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.)
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