If tire costs give you heartburn, you'll need to be in Orlando in September for the ATA's Technology and Maintenance Council fall meeting.

TMC's S.2 Tire & Wheel Study Group will present a special session on tire and wheel failure analysis to help fleets identify the sources of their tire and wheel problems.

Areas covered in the session will include irregular tread wear, failed tires and retreads, as well as out-of-service wheels and fasteners. A panel of experts will analyze and present the proper way to identify tire and wheel conditions, and provide advice to keep them from occurring in your fleet.

If you're feeling the pinch, you're not alone. According to a 2012 analysis of fleet operating costs by the American Transportation Research Institute, carriers indicated they saw tire cost per mile rise about 20% from 2010 to 2011.

Attendees are invited to bring samples of their tire problems so the expert panel can examine them and make some recommendations.

The Tire Failure and Analysis Technical session takes place Wednesday, September 24 from 11 am – 12:30 pm.

TMC's Fall Meeting takes place Sept. 22-25 at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Click here to download a PDF schedule of the Fall Meeting, including details on all the study group sessions, Technical Sessions and TMC SuperTech Competition schedule.