, tyres must be appropriately inflated for the intended use of the vehicle. While slightly underinflated tyres may not immediately lead to legal consequences, they might go unnoticed and only come to light during a DVSA spot check. 

If an underinflated tyre is noticeable during such an inspection, the potential repercussions are substantial. Namely, violations can result in a fine of up to £2,500, coupled with the possibility of penalty points. On top of this, it’s noteworthy that these penalties are applied per tyre. In this context, TPMS helps fleet managers meet compliance standards, meaning these fines are wholly avoided.

Enhance Tyre Longevity

Driving with underinflated tyres imposes additional strain on the structural integrity of the tyre. This added stress can lead to cracks in the tyre walls and also significantly raises the likelihood of experiencing a blowout. Moreover, underinflated tyres accelerate wear and tear on the tyre itself, translating to increased expenses for more frequent tyre replacements. The use of TPMS here guarantees better longevity for each and every fleet tyre.

Optimise Fuel Economy

Underinflated tyres amplify the resistance a moving vehicle encounters, given the larger surface area in contact with the road. In routine driving scenarios, the excess friction necessitates more fuel consumption compared to fully-inflated tyres, consequently leading to heightened fuel costs. And so, over the course of a year, maintaining optimal tyre inflation via TPMS can yield substantial fleet savings, negating any initial investment.

Conclusion

In summary, the condition of HGV tyres is crucial for fleet safety and efficiency. While traditional manual checks were once considered enough, TPMS offers a more proactive and reliable approach. TPMS remotely alerts managers of underinflated tyres, in turn, preventing collisions, ensuring legal compliance, enhancing tyre longevity, and optimising fuel economy all in real-time.

With the addition of predictive tyre maintenance solutions, your fleet can gain a comprehensive overview of tyre wear, increasing efficiency and extending tyre life. Ultimately, investing in such technologies reflects a commitment to safety, operational excellence, and cost-effectiveness in managing HGV fleets.

MICHELIN Connected Fleet’s TPMS paired with our predictive tyre maintenance solution places us firmly at the forefront of advanced fleet tyre management. If you’re interested in reaping all of the benefits we’ve spoken about for your HGV fleet, then be sure to make an enquiry into how our services can help today.