School Bus Fleet: Tips for Tire Maintenance
16 Jan 2020Are your school bus fleet tires harming or helping your efforts to run a cost-effective, safe bus system? Despite seeming like a fairly minor decision, the type of bus tires you choose can impact both performance and safety a great deal. And, maintenance and proper care of your tires can help keep standards of safety high, while decreasing long-term expenses. Below are some tips you can follow for adequate tire maintenance.
- Tire Retreading
An effective, cost-efficient way to extend your school bus fleet tires’ life is through retreading. While retreading continues to keep a bad reputation in certain areas, this is based on older technology versions. Tire retreading today is very effective and some manufacturers will even provide a like-new warranty on retreaded tires. You can often extend the lifespan of your tires by three times or more, but at a fraction of the expense of newer tires.
- Check Pressure and Inflation Regularly
You should check the tires’ air pressure and correct it weekly through the use of an accurate pressure gauge. You should check tire pressure on cold tires, however, and not hot tires. If you use tires that aren’t inflated properly, it could lead to substantial tire damage.
- Check Tread Depth and Axle Alignment
Your tires frequently come in contact with speed bumps and curbs, resulting in axles being knocked out of place. Your fleet maintenance staff should ensure the minimum tread depth allowed before they change a tire. This could vary depending on weather and road conditions.
- Inspections
Technicians and drivers both have a shared responsibility of inspecting tires for potential damage and making sure they’re in a proper state to function while the bus is operating. The recommendations by manufacturers vary on how often you should have the tires inspected, but each typically recommend checking them daily during your drivers’ pre-trip inspection. Along with this, your technicians should inspect the tires at the appearance of abnormal wear or during the required preventive maintenance tasks.
- GPS Fleet Tracking and GPS Fleet Management Software
It can be a daunting task having to keep track of school bus maintenance such as tire rotations, oil changes, etc. GPS fleet tracking and management software will allow you to set up maintenance alerts based on engine hours or mileage. GPS device maintenance can:
- Monitor your drivers’ behaviors
- Automate maintenance scheduling process
- Reduce maintenance-related accidents
- Increase school bus lifespans
- Send reports on school bus diagnostics
Tire maintenance is very important and you shouldn’t let it slide. By following these tips, including implementing GPS fleet tracking and management software, you can ensure your tires remain safe and perform properly and effectively.
If you manage a school bus fleet, give us a call here at LiveViewGPS to learn more about how GPS fleet management and tracking software can help you manage your school bus fleet more effectively. 1-888-544-0494
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