While your tread depth is especially important in the winter months, it’s not just something you should think about when the snow is falling. Blowout-related truck accidents are a reality year-round, and they can be avoided easily by following the set regulations for commercial vehicle tread depths set by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) states in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 393.75 (b) that
“Any tire on the front wheels of a bus, truck, or truck tractor shall have a tread groove pattern depth of at least 4/32 of an inch when measured at any point on a major tread groove. The measurements shall not be made where tie bars, humps, or fillets are located.”
For the sake of both safety and performance, your steers’ tread depth level is crucial. It affects your tires’ ability to grip, provide traction, channel water, and ultimately maintain contact with the road. Overworn tires increase the risk of hydroplaning, especially in winter and spring weather—and can greatly impact your handling and braking ability.
In addition to these safety risks, overworn tires are more likely to overheat and wear irregularly, costing you in the areas of fuel efficiency and premature tire replacement.
For your safety and for the best use of your tires, always remove your tires when they reach 4/32 of an inch according to DOT regulations.
In Part 393.75 (c), it is regulated that
“Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, tires shall have a tread groove pattern depth of at least 2/32 of an inch when measured in a major tread groove. The measurement shall not be made where tie bars, humps or fillets are located.”
This requirement states that all other tires with the exception of steer tires mentioned in paragraph (b), must maintain a tread depth of 2/32 of an inch or more to be in compliance with federal legislation.
(It is important to note that while both of these requirements deal with tread depth, tread depth is not the only factor that should be considered when assessing the condition of your tires and when they should be replaced.)
These regulations specify that your tread depth be “measured in a major tread groove.” The major tread groove referred to is the space between tread ribs on your tire that contain a tread wear indicator bar.
To properly measure your tread depth, place the gauge in this main groove, making sure that it is perpendicular to the tread. To get the most accurate reading, take multiple measurements of the tread depth around the tire’s circumference.
From there, you can assess your tires in comparison with tread depth requirements and determine if tire replacement is needed.
In the same set of regulations, the DOT requires that “every motor carrier and intermodal equipment provider must systematically inspect, repair, and maintain, or cause to be systematically inspected, repaired, and maintained, all motor vehicles and intermodal equipment subject to its control.”
These regular inspections include ensuring that the tires and wheels are in safe and proper operating condition—encompassing not only tread depth but also inflation levels, tire damage, flats, rims, and more. Read on.
To meet these needs, we offer fleet inspections in Byron Center, MI; Zeeland, MI; Greenville, MI; and the Chicagoland area. Our fleet service is known for honesty, speed, and technicians who value our customers. Our knowledgeable employees provide predictable, dependable, complete fleet service including fleet inspections & reporting, rim & wheel refinishing, and tire balancing. In addition, we provide 24-hour emergency service. All of our locations are conveniently located and have drive-through bays for easy, fast, in-and-out service.
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While maintaining proper tread depths on your commercial fleet will certainly keep you from getting a citation, there are more serious reasons to avoid insufficient tread depth on your trucks and trailers. The consequences of neglecting tread depth include:
1. Increased stopping distances, especially on wet or snowy surfaces.
2. Hydroplaning and lack of traction in rain and snow.
3. Higher susceptibility to punctures, blowouts, and tire-related accidents.
4. Losing air pressure faster.
5. Running mismatched duals on your truck, killing your tires and your costs.
6. Your tires being rejected from the retreading process.
Get the most out of your tires by sending them in for retreading by the time (or before) they reach their minimum tread depth. When your tires reach their legal limit, you can extend their life by retreading them. This saves you money on replacing your worn tires—and the cost savings stack up with multiple retread cycles.
Note that certain qualifications can disqualify your tires for retread, including:
1. Insufficient tread depth. For this reason, waiting til the last possible millimeter to remove your tires from service isn’t the best course of action. You should not only be thinking of legal limits, but also preserving tread depth for the sake of retreading.
2. Tire damage. Cuts, punctures, and sidewall damage are a few examples that make a tire unsuitable for retreading. These conditions compromise the integrity of the casing and cannot be retreaded over.
3. Structural damage. Tires that have non-repairable damage (like run-flat tires) are non-retreadable by that very fact.
4. Age. The natural aging process deteriorates the rubber compounds of your tires and may yield them unsuitable for retreading.
As you remove your tires and seek to retread them, consult with your local Wonderland Tire service technicians and our dedicated AcuTread® retread manufacturers. Our tire professionals will be able to give you guidance on the status of your tires and when they should be sent in for retreading.
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