Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Health & Safety Concerns All Transport
A vast percentage of truck drivers suffer from back troubles and stomach troubles. The financial costs affect everyone. The pain and suffering is much more personal. Most troubles are caused by poor ride characteristics and high levels of vibration.
Short wheelbase vehicles are the worst offenders. Tip trucks, and bob tail prime movers are often unbelievably rough, especially when empty. Kick, kick, kick all day long. Empty four wheel drive trucks are just as bad. The constant kicking from the super hard rear tyres hammers the back and neck for long periods, guaranteed to damage something over the years.
Most empty vehicles amplify every bump, corrugation, or stone creating a constant barrage of vibration, which is proven to damage the many vital internal organs.
Incorrect use of the first component of every suspension is to be blamed; the tyres. Tyre pressure is meant to be adjusted to suit the load, but who does. Typical tyre pressures when used on an empty truck can be 400% over inflated. We all know that a basket ball without air pressure won’t bounce, don’t we? Imagine a tyre 3 or 4 times the correct pressure. Every bump, every stone, every corrugation will be, and is, amplified at least 10 times, and can be up to 90 times worse than it should be. Every bump causes the back tyres to bounce, kicking the driver in the back, hundreds of times every kilometre. All because the tyre pressure is way excessive. Not only that, but the tyres, the suspension, and the truck are wearing out much faster too. Central Tyre Inflation makes tyre pressure adjustment easy, creating a much better riding truck, one that handles much better, and stops better too. A bouncing tyre has no traction. In fact, not only is the driver healthier, safer, and in better control, but the truck will be making more money.
What does an accident cost? Would shorter braking distances help? Would a better handling truck help? Of course. An over inflated tyre will have far less rubber gripping the ground. In fact, on many empty trucks, less than one third of the correct tyre contact patch is at work! That is when it is on the ground in between bouncing, that we all know about when we panic stop. The correct tyre pressures, especially on the drive tyres, will significantly shorten braking distances, and eliminate almost all jack knifes!!!!! Can we afford to run one high pressure any more?
Now that Central Tyre Inflation is affordable, there is no excuse for damaging drivers any more. In reality, Central Tyre Inflation is an investment, just like good tyres, and good trucks. Every tyre manufacture says the same thing; for instance, Michelin says “Tyres must be inflated to a pressure relevant to the load, speed, and condition of use.” From their latest tyre life chart, a 20% over inflated tyre causes a 21% loss in tyre life! How much does 200% cost you?
Tyre pressures must be optimized for each load, speed, and condition. No one can afford to throw money away like we have for the last 100 years. Costs are too high, lives too important, and profits too slim. Central Tyre Inflation should be on every truck. Ring AIR CTI for more information on 03 5127 6128..
Over inflated tyres, like those on almost every unloaded truck, can not conform to terra firma, can not stop or handle like it should, and will hammer the driver, the truck, and the roadway, to death.
Short wheelbase vehicles are the worst offenders. Tip trucks, and bob tail prime movers are often unbelievably rough, especially when empty. Kick, kick, kick all day long. Empty four wheel drive trucks are just as bad. The constant kicking from the super hard rear tyres hammers the back and neck for long periods, guaranteed to damage something over the years.
Most empty vehicles amplify every bump, corrugation, or stone creating a constant barrage of vibration, which is proven to damage the many vital internal organs.
Incorrect use of the first component of every suspension is to be blamed; the tyres. Tyre pressure is meant to be adjusted to suit the load, but who does. Typical tyre pressures when used on an empty truck can be 400% over inflated. We all know that a basket ball without air pressure won’t bounce, don’t we? Imagine a tyre 3 or 4 times the correct pressure. Every bump, every stone, every corrugation will be, and is, amplified at least 10 times, and can be up to 90 times worse than it should be. Every bump causes the back tyres to bounce, kicking the driver in the back, hundreds of times every kilometre. All because the tyre pressure is way excessive. Not only that, but the tyres, the suspension, and the truck are wearing out much faster too. Central Tyre Inflation makes tyre pressure adjustment easy, creating a much better riding truck, one that handles much better, and stops better too. A bouncing tyre has no traction. In fact, not only is the driver healthier, safer, and in better control, but the truck will be making more money.
What does an accident cost? Would shorter braking distances help? Would a better handling truck help? Of course. An over inflated tyre will have far less rubber gripping the ground. In fact, on many empty trucks, less than one third of the correct tyre contact patch is at work! That is when it is on the ground in between bouncing, that we all know about when we panic stop. The correct tyre pressures, especially on the drive tyres, will significantly shorten braking distances, and eliminate almost all jack knifes!!!!! Can we afford to run one high pressure any more?
Now that Central Tyre Inflation is affordable, there is no excuse for damaging drivers any more. In reality, Central Tyre Inflation is an investment, just like good tyres, and good trucks. Every tyre manufacture says the same thing; for instance, Michelin says “Tyres must be inflated to a pressure relevant to the load, speed, and condition of use.” From their latest tyre life chart, a 20% over inflated tyre causes a 21% loss in tyre life! How much does 200% cost you?
Tyre pressures must be optimized for each load, speed, and condition. No one can afford to throw money away like we have for the last 100 years. Costs are too high, lives too important, and profits too slim. Central Tyre Inflation should be on every truck. Ring AIR CTI for more information on 03 5127 6128..
Over inflated tyres, like those on almost every unloaded truck, can not conform to terra firma, can not stop or handle like it should, and will hammer the driver, the truck, and the roadway, to death.
