Imagine your fleet of forklifts tirelessly moving goods throughout your warehouse every day. While these workhorses efficiently transport loads, have you considered the components that bear the brunt of constant wear—the tires? If not, you may be overlooking a significant cost control opportunity.
Forklift tires are far more complex than simply being "black, round, and able to roll." These critical consumables require regular maintenance and attention. Neglecting tire care can lead to reduced operational efficiency and increased safety risks. According to Kristian Rendtorff, fleet manager at Associated (one of Raymond Corporation's largest dealers), "Tires are among the highest maintenance cost components on forklifts, typically accounting for 30% of fleet maintenance expenses." Implementing a comprehensive tire maintenance program is therefore essential for controlling costs and improving productivity.
Tire Selection: The Foundation of Maintenance
Effective tire maintenance begins with proper selection. Experts emphasize that tire maintenance ultimately ensures optimal forklift performance in the workplace. "If a forklift doesn't have the right tires, it either won't operate properly or won't stop properly," explains Tyler Nations, customer manager at Thombert.
Manufacturers offer various material and design options:
- Material choices: Primarily rubber or polyurethane, with multiple compound variations including custom formulations for specific applications. Standard rubber tires suit most general warehouse use, while cold storage applications often require special rubber compounds for improved traction. Food and pharmaceutical industries typically need non-marking tires, eliminating standard carbon-black rubber options.
- Design variations: Rubber tires come as solid/cushion or pneumatic types, while polyurethane tires are exclusively solid. Rubber tires mainly serve internal combustion (IC) forklifts, whereas polyurethane tires are designed for electric narrow-aisle forklifts and electric pallet jacks. Traction requirements further differentiate options between smooth and treaded tires.
Tires also serve a frequently overlooked function—cushioning both the forklift and its load. This involves tradeoffs: pneumatic tires offer excellent cushioning but are vulnerable to punctures from floor debris, while solid/cushion tires generate heat during prolonged operation, reducing their cushioning capacity. Performance varies significantly between rubber and polyurethane tires depending on specific applications and compound selections.
"The best way to select tires is to buy the best tire for the job without regard to upfront cost," advises Jim Caruso, business development manager at Trelleborg Wheel Systems. "Often, selecting a premium tire that meets the application proves more cost-effective."
The Enemies of Tire Longevity: Heat, Wear, and Misuse
Several factors can prematurely shorten tire lifespan:
- Heat generation: The primary adversary according to Caruso. All tire types generate heat during acceleration, deceleration, and operation. Polyurethane tires can fail through hysteresis (material liquefaction in the tread) when overheated, while rubber tires develop stress cracks under excessive heat.
- Abrasion resistance: Dependent on proper compound selection, floor debris, and operator habits. Debris can cut tires or remove large chunks, while aggressive driving creates flat spots from abrupt starts/stops.
- Improper inflation: Particularly critical for pneumatic tires, which require correct pressure levels to maximize lifespan.
- Operational patterns: Continuous circular driving (similar to NASCAR patterns) causes coning—gradual tapering that distorts tire roundness. Consistently moving loads near maximum capacity or at high speeds accelerates wear, while frequently transporting excessively light loads can stress steering tires.
Matt Futrelle, commercial specialty tire sales and marketing manager at Continental Tire the Americas, notes that predicting tire lifespan proves impossible—usage typically ranges between 4,000-7,000 hours depending on conditions. The key is "getting as much use out of a tire as possible without it being torn, cut, ripped, or ruptured."
Monitoring Tire Condition: Prevention Over Repair
"Every company with a forklift fleet needs a maintenance program to manage tire performance and costs," stresses Rendtorff. "Unfortunately, too many companies perform poorly here, compromising service levels and their bottom line." While current telematics systems monitor numerous forklift parameters through 70+ sensors, tire condition tracking remains conspicuously absent.
Tire suppliers are developing solutions:
- Trelleborg offers manual tread wear gauges and tires with colored wear indicators
- Continental provides digital handheld tools monitoring pressure/heat, plus the ContiConnect platform for fleet-wide remote monitoring
These tools form just one component of an effective tire program. Rendtorff emphasizes integrating tire management into overall forklift maintenance systems, which can reduce tire costs by 20%. The process begins with collecting accurate maintenance cost data—an area where most companies have incomplete or inconsistent records.
Companies should initiate pilot programs strictly monitoring small truck groups before expanding to entire fleets or multiple locations. Both forklift dealers and tire suppliers can provide valuable partnership in developing these programs. As Futrelle observes, "Most people want a turnkey program. If you have to think about tires, you've probably chosen the wrong supplier."
While forklift tires may appear simple—black, round, and able to roll—their maintenance proves far more complex. Proper attention offers tangible financial benefits through cost reduction, operational efficiency improvements, and fewer unexpected disruptions. The potential rewards merit serious consideration for any fleet manager.