Truck Tyres

There are many Indian tyre brands in the market, that are also global market leaders in this segment. Companies such as MRF, Apollo, Continental, Michelin, Balakrishna, etc are all renowned makers of truck tyres and they always compete with each other to get the highest rating. In terms of availability, and affordability, which are the two prime factors influencing the Indian market, MRF tyres are the king of the road. Other brands like Apollo and Michelin also have a very big market share in India.

The typical lifespan of a truck tyre, when driven the way it should, ranges from 25000 to 30000 km. Truck tyres are very heavy-duty tyres and are expected to be used roughly. Even if the tyres have not been used for 25000 kilometres, they only have a lifespan of 10 years. Even if the distance has not been covered, the truck tyres must be changed. This is because truck tyres are made out of rubber, and beyond 10 years, the rubber will degrade rapidly. Trucks carry a huge amount of load, and any mishap during the transport or use period can lead to severe financial loss along with human loss. Therefore, truck tyres must be changed every ten years, at least. 

Needless to say, the truck tyres are indeed very heavy. A Single truck tyre can range from as low as 35 kilograms to as high as 85 kilograms. Everything depends on the radius of the tyre and the axle used. 

Actually, one can also ask why trucks and buses have multiple tyres on same axle, or why are trucks or buses multi axle. We see trucks with 14 wheels, 18 wheels, and even more, and each wheel is quite large and wide. The answer is actually very simple. The idea is to reduce the pressure on the tyres and the road. Remember, in our lessons of Physics, we defined pressure as the ratio of force per unit area. Given the load on the truck, the force is quite huge. Therefore, by having wide truck tyres, we increase the surface area to reduce the pressure. The truck and motorbus have bigger tyres in accordance with the adage "greater area, less pressure," which states that as area increases, pressure decreases and as a result, less force is required to control the vehicle.