In Canada, commercial truckers are being incentivized for cutting their fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions.

Owner/operators and trucking companies there that are working toward greener highways can earn rebates of as much as $2,500 per tractor or trailer.  Improvements that help reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gasses include technologies and add-ons that help with tire issues, engine idling and drag resistance. For instance, some of the allowable improvements include low-rolling-resistance tires, automatic tire-inflation devices, side skirts, front fairings, and anti-idling technologies, according to the Manitoba GrEEn (Economically and Environmentally Efficient) Trucking Program.

Manitoba GrEEn Trucking is a four-year-old program created as a joint initiative by Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, The Manitoba Trucking Association and the University of Manitoba’s Transport Institute.

Participants can earn rebates of up to 25% of their improvements, with a $2,500 cap per tractor or trailer, the group said. Last year’s payout was nearly a quarter million dollars, based on improvements and upgrades worth about $13 million, according to the MTA.

What do you think about the program? Would it work here in the US?

Nitrogen versus air in tires

Does the cost of filling your tires with nitrogen outweigh the benefits? Probably not.

Lots of experts (and plenty of people who are selling nitrogen) make consistent and valid points about the benefits of filling your tires with nitrogen instead of regular old (and generally free) air.

The pros:

• While air is about 78% nitrogen, it also contains oxygen – as much as 21% -- and water vapor.  And the water in oxygen helps contribute to “oxidative aging” in tires that can negatively impact tire life. Water inside your tires can corrode aluminum rims or rust steel rims.
• Tires for big rigs cost about $480 when you factor in two retreads. The average life span for a truck tire is about 270,000 miles. Using nitrogen instead of air reportedly helps the casings from failing prematurely and allows for multiple retreads. One source says by using oxygen, the tire life can be extended as much as 25%. That means your tires could take you as much as 330,000 miles for a savings of about $120 per tire.
• When it comes to nitrogen, size matters. Here’s why: nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules. That means tires leak less of the gas over time. Therefore, tires filled with nitrogen tend to retain their pressure levels better and longer than those filled with regular air.
• Nitrogen heats up more slowly than air, which means your tires are running cooler. Not only does that help with wear and tear, it also helps lower your risks of having a high-speed blowout during hot weather.
• One fleet test in Canada showed that tires filled with nitrogen helped with fuel economy – improving it by 3.3% as well as substantial improvements in tread life mentioned above.

The cons:
• If you fill with nitrogen, you should never “top off” with air.  By adding regular air, you’d lose most of the benefits of nearly-pure nitrogen because the oxygen molecules contain water vapor and because the oxygen molecules are smaller which means they can leak more easily.
• Nitrogen is more difficult to find than ordinary air.
• Nitrogen is more expensive than air. Some service stations or tire dealers charge as much as $15 for car tires filled with nitrogen.  Filling truck tires will certainly cost more.

So what do you think? Share your thoughts or experiences with nitrogen-filled tires here:

Without our wheels, none of us is going to get very far.  And because so many of us base our living around driving, keeping our tires in top shape is a very important consideration.

The key to saving wear and tear on these expensive necessities is keeping them properly inflated.  Most tires are stamped with the proper pounds per square inch (PSI) limits right on them.  Additionally, your truck manufacturer offers specifications on the proper PSI based on the weight of the loads you are hauling.
But in every case, properly inflating your tires for the vehicle application, vehicle loading and driving conditions will help keep you safer by maximizing traction, improving vehicle handling, improving your fuel economy and helping maintain tire life.

There is such a thing as too much air:

• Overinflating your tires may help improve your fuel economy to a degree because it reduces rolling resistance.
• Overinflated tires do not fare as well on bumps as normally-inflated tires do. They can damage more easily while also giving you a much bumpier ride.
• If you overinflate the tires beyond their maximum pressure ratings you are courting trouble. The tire may bulge out at the treads. This creates a dangerous situation that increases the wear on the center of the tire and reduced your contact with the road.
Too little air is no good, too:
• Just as overinflating is bad, under-inflating is probably more common and also not good for your tires.  Too little air pressure for your load means your tires have more rolling resistance because they are making too much contact with the road. That’s a killer for fuel economy.
• Hot, hot, hot! Keeping your tires under-inflated causes the sidewalls to flex more. That pushes up tire temperature which can lead to blowouts or other tire failures.
• When your rig is carrying heavy loads, under-inflated tires are not carrying their share of the weight. If you notice changes in your steering, braking or alignment, check your tires – inflating them properly may be a quick and easy fix.
• If you’re cost conscious, you care about tire life. Under-inflated tires wear out faster – think in percentages: 10% less tire life for every 10% of under-inflation.  

Know when to change out tires:

• With a typical truck tire lasting for 270,000 miles or more, it’s also important to know when to change them. Older tires take more effort to maintain. Because rubber become more porous with age, older tires tend to leak more air than newer tires. When you get tired of constantly checking and filling leaky old tires, it might be time to replace them.
(Note: see related blog content on the pros and cons of filling your tires with nitrogen instead of air).
(Note: see related blog content on tire pressure.)
Got any tire maintenance tips to share? Add them here: