TIPS TO MONITOR TIRE TEMPERATURE
Regular monitoring is your best defense against overheated equipment tires and the risks that come with it. Here are some of the best ways to monitor tire temp on the jobsite:
• Know the recommended and maximum safe temperatures for your tires. If it’ s too hot outside or the tires heat up, stop operating until it cools down and the tires return to the recommended temperature.
• Invest in tire pressure monitoring systems( TPMS) that keep tabs on temperature along with pressure. While TPMS detect loss of inflation and can warn you when tire pressure reaches critical levels, they aren’ t a replacement for regular tire pressure checks with a gauge. Caterpillar recommends inspecting tires and testing pressure daily, along with using onboard TPMS to test pressure on an ongoing basis.
• Make it part of daily maintenance checks. While performing routine checks, use an infrared thermometer to test tire temperatures, and do it throughout the day.
• Train your operators. Whether they’ re driving fleet vehicles, off-road commercial equipment, earth movers, mining equipment, construction vehicles or any heavy machinery with tires, all drivers and operators should understand tire temperature monitoring and know how to interpret TPMS data. If numbers get too high, they should know how to respond to those alerts according to company policy.
• Log data and revisit it regularly. Record tire conditions, including temperature and pressure. This will help you understand how your vehicles and their tires respond to the environment so you can avoid problems before they start.
August 2024 • www. thepartsconnection. org • 25