In honor of the Rubber Manufacturers Association’s Tire Safety Week, June 1-7, and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Roadcheck blitz, June 3-5, Love’s Truck Tire Care centers offer these tire care tips that will improve fuel mileage and tires life -- and keep you out of trouble at the scales.

“Tires are among the highest expenses for fleets and owner-operators, and tires and wheels accounted for 10% of out-of-service violations during last year’s Roadcheck event,” says Dan Jensen, director of tire sales and service for Love’s. “Our roadside assistance calls increase every year during Roadcheck. We’re happy to assist, but by checking with a Love’s Truck Tire Care certified technician and keeping some simple things in mind, drivers can stay on the road and cut down on costs.”

1. Air pressure: Increase the life of your tires and maximize fuel efficiency by making sure your tires are properly inflated. Poorly inflated tires can cause a road failure, as well as decreased tread life, and added stress and possible failure of the casing. A Love’s Truck Tire Care technician can help you maximize the life of your tires by helping you with proper inflation maintenance.

2. Alignment: Operating a vehicle without proper alignment causes irregular wear. Driver fatigue can be caused by counter-steering due to alignment issues. A number of things can cause improper alignment at any time. Tires should be monitored for irregular wear and aligned as needed. Ask a Love’s Truck Tire Care technician about the wear on your tires.

3. Matching tread depth: Mismatched tread depth can cause excessive and rapid wear. Tires should be matched within 1/8 of an inch (4/32) on an axle. Love’s Truck Tire Care technicians can check your tread depth and rotate tires as needed to maximize tread life.

4. Ask about retreads: Retreads maximize casing value and have the same tread and capability of a new tire. Retreads are an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution. Love’s Truck Tire Care centers offer Michelin XT-1 Retreads. Talk to a Love’s Truck Tire Care technician to see if retreads are the right solution for you.

5. Valve caps: Federal DOT regulations require drivers to have valve caps on their tires at all times. A loose or faulty valve cap can result in loss of air and tire pressure, which can cause a tire to fail. Flow through valve caps allows you to check, inflate or deflate tires without removing the cap, which saves drivers time. A Love’s Truck Tire Care technician can check your valve caps and tell you more about flow through caps.

Love’s roadside assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Love’s Truck Tire Care dispatch center can send a Love’s certified technician to a driver’s location to help in emergency situations. More information about Love’s Truck Tire Care centers and roadside service can be found at www.loves.com or 1-800-OKLOVES.