CDL drivers...opinion on tire

Would you leave the yard with this steer tire?

  • Yep

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Nope

    Votes: 19 95.0%

  • Other...explain

    Votes: 1 5.0%
  • Total voters
    20
BigWaylon

BigWaylon

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Would you drive a truck (local route) if this was one of your steer tires? And yes, that's four different spots on the same tire.

I spotted it that way last week. Showed up tonight and first assignment was to go pick truck up at tire shop. Imagine my surprise when they fixed two rear tires, replaced one rear tire, and left that one on the front.

I sent a pretty stern email saying I'd drive it tonight, but never again. The guy that makes the decisions to replace stuff said (in an email reply):

Believe it can be operated carefully, but need to replace at first opportunity.

And the owner of the company replied to that one with a response that included:

I agree not necessarily a safety hazard on the inspection or notification but the longer this runs the more water can fail the steel belt?

Am I over-reacting? I'm assuming Mr DOT wouldn't be too happy with the condition of that one.

IMG_9813.JPG IMG_9814.JPG IMG_9815.JPG IMG_9816.JPG
 
IT WILL FAIL.
AND YES THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

Just allow it to be identified in a post accident inspection for CDL drivers and a decent LEO will have no problem addressing that. The condition of that tire would be will documented on my pre-trip inspection sheet.

I saw in your post that you noticed it last week. Did you report the condition of that tire then?
 
I was stopped by SCDOT this morning at the State line for a "Random Safety Check ". I and the leased truck passed with flying colors, but when the carrier numbers were ran through the computer I was grounded for 2 hours!

That said, I definitely wouldn't run that tire unless to a mechanic.
 
Oh yeah.......some sage advice for the truck owners:

The cost of replacing that tire immediately is nothing compared to a potential Workers Comp claim and/or possible court action brought on by a personal injury attorney.

The stats are not in their favor.
 
DCGallim said:
On further inspection of the pics it almost looks like a recap with the way it split. You might want to stop where you're at and have someone come to you.
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I just knew that you would take that second look. :D
 
Made it back to shop. Done for the night. Hope to see it fixed when I show back up next week.

dubnali said:
ETA: "first opportunity" would have been while it was already at the tire shop. The shop should have never let it leave like that.
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They were confused as to why it wasn't being fixed. When I saw it, I called the guy from the tire shop to ask why I was picking up a truck from a tire shop that still needed a tire. He said it was because he wasn't paying to have it replaced this week, but would handle it next week. "First opportunity" should've been last week when I pointed it out. Even if they didn't have the $650 at the time (the amount the quote was for I got today), we have 3 identical trucks in the yard down for maintenance...just swap a tire/wheel assembly over to this one until you can fix it.

Brangus said:
I saw in your post that you noticed it last week. Did you report the condition of that tire then?
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I wrote it up on my pre-trip last week. I also went and got the guy that makes those decisions and walked it out there to look at it. He seemed more concerned about what was causing it and how to prevent that than he was in having it replaced. Then I wrote it up on the post-trip.

...and it'll be on my pre and post reports tonight. :D
 
The fact that this thread exists, with pics, on the internet, means don't drive that truck until the tire is replaced.

Insurance doesn't cover punitive damages when the plaintiff can prove to a jury there was prior knowledge by the driver and operator of the defect that caused a crash involving injuries or death. Just my .02 worth.

It doesn't matter if you reported it to superiors or filed a report on the condition of the tire. If you drive the truck, or someone else does, with knowledge of the problem, you and the company can be subject to some terrible circumstances. Actually, a report or pre-trip inspection form makes it worse if the truck is operated and an accident with injuries or fatalities occur as a result of the recorded defect.
 
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Qball said:
The fact that this thread exists, with pics, on the internet, means don't drive that truck until the tire is replaced.

Insurance doesn't cover punitive damages when the plaintiff can prove to a jury there was prior knowledge by the driver and operator of the defect that caused a crash involving injuries or death. Just my .02 worth.

It doesn't matter if you reported it to superiors or filed a report on the condition of the tire. If you drive the truck, or someone else does, with knowledge of the problem, you and the company can be subject to some terrible circumstances. Actually, a report or pre-trip inspection form makes it worse if the truck is operated and an accident with injuries or fatalities occur as a result of the recorded defect.
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Thank you for filling in all the gaps here Dave...............there is just so much fail here waiting to happen.
 
Not acceptable at all. That would have to be replaced before I left the yard. You do a pre trip, and thus would be responsible if you kill / hurt someone if you loose control over something you could have prevented.

An employer couldn't even make me drive that thing, it's your license / lively hood and life on the line.
 
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DCGallim said:
I would drive that to the tire shop and no further. And I'm the king of "make it work for now". I'm very fortunate for as long as I've been driving to never have a steer go. But @wsfiredude popped one on 85 and the tire only had one very small blemish. That picture shows an ol shit moment waiting to happen.
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Someone would have to come to me with that one. If I had to move it would be slow in a low gear to get out the way or just move it somewhere to get it fixed on the yard. I wouldn't get up any speed, surely not in traffic or an interstate. Definitely no hills / mountains! Best to stay off the highway with that tire!
 
