Productivity gains in getting a load delivered sooner are often offset by increased wear on tires and other components. Congress lifted the 65 mph ceiling in 1996 and permitted states to set their own speeds on certain stretches of highway. In 1996, in anticipation of the speed limit increases, The Maintenance Council looked at truck components it thought would be affected by faster highway speeds. Now, follow-up studies three years later have shown that greater speeds can cost a fleet big dollars. A study of tires on several truck fleets measured wear performance, resistance to irregular wear and casing durability.
Faster speeds build up heat in the tire, causing the casing to break down sooner.
Tires contribution to rolling resistance decreases in relation to other factors, such as air resistance and energy losses from on-board equipment. For the full story, see the April 5 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today .