This is particularly troubling given that MacAllister Machinery reported that inflation even 20% below the correct level can lead to casing fatigue, which can lead to a zipper rupture or failure. And business-wise, it’s a general rule of thumb that 10% underinflation costs 1% in fuel economy, cutting into fleet profits.
On the upside, improving tire violation rates is simple to do with proper pre-trip and weekly inspections, which should include checking inflation and tread wear. Additionally, fleets have plenty of tire pressure monitoring sensors (TPMS) and automatic tire inflation systems (ATIS) to help them better manage their tires, including the TruSensor S58R TPMS kit by Ranger, the Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS) from Pressure Systems International, and Hendrickson‘s TIREMAAX.
Other violations
However, tire violations weren’t the only frequent face at the top of the International Roadcheck list. Once again, brake systems were the top issue for trucks, with 3,304 OOS brake system violations, which made up almost a quarter of all vehicle OOS violations. While 2024’s International Roadcheck didn’t feature a ‘Brake Systems’ category in its top five violations, it did feature an ‘Other Brake Violations’ category, which was the third-most-common violation.
This year, the third-most common violation was also related to brakes, 20% Defective Brakes counting for 2,257 OOS vehicle violations. Combined, Brake Systems and 20% Defective Brakes violations encompassed 41.1% of OOS vehicle violations during International Roadcheck.
