Portland Commercial Fleet Leasing Tire Safety in Winter Weather

Portland is currently getting hammered with rain, causing an ice storm across the city. When this occurs, the majority of residents stay inside to hide from the dangers that lurk on the icy streets. Unfortunately, Portland commercial fleet leasing drivers do not have the same luxury. Rain, snow, or ice, fleet drivers are braving it all. If you are head of a Portland fleet management company, you will want your drivers to stay safe on the roads. The best way to keep everyone safe is by properly training drivers to drive on icy roads and to ensure the tires on their vehicles are good to drive over ice. While you may not have much control over how a fleet driver drives, you do have control over the safety of their tires. This is how you should test tires before sending drivers out to brace the icy winter storms.

Winter Tires

The most obvious thing to do is to purchase winter tires. These tires are specially made to be driven on icy roads with little to no problems. However, Portland fleet maintenance can become costly if a Portland fleet company decides to switch out all 4 to 18 tires with snow tires- and that is just for one fleet truck! While this may be a smart option for companies with less fleet maintenance, it is not cost effective for bigger companies.

Tire Wear

Assuming the tires on the company’s fleet have been properly maintained (properly aligned and rotated), the tire tread should be fine to roll over ice. Well maintained tire treads are better at gripping the road, thus gripping ice better. If you are unsure if the tires are good to drive through the snow, try this test: Take a penny between your thumb and index finger. Put the top of Lincoln’s head into one of the tire’s treads. If any part of Lincoln’s head is hidden by the tire, you are good to go. If you see any area above Lincoln’s head, the tire is unsafe to drive on.

Tire Pressure

Keeping tabs on the tire pressure of Portland fleet vehicles is important for safety, and for saving money on gas and new tires. Proper tire pressure keeps the tires wearing evenly while driving which increases the overall grip of the tires on the road. When the temperatures drop outside, tires lose pressure. Encourage your Portland fleet drivers to check tire pressure when they stop for gas, and always test tire pressures before sending drivers out on the road.

Even when an ice storm is not hitting Portland, we still encourage these safe tips to keep the roads and drivers safe in any weather. Being a proactive Portland fleet leasing company saves everyone time, money, and possibly their lives. For more information on maintaining your Portland fleet, contact us at (800) 482-9498.

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