Hello, my name is Austin, Fleet Supervisor at Lyawere, but you can call me the “car tires guru.” We all know tires. Those things that we drive on. You are right. What else are the functions of tires? Let’s take a little fun quiz.
(1) Below are the functions of tires; check all that apply:
To support a vehicle’s weight
To transmit accelerating and braking force to the ground
To change/maintain direction
To absorb shock from the road surface
(2) Should you do tire rotation in your vehicle? Yes or No
(3) Can the tire pressure relate to the wear and tear of the tire? Yes or No
Let’s take it a bit further before you find out how you did on the quiz. It is good to understand the functions of tires, but unless you’re a mechanic or something, how does this knowledge help us specifically? As my young sister says, “Mimi ninachojua ni kuendesha gari, hayo mengine sijui” (all I know is to drive a car, the rest I don’t know). Of course, she is right, like you are right if you’re thinking the same, but what if I told you that tires affect your driving and driving experience?
Okay, let’s bring it home. Have you been racking up a higher bill than usual at the pump? It probably has to do with your tires. They keep your car moving smoothly, but if worn down unevenly or not appropriately balanced (including the wrong tire size), you could be wasting lots of money on fuel.
Tires in good condition will improve the comfort of your ride and let you drive with some quietness. Yup, quietness. The screeching is a sign that maybe it’s time for a change. Apart from comfort and ease, good tires ensure your safety.Unbalanced tires will affect the handling of your vehicle, potentially leading to costly repairs. Regular tire rotations help extend the life of your tires and even out tire wear by allowing each tire to serve in as many of the vehicle’s wheel positions as possible. It is advantageous when all four tires wear out together because you can get a new set of tires without being forced to buy pairs. Have your tires rotated every six months or 5,000 Km, and the tire balance checked annually. Thoroughly inspect your tires at least once a month and ensure the right amount of air pressure is always present.
At Lyawere Company, tires are a big deal. Trucking and logistics companies know that tires represent a big chunk of our marginal costs. And that’s no surprise: an 18-wheeler means 18 tires, which means a lot of expenses per truck! So, when it comes to optimizing operational costs and revenue, keeping tires under our radar seems obvious. Maintaining commercial tires correctly increases their potential mileage and helps reduce fuel consumption. That’s why as a Fleet Supervisor, I keep a close eye on key data points – such as the tire pressure, tread depth, rotation, and balancing of their tires, to name a few. Take care of your tires, and they will take care of you.
Bonus question: why are tires black?
By Austin – TLL (Today Lyawere Learns) Reflection Lyawere Group
December, 2022
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Quiz Answers:
(1) Below are the functions of tires; check all that apply: (ticks on all of them)
To support a vehicle’s weight
To transmit accelerating and braking force to the ground
To change/maintain direction
To absorb shock from the road surface
(2) Should you do tire rotation in your vehicle? Yes
(3) Can the tire pressure relate to the wear and tear of the tire? Yes
Bonus question: why are tires black?
Tires are black because the rubber used to make them contains a black carbon material called carbon black, which is also used as a black pigment for printing ink, toner, mascara, etc. Carbon black is added to rubber to increase its strength.
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