Despite truckers declaring that they would have no trouble with the Tire Retread Information Bureau's (TRIB) "Pump 'Em, Don't Thump 'Em" Tire Contest, when it came time to demonstrate their skill, all contestants fell short.


Sponsored by the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI, the TRIB "Pump 'Em, Don't Thump 'Em" Tire Contest was held at TRIB's booth at the 2006 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. The objective of the contest was to allow holders of valid Commercial Driver Licenses to test their ability to determine the pre-set inflation pressure of tires by just by giving the tire a good "thump."

Three truck tires on wheels - provided by TRIB member Hankook Tire Co., each inflated to a certain pressure, were staged at the TRIB booth. Contestants got to kick, thump, bang or hit a tire and then report what they believed to be the tire's inflation pressure.

Those coming within +/- 5 psi of the pre-set inflation pressure were to receive a nice prize.
"Not surprisingly, no one came within 5 psi of the air pressure in any of the tires," said Harvey Brodsky, managing director of TRIB, a non-profit, member-supported industry association dedicated to the recycling of tires through retreading and repairing, and to promoting proper tire maintenance for all tires.

"As we demonstrated through our contest, inflation pressure cannot be accurately estimated by kicking or thumping the tire," Brodsky said. "Trying to determine if tires need air by thumping them is as effective as trying to determine if the vehicle's engine needs oil by thumping on the hood."

Proper tire inflation is critical to a truck operator's profitable operation, and more than two million operators have turned to our Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI to assure accurate, automatic trailer tire inflation," said Mike Pennington of ArvinMeritor.

More than 25 truckers participated in the TRIB contest, with dozens more trying their luck after the contest officially closed. The range of guesses for inflation pressures went from 5 to 150 psi. The actual tire inflation pressures were: 52, 66 and 82 psi.

A number of truckers - failing to determine inflation pressure by thumping the tire - asserted they could, however, tell which of the three tires was the most inflated and which was the least. Out of the eight who attempted this, only one managed to guess correctly.

The importance of proper tire maintenance is critical to getting the best performance, fuel economy, life and safety out of a tire, while minimizing wear, maximizing retreadability and reducing unexpected downtime, noted Brodsky.

"Air pressure is at the heart of proper tire maintenance," he explained. "It is the air inside the tire that carries the weight of a vehicle, not the tire itself. The air supports the weight, absorbs shock and keeps the tire in its proper shape so it may perform as designed. The tire simply serves as the container for the air."

For additional information, contact TRIB at (888) 473-8732 or by e-mail at info@retread.org.