When should you replace truck tyres?
The right time to replace a tyre therefore depends on its overall condition. Tread depth is important, but the wear pattern, damage and service history must also be taken into account.
What should you look out for, and when is it no longer advisable to continue driving?
This article was written by Maurits Bloem
Maurits is Business Unit Manager Truck Tyres at Heuver Banden and has many years of experience in the tyre industry. With his experience in sales and team management, he is responsible for commercial results and for managing the truck tyre department. His focus is on growth and building strong, long-term customer relationships.
When does a truck tyre need replacing?
Sometimes it is clear that a truck tyre is no longer suitable for use. The tread has reached the legal minimum, the carcass is visibly damaged or the tyre has a bulge.
However, not every tyre reaches such an obvious point. A tyre may, for example, wear unevenly, repeatedly lose pressure or have sustained damage after a heavy impact. There may still be sufficient tread remaining, but further inspection is then necessary.
When assessing a tyre, therefore consider four factors: tread depth, wear pattern, damage and age in combination with the tyre’s service history. It is this combination that provides a better picture than measuring tread depth alone.
What does tread depth tell you about when a tyre should be replaced?
For heavy commercial vehicles in the Netherlands, the main grooves around the entire circumference of the tread must be at least 1.6 mm deep. Tyres must also have no bulges and the carcass must not be visible.
This 1.6 mm is the legal minimum. It does not mean that every truck tyre should automatically be used until it reaches that limit. Heuver recommends considering replacement at around 3 to 4 mm. This should be regarded as practical Heuver advice and not as the legal rejection limit.
This distinction is important. As the tread wears, the available grip also changes. How a tyre performs in practice also depends on factors including the road surface, weather conditions, the tyre itself and its application. ETRTO therefore emphasises that the condition of a tyre should be assessed more broadly than on the basis of a fixed tread depth alone.
Measure the tread at several points and assess the wear pattern at the same time. Differences between various areas of the tread can indicate an underlying problem.
Which types of damage require immediate inspection?
Tread depth tells you little about damage to the rest of the tyre. A truck tyre with sufficient tread can therefore still be unsuitable for continued use.
Inspect the tread, shoulder and sidewall for cracks, cuts, deformation and bulges. If you would like to know more about the function and vulnerable areas of these parts of the tyre, read the Heuver article on the tread, shoulder and sidewalls of truck tyres.
Under Dutch APK requirements, the carcass must not be visible and a tyre must not have any bulges. Other types of damage cannot always be fully assessed from the outside. ETRTO therefore recommends professional inspection following, for example, a severe impact with a kerb, a pothole or other significant damage. This applies even when there is little visible damage on the outside.
Extra caution is required with a tyre that has been punctured or has been driven with significantly insufficient pressure. With too little pressure, the tyre deforms more and the internal structure may be damaged. ETRTO advises that a tyre which has been driven flat or severely underinflated should not simply be reinflated. It should first be removed and inspected before deciding whether further use is possible. After a puncture, the tyre should also be checked for consequential damage.
Does a tyre repeatedly lose pressure? Do not simply continue topping it up with air. First determine where the pressure loss is coming from and whether the tyre can still be used safely.
How important is the age of a truck tyre?
When considering the age of truck tyres, people often look for a specific number of years after which replacement becomes necessary. There is no general technical replacement age that applies to every tyre.
How long a tyre remains usable depends on the conditions during storage and use. Load, speed, tyre pressure and damage all play a role. Because these conditions differ depending on the vehicle and application, the usable service life cannot be expressed accurately in advance as a fixed number of years. ETRTO does indicate that, with older tyres, the likelihood of finding a reason for replacement during an inspection increases.
The production date is therefore useful information, but it is not a replacement recommendation in itself. With an older tyre, pay particular attention to cracks, deformation, unusual wear and other signs that its condition is deteriorating.
The service history also matters. A tyre with a known history of loading and maintenance can be assessed more accurately than a tyre where it is unknown whether, for example, it has been driven for an extended period with insufficient pressure.
If the tyre or vehicle manufacturer specifies additional requirements for a particular tyre or application, always follow them.
Heuver advice: assess the tyre before it reaches the limit
A good tyre inspection starts with tread depth, but it does not end there. Look at how the tyre is wearing, inspect the tread, shoulder and sidewall, and respond to recurring pressure loss. With older tyres, also take their age and service history into account.
For heavy commercial vehicles in the Netherlands, the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6 mm. Heuver recommends considering replacement at around 3 to 4 mm. This allows you to plan a tyre change in good time rather than waiting until the legal minimum has been reached.
With a bulge, visible carcass, a severe impact or possible internal damage, it is not advisable to wait for further wear. Have the tyre professionally assessed first. The same applies if a tyre has been driven flat or with significantly insufficient pressure.
If you notice unusual wear, also investigate the underlying cause. Heuver can advise you on matters including the correct tyre pressure, tyre choice and axle position for the relevant application.
If replacement is necessary, the next question is which tyre best suits the work carried out by the truck. Long-haul, regional transport and construction transport each place different demands on a truck tyre. Read more about which truck tyre fits your application.
The replacement point is therefore not determined by a single figure. The overall technical condition of the truck tyre determines whether it is safe to continue using it.