Concern has been expressed about the safety of super single tires. The 17-inch wide flat surface looks fragile. What if a tire blows at speed on a two-lane highway?
Most truckers say that if a tire on a dual-equipped rig blows, the mate will instantly have to carry the load of both tires. The mate will generally blow right away also, so it’s a wash.
But here’s the kicker. Most tires fail on the highway because of improper inflation. Checking the pressure on those inside tires is a tough job, even in the best of conditions, says Geoff Wood, senior vice-president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance.
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“Most of the problems come from uneven tire pressures. When you do away with that inside tire, you only have one tire to check, and that’s a lot easier,” he said.
“Checking those inside tires, you’re dealing with, what is it today, minus 31 or something. That’s no fun. Doing your daily truck inspection, it’s a lot easier to deal with singles. The safety argument about single tires is really not an issue.”
