I have become awair of a lack of concern or any way of checking the tyre pressure on any of our trucks.
Being a keen biker I am of the oppinion that this should only be done when the tyres are cold.
Also on a truck this should be done at least once a week.
I am very awair of the total loss of contol if more then one tyre should blow out 
What would you long serving pro drivers recomend I do? 
john o:
I have become awair of a lack of concern or any way of checking the tyre pressure on any of our trucks.
Being a keen biker I am of the oppinion that this should only be done when the tyres are cold.
Also on a truck this should be done at least once a week.
I am very awair of the total loss of contol if more then one tyre should blow out
What would you long serving pro drivers recomend I do?
Not worry about it. Give them a good kick and if they feel alright, they probably are 
If you’ve got that much time on your hands to be able to check tyre pressures on every trip then I want some of what you’re getting 
Your pressures won’t be wildly out anyway, regardless of hot or cold. Don’t forget you’re playing with up to 125 psi with truck/trailer tyres rather than 30 psi for a typical car, say, so a bit of variance isn’t going to matter that much in my opinion. Just my 2p anyway.
err I dont have a lot of spare time lol.
But thanks for the advice rob k
I still think at least once a month you should check em.
Rob K:
a bit of variance isn’t going to matter that much in my opinion. Just my 2p anyway.
A bit of variance can make quite a difference to fuel consumption, the more under inflated a tyre is the greater the rolling resistance leading to a deterioration in fuel consumption.
Maintaining the correct pressure will also prolong the life of the tyre. I check mine once a week and it only takes 10 minutes. I haven’t bought a rear tyre in years as the last two trucks I had, for 3 years each, both went back with the original tyres on the rear axle, they had only been cut not replaced. Both of those had one replacement set on the front axle.
It seems to be working so I think I’ll keep checking them rather than just kicking them.
Of course truck tyres should be checked regularly but they are not as critical as a motorbike tyre. A super single is ok between 100 and 125 psi but my bike is crap if the front tyre loses more than 1psi
When I worked for one company it was a sacking offence if he caught you driving past the workshop without checking them. I used to do 10 to 14 weeks away and check them in the yard when I was home. I did a visual / tyre kick each morning but normally did them once a week in Zeebrugge. The biggest problem is garage gauges are so far out that there can be 10psi between them.
Just keep an eye on them and feel the drums and tyre when you stop for a coffee. You will get use to them and be able to smell a soft tyre
Wheel Nut:
The biggest problem is garage gauges are so far out that there can be 10psi between them.
That’s a good point, garage gauges are terrible, I use my own gauge for checking them, the same one all the time, and just use the garage ones to put air in if needed.
I always give them a good looking at when I stop for a break, feel for temp ( if hot they are under inflated(or over weight))and check pressure on a few tyres each time I fill up. so all are checked within a week. blow outs can be very scary 
I don’t have a proper pressure gauge, I use the cab jacking bar . You have to listen to the sound that the tyre makes when you hit it. Just the same as kicking it, but I think, more effective.
That reminds me, I need to find a way of putting some air in the lift axle tyre on the wendy house FH12 I’m in coz it only showed at £60 when I tested it as it was looking a bit flat.
The problem I have with garage air pumps are that they aren’t suitable and meaty enough to shove in £100+. I tried to put some air in it at Markham Moor but after a full ten minutes it only managed about £5 and I haven’t got all day.
Who can recommend a good fast truck tyre inflating place on the motorway network
The tyre flexes as it rotates under load, that makes all the parts move in relation to one another.
If you take a piece of plasticine and squeeze it into different shapes, it warms up because of internal friction.
A tyre does exactly the same. Low pressure = excessive distortion or flexing = heat build up = structural damage.
The damage may not be immediatley evident - layers of rubber becoming unstuck - delaminate. Wire in beads detaches itself.
These ‘little’ problems will weaken the tyre, and gradually spread as more journeys are made. Eventually failure will occur (blowout). The lower the pressure the sooner the failure. A defecit of 5-10llb/sqin will affect its lifespan.
Also as you know with the bike tyre pressure affects handling.
Tyres are not rigid and flex or give under forces generated by steering, cornering, side winds and road camber.
Under these forces the tyre will seldom run absolutley straight but will ‘run off’ to one side. This ‘run off’ is proportional to the side load applied, and will be greater if the tyre pressure is lower.
If the ammount of ‘run off’ is equal on all tyres around the vehicle, they all behave the same making the vehicle stable.
If the rear tyres are a bit soft, they’ll ‘run off’ more than the front ones consequently as you turn through a corner the back end will run wide, tightening the curve of the vehicles path. You have to back off the angle of the steering wheel to compensate.
The opposite happens if fronts are soft.
If you find that you are having to regularly back off the steering halfway through a bend, (or have to apply more) your tyres will probably benefit from pressure adjustment. 2lbs will make a difference
If anyone thinks that I’m being a bit too fussy try driving through the alps fully freighted.
You can get digital tyre pressure gauges now I check them weekly.