All delivery vehicles, whether they transport large loads or small items or travel long hauls or short distances, have one thing in common. They must have a reliable, safe, and suitable set of tires. If you work as a delivery driver using your daily driver, your tires are just as important as those on a semi-truck. Not only are quality, well-maintained tires essential for optimal performance and cost saving, but they’re also legally required by Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Quality tires that are appropriate to your vehicle, driving style, commonly driven terrain, and other factors are essential. They will go a long way to ensuring road safety, performance and, of course, longevity—tires are expensive.
You may assume that the best approach is simply to replace your tires with an exact match of the originals, but this isn’t necessarily so. Your needs and circumstances as a transporter are unique; your tires should reflect that. To take the guesswork out of choosing the correct tires for your daily driver (or any other transport vehicle), we’ve compiled this short overview of the various aspects you should consider:
For regular private-use vehicles, general wisdom is that you should replace tires every three or so years. Of course, delivery vehicles tend to accrue a lot more mileage in a year than your average family sedan. So, it’s quite possible that you will have to replace the tires on your daily driver before you reach the three-year mark. We recommend that you use the time period mentioned above as a guideline only. How often you’ll need to replace your tires will depend on a number of factors. If you’re unsure of the age of your tires, look for the DOT code printed on the wall of your tire, usually nearest the rims. You’ll see the letters “DOT” followed by numbers and letters that identify the tire manufacturer, the size, and the week and year when the tire was manufactured. Beyond this, you should inspect your tires regularly. Common signs that your tires are due for replacement include the following:
Start by reading the markings on the walls of your existing tires. This will reveal their size, speed rating, load index, and other details that give you a good point of reference for selecting replacements. Then, in order to decide on the type of tires that will best suit your needs as well as how often to replace them, consider the following:
Most often, car tires get categorized by the season in which they function best. Where relevant, tires may also get classified according to their performance level and intended terrain. Here’s an overview of the various available tire types:
If you are wondering which tire brand is best for your daily driver, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The answer very much depends on your needs and budget. Fortunately, numerous reports on the various tire brands, types, and their ratings are published annually. Including this information in your pre-purchase research will help you to make the best possible decision when replacing the tires on your daily driver. Lastly, don’t forget about the spare you’ll need to ensure that you always have a suitable tire that can get you back on the road quickly when out on deliveries.