Forecast next quarter's tire spend from tread depths
Most fleets find out what tires will cost them the way they find out about the weather: when it arrives. A bad month comes along, several units need tires at once, and the budget takes the hit.
It does not have to work like that, because tire wear is one of the most predictable costs a fleet carries. A tire loses tread at a fairly steady rate for a given unit on a given route. If you know the current tread depth on each position and roughly how fast each unit wears, you know, within a reasonable margin, which tires will reach their pull point in the next three months.
That turns a tire budget from a guess into a schedule.
What it takes
Tread depths on record. Measured at regular intervals, by position, not just "looks fine." The account keeps the record so it is not scattered across drivers' notes.
A pull point agreed in advance. The depth at which a tire comes off, which also protects the casing for retreading.
A quarterly look. Which units cross the line in the next three months, and what that adds up to. The answer goes into the budget and the order plan, and the work gets scheduled rather than discovered.
A fleet doing this also finds its outliers quickly. A unit wearing twice as fast as its siblings on the same route is telling you something, often an alignment problem.
What else gets agreed
Specifications by position, so the same tire goes on wherever a unit stops. Authorization limits, so work does not wait for a callback. How roadside calls are handled across state lines.
What to bring
The unit list with sizes and positions, current tread depths if you have them, the routes, and who authorizes work.
Other stores nearby
Springfield and Springdale, AR also run fleet accounts.
About this store
The Joplin store carries all nine Purcell tire categories, is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and is managed by Travis Reeder.
See the national fleet services page for the other 48 locations.