Are 18-Wheeler Trucks are Driving Too Fast for Their Tires?

Increased speed limits in many states are likely causing commercial truck tires to fail at highway speeds.

18-wheeler trucks deliver goods to millions of American consumers across the US, and play a pivotal role in our economy. That being said, these commercial trucks pose a very real threat to other passenger vehicles when something goes wrong.
Most 18-wheeler truck tires are simply not designed to travel more than 75 mph, yet fourteen U.S. states now have truck speed limits of 75 mph, 80 mph, and in some parts of Texas, even 85 mph. Simply put, when truck drivers drive faster than their tires are designed for, they put all other drivers at risk.
There have been an increasing number of reported 18-wheeler accidents caused by tires delaminating or catastrophically failing at highway speeds recently, and the NHTSA is now looking to address the issue by recommending that all large trucks be fitted with regulators to help enforce a maximum speed of 75 mph.

Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) survey.

The NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigation recently conducted a survey of auto haulers, where they weighed individual steer axle tires and measured inflation pressures. A stunning fifty-five percent of the auto haulers surveyed had an overloaded tire, and 60 percent of truck drivers admitted that they didn’t know the tires’ proper inflation pressures.