Whether you’re a business that operates a fleet of company vehicles or a tire shop owner serving individual customers, it’s important to understand proper tire balancing and inflation. We’ve covered wheel balancing on a previous piece here on the RubberInk blog. Today we’ll be discussing why proper tire inflation and correct inflation procedures are so crucial.

Why Correct Tire Inflation Matters

On the road, properly inflated tires make a big difference. In the tire shop, properly inflating tires is also crucial.

 

Preventing Blowouts

Improperly inflated tires -- whether over-inflated or under-inflated-- have a higher chance of blowouts, putting the vehicle riding on them and every other vehicle on the road nearby at risk.
 

Correctly inflated tires are also essential for ensuring optimum traction and stability. Overinflated tires have a smaller contact patch touching the road, which leads to a corresponding loss of traction.
 

On large vehicles like commercial semi trucks, underinflated tires overheating can lead to fires or blowouts that scatter dangerous debris over the road and cause chain-reaction accidents.

 

Efficiency

Proper tire inflation allows tires to perform the way they were designed to. They help to maximize vehicle fuel economy and range, which is an especially important concern for fleets.
 

Each vehicle manufacturer has a specific tire pressure for each make and model. This tire pressure was specifically designated for each vehicle to achieve proper traction, handling, ride comfort, and safety.
 

This improved efficiency isn’t just good for vehicle owners, it’s good for the planet. Increased tire lifespan means less tire rubber waste on roadways and in landfills.

 

Technician Safety

Overinflated tires can potentially explode with enough force to seriously injure a nearby technician. With larger truck tires, the danger is correspondingly greater. According to the Tire Industry Association, an 11-by-22-inch truck tire inflated to 100 psi has enough potential energy stored inside it to hurl a bowling ball three-quarters of a mile. Correct inflation procedures are a must for ensuring the safety of technicians and anyone else in the vicinity.

Haltec offers Digital Inflation Solutions that allow fleets to preprogram inflation procedures, helping to reduce human error and improve safety. With over 300 variations--including mobile units and wheel-mounted systems--Haltec can also help design inflation stations tailored to your specific needs. All Made in the USA. 

 

Tire Inflation Procedures and Training

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published guidelines for safe tire inflation (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.177). The Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have also made regulations governing tire servicing for fleets. Tire shop managers and owners should make sure they are familiar with these regulations.
 

We can’t cover all of the procedures from the various regulations here, but we can share a few fundamentals:
 

• Inflating a tire that’s severely low carries more risk of a blowout. If a tire is severely underinflated, there’s often a reason for it. Tires should always be thoroughly inspected before inflation to ensure that they are not damaged. Inflating a tire with compromised structural integrity isn’t just a waste of time, it’s an unnecessary safety risk.
   
• Technicians should always use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as eyewear and steel-toed boots while inflating tires.

 

• For truck tires or other tires with high pressure ratings, using tire cages is an absolute must. Tire cages contain tire fragments that can become dangerous high-speed projectiles if a blowout occurs.
   
• OSHA standards state that technicians inflating tires for trucks, tractors, and trailers should use an extension hose with a clip-on chuck so that they can stay farther away from the expanding tire. It’s important to note that these guidelines date back over 40 years. Modern remote inflation devices make it much easier for tire technicians to stay a safe distance from a tire as it expands.
   

Tire shop owners and managers have a responsibility under OSHA regulations to ensure that all their employees are adequately trained in tire inflation safety, and to see that safety policies are enforced without convenient but risky “shortcuts.” You can’t take it for granted that a technician understands and follows proper safety protocols just because their resume makes it seem like they have a lot of experience.

The TIA offers training classes for both those new to the industry and experienced tire technicians. Rubber-Inc is proud to be a sponsor for the TIA’s 2025 automotive tire service certification course, and you can get $100 off the cost of the course when you use our form here.

 

Rubber-Inc: Your Tire Shop Supplies and Training Partner

Keeping tires correctly inflated and handling inflation jobs the correct way makes vehicles more efficient and makes everyone safer, on the road and in the shop. Rubber-Inc offers all the equipment and supplies you need for safe and accurate tire inflation on customer or fleet vehicles. Browse our extensive inventory, and don’t hesitate to reach out to talk with us about how we can help your business.