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Have you heard the well-known shotgun blast while traveling on the highway? I picked up a load of green hardwood lumber in Livingston, Texas one afternoon in August and proceeded to return to Houston. The sun was hot and I was glad to be back inside the air-conditioned cab.

It was dark by the time I was southbound on the North Freeway into Houston. Suddenly, I heard a blast from a shotgun and thought someone was firing near me. A vibration started immediately and I knew that something was wrong.

I pulled over to investigate and found that two tires on one side of my front driver's had blown. The wheels had dropped to the pavement and were cutting a groove in the asphalt. Fortunately no one was riding right beside me at the time it blew or they would have been hit by pieces of flying rubber. Touching the other tires, I determined that they were extremely hot. I went to call for assistance. What should have been an early evening delivery turned into an early morning tire repair.

Tire care is an important responsibility of the driver. Some tips to follow:

1. Check all tires for flaws, cuts, and separations during your pre-trip inspection. Check the previous inspection report for problems other drivers might have had with the tires.
2. With heavy loads, check your tires for heat build-up periodically en-route. Try to schedule running after dark when the temperature is cooler. Be aware that a tire with 100 psi can blow with enough pressure to send a 16-pound bowling ball more than 5,000 feet in the air.
3. If you have to remove the tire, release the air and the stem core before removing the wheel from the axle. Be careful of jagged edges as the steel cords will cut your hands. Be sure the air pressure on the spare tire that you are mounting is equal to the tire it is mounted beside.

 

A Trucker's Wife is a column that is written by a different guest writer each month. If you would like to share your thoughts and feelings with other homefront spouses email us at imatruckerswife@layover.com .