I have recently started doing distance shifts at a new job, I have never had a puncture while on the move, just had them after its been sitting all night. Apart from a obvious blow out how will the trailer start to feel if say the o/s middle tyre on a tri-axle trailer was flat, I know the tyre can be fixed if its not run flat on for too long, so noticing fairly sharpish would be a help, I drive at night mostly aswel so other than cars going past the trailer tyres are hard to see.
If it destroys itself I should easily see/feel the aftermath?
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You might here the bang as it goes off. Then you will be able to watch all the overtaking cars
swerving round the bits of tyre tread, mudguard, ■■■■■■■■■ etc.
If you ever get a front wheel puncture dont brake steer it until it stops if you brake it will throw you the opposite way to the puncture ie left tyre it will go right and visa versa always make sure you check them before you go anywhere.
If it’s a flat on any of the tyres except the front ones there’s often some serious overheating,of both the flat/underinflated one and sometimes those next to it,enough to see some smoke in the mirrors.
Unlike a car it is an offence to use a L.G.V with under inflated tyres, the may be saved if it was just under inflated and only driven for a short distance, driving for any length of time will cause the tyre to get hot and usually fail, taking wings and lights E.T.C as it goes.
Once had a front off side let go while doing 60’ish’ at the bottom of Keele bank. Focuses the mind let me tell you. Came to a stop right under J15. ATS wouldn’t touch it til HATO had coned off lane 1. They did and then there was an accident when Johnny Foreigner pulled into lane 2 and didn’t see the car there. This was 7pm on a friday. I was Mr. Popular believe me.
A quick and easy way to spot if a trailer tyre is under inflated:
stand some distance away from the trailer level with the axles. Look at the length of the flat section of tyre in contact with the road surface. (needs to be a hard smooth surface). The flat section at the bottom of each tyre should be about the same length, if one is longer = soft.
(works better when loaded).
See MolePower’s fine example in the first pic in this thread:
Dont panic,
dont over react,
and dont brake sharply .
A regular walk round visual check and tyre kick helps spot early trouble when your parked.
Check for pressures , tread depth, bulges , splits cracks and delaminating of tread from carcass (usual sign is a line crack around circumference slightly below tread level on sidewalls), and foreign matter stuck into tryre or tread – nails /bolts etc before anyone says
Keep a check regularly in both sides of your mirrors whilst driving ,
glance down to the tyres - a bulge or a cloud of dust or debris or a bang will often give the game away something untowards is wrong/ or the handling or a strange thud or odd patter noise or unusual rumbling noise . (if its trailer middle axle or others , the odd shape will stand out from the other 2 as you view them in line in mirror ).
If it happens and you get a puncture or blowout , a … Steady controlled coast to a full stop in a safe place/refuge helps. at earliest convenience.
If you have left debris/ shards in the road , phone and report it asap.
Above all , dont worry - - - its only flat at the bottom
Believe it or not you will normally smell a warm tyre, during the olden days when drivers were allowed to think for themselves, they were allowed to stop when they liked, wander round the vehicle with a cup of coffee and feel for hot wheel bearings and slack tyres etc.