Multiple opportunities for both civil and criminal court action if that tire fails and results in injury and/or death.
 
fuelpiper said:
I'm not 100% sure I wouldn't call the Highway Patrol, request an on site inspection, and show them the emails. They're playing with your life and the lives of other drivers. Oh....and you need a new boss.
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That was discussed with the guys at the tire shop. I was tempted.

I did tell them in my email tonight that looking back I should've refused to drive it last week.

To be clear, I'm not saying something still wouldn't happen with it, but this is on a street sweeper. 90% of my night is spent at less than 10MPH. And the truck tops out at 53MPH. Those conditions are the only reason I left the yard last week and left the tire shop this week.

But...it won't happen again, with this truck or any of their other ones.
 
Scsmith42 said:
That's different. I would drive it at 10mph, but not at 50
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Yep. I had to get to my three jobsites, but once there it's pretty uneventful work. 70 miles total over 6 hours.
 
BigWaylon said:
That was discussed with the guys at the tire shop. I was tempted.

I did tell them in my email tonight that looking back I should've refused to drive it last week.

To be clear, I'm not saying something still wouldn't happen with it, but this is on a street sweeper. 90% of my night is spent at less than 10MPH. And the truck tops out at 53MPH. Those conditions are the only reason I left the yard last week and left the tire shop this week.

But...it won't happen again, with this truck or any of their other ones.
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Yea that is a little different but still...they need to fix that crap.
 
Mine went at 70mph...right front.

Fortunately, I was running slick; no can or compactor on the truck, but I was about 4 minutes out from picking up a compactor when the tire decided it'd had enough of the intact life.

Once I got it to the shoulder, I put out the triangles, walked back to the truck, opened the passenger side, sat sideways in the seat with the door open and smoked a couple cigarettes while I thought about what just happened.

Called @DCGallim and while I waited on the cavalry to arrive, I picked foam/seat upholstery outta my ass.
 
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That tire damage must have made it difficult to steer with it out of balance, I don't have a CDL.
Company must not care about their drivers to let you leave like that, agree swap the tire from another truck.
Less expensive to replace the tire then hire a liability attorney.
Company has insurance and will continue on while the professional driver ends up in prison.
 
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SPST said:
You don't need to have a CDL to see that that tire needs to be replaced.
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Coltdefender1911 said:
+1 that's what I was thinking.
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The question was phrased that way because (at least to me) there's a difference in what I decide to do with a personal vehicle, where I can swap the tire before I move it...vs showing up for work and being assigned a vehicle with a tire in that condition.

That's it...not anything to say having a CDL qualifies you to make decisions any better.
 
BigWaylon said:
The question was phrased that way because (at least to me) there's a difference in what I decide to do with a personal vehicle, where I can swap the tire before I move it...vs showing up for work and being assigned a vehicle with a tire in that condition.

That's it...not anything to say having a CDL qualifies you to make decisions any better.
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Not what I was implying, didn't mean to make it sound like that. If I had a CDL I damn sure wouldn't have put that tire in service. I wouldn't have on my personal car, let alone a vehicle requiring a CDL!
 
Oh my FHWA inspector days, doubt you're interstate, but 49 CFR 393.75 Tires. (a) No motor vehicle shall be operated on any tire that— (1) Has body ply or belt material exposed through the tread or sidewall, (2) Has any tread or sidewall separation, (3) Is flat or has an audible leak, or (4) Has a cut to the extent that the ply or belt material is exposed...

Best guess is someone is rubbing curbs often or storm drains occasionally if maintenance guy wants to know cause.

We buy a lot of tires, but our 11R22.5 steers are no where near $650 mounted, or 315s are another story.

If you drive a commercial vehicle get this book: https://www.jjkeller.com/shop/Produ...ext&creative=13378376498&device=c&matchtype=p
 
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I wouldn't even turn the damn key on the truck. I have a boss, but I'm in charge of that truck. Fix the tire or come get me. Period. My boss does not have to deal with the inspection, the delay, or the court visit and I'm not going to do it. I've run some things that probably should have set under circumstances that I was confident wouldn't be a problem. But no way I'd run that. Not even sure I'd drive it to the tire shop, they could come to me.

And I second that looks like a re cap, which would also be illegal on a steer tire.
 
chiefjason said:
And I second that looks like a re cap, which would also be illegal on a steer tire.
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Since it keeps getting stated.
Doesn't look like a cap to me. Also only illegal on buses. Regrooved has a weight limit for steer usage, regrooved =/= recapped.
Not recommended and never seen anyone do it, but using a recap on a steer axle is not illegal.
It's further on in 393.75 and a favorite "trick" question in RMA/TIA classes, was also brought up at the driver training school I attended and in orientation at the company I drove for even though they did not do it.
 
That one does look like a recap to me... you ok wit dat?
 
Leave with it. It won't matter what it looks like when you get where your going because it will be on someone else's truck/car.

ETA: I wouldn't risk that on the back because the company will pay 10k and grumble if I have to pay 10k lose my CDL my job my wife ill do more than grumble...... Unless I spent 11 days out and I'm only a few hours from home then ill bring her in on sparks and flames.
 
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I would have told my boss to eat a large sausage and then informed him that unless he was willing to come drive the death trap tire truck while I drove his personal truck it wouldn't be happening. I had a boss once ask me to drive on tires like that. After saying no he threatened to fire me. That didnt work out in his favor and that truck was towed to the shop and got 1800 worth of tires that same day.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
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