Work trucks transport crews and tools to job sites that require land preparation, such as excavation, grading or soil compaction. And to increase productivity and profits, some work trucks include additional storage, racks, and cranes. With that, work trucks have high-grade towing packages and utility beds with dumping capabilities. The best tires for work truck are those that last longer with more lengthy thread life than your average tires as they need to withstand consistent abuse, not only from the heavy load they carry but also for covering a good chunk of miles travelling on an uneven terrain. Some best tires for work trucks include Michelin Defender LTX M/S, Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015, Cooper Discoverer HTP, General Grabber HTS 60, Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar, etc.
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Work trucks that keep the vehicle on the road are the best. In this article, we'll go over a few of them. Work truck tires are subjected to far more abuse than personal vehicle tires, so they must be chosen with greater care.
Best Tires for Work Truck: The Basics of Work Truck
So we could understand what it takes to get the best tires for work truck, let us first get to know the basics of a work truck. Work truck is classified as a vehicle with a GVWR of 3 856 kg/8,500 pounds – 4 536 kg/10,000 pounds, excluding medium-duty passenger vehicles as defined in subsection 1(1) of the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations. This category may include a truck-mounted crane, maintenance vehicle, or garbage truck. Some of the best work trucks include the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van, Ram 1500 Tradesman Pickup, Ford Transit Cargo Van, Ford Transit Connect Compact Van, Chevrolet Silverado Pickup, Ram ProMaster Cargo Van, Nissan Titan XD and Chevrolet Express Cargo Van to name a few.
In so many cases, the construction of a work truck begins with one of several standard chassis produced by the car manufacturers. Because the chassis often includes a cab, the work truck manufacturer mounts its equipment to the vehicle frame. Depending on the equipment, it may have its own power source, or it may use a power takeoff to drive a hydraulic pump or compressor.
Light trucks are by far the most commonly and widely used type of vehicle in the United States. They are tough and adaptable, and serve a big role in the American economy. Naturally, people adore them for their versatility, massive hauling and towing capacities, and, more recently, the excellent comfort and luxury amenities they provide.
For many Americans, a light truck will be their only vehicle. This means that people drive a lot of miles in their trucks, putting a lot of strain on certain parts. We're specifically talking about tires, which you should replace on a regular basis if you want your truck to perform at its best.
The problem is that light truck tires can be costly, especially in larger dimensions and higher load ratings. And, without a doubt, not every tire performs at the highest level – some are superior to others. The light-truck tires should deliver excellent performance on any surface you encounter.
Furthermore, they should be tough, especially if you frequently haul or tow with your truck. Today's drivers also expect excellent tire durability – no one wants to replace their tires every 2-3 years. Since most owners use their work trucks on a daily basis comfort is a must.
Best Tires for Work Truck: What Are They?
As previously stated, work trucks should have excellent tire durability, the ability to carry and pull heavy loads, and the ability to traverse roads that are unpaved. The problem is that no single tire on the market possesses all of them. There will always be a middle ground. For example, a tire may be excellent for highway driving but inadequate for off-road activities. You can't have the best of both worlds when it comes to tires, but fortunately, there are still tires that will work well for work trucks. Here are the best tires for work truck:
- Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tagge as the most polished light truck tire, the Michelin Defender LTX M/S has topnotch on-road performance with its tough construction. Either off road or on the main roads it will provide you excellent stability and handling, and traction both on wet and dry surfaces that you can depend on. If you are in need of hauling and towing performance this is also one of the best tires for work truck you can count on.
Furthermore, the Defender LTX is smooth over bumps and quiet on the highway. It also has a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty and a cut-and-chip resistant casing for driving on hard packed surfaces. But this tire is not the tire you can depend on during winter as it doesn’t work so well over ice, slush or deep snow.
- Continental TerrainContact H/T
If you want something you can use during winter then you can consider this as one of the best tires for work truck. This is ideal for work trucks that are often driven on the highway or in town, plus it has mild off-road duty. Highway-terrain tires are a hybrid of passenger and all-terrain tires. These are reinforced for light off-road durability while maintaining road comfort, drivability, and gas mileage.
An all-season tire, this tire has a long tread life designed for on-road use. It has the best dry and wet traction in its class, as evidenced by their dynamic test results. TerrainContact H/T had by far the shortest braking distances in its class, and it also performed admirably in lateral cornering in both dry and wet conditions.
- Cooper Discoverer HTP
It might not be as good as the Defender LTX but when the price is taken into account, the Discoverer HTP may even be a better option. On the road, this tire provides safe traction and braking on both dry and wet surfaces. Furthermore, we discovered that the tire's highway stability is excellent, both on dry and wet surfaces, and that it is comfortable and quiet. Despite the lower price, you still get a great 65,000-mile treadwear warranty and a tough casing. On the other hand, there isn't much traction on snow.
The Geolandar A/T G015 can easily tread through grass, mud, sand, or rocks without much effort and is perfectly capable of handling day-to-day duties on the main roads with ease. It is on-road biased in its design with moderate off-roading capability.
- Grabber X3
If you want to find the best tires for work truck that can handle muddy terrain then the Grabber X3 is the one for you. Many objective and subjective tests show that it performs admirably in gravel, mud, and sand. The General Grabber X3 is one of the most highly regarded mud-terrain tires on the market today. It is made of three plies for off-road toughness and puncture resistance.
Grabber X3 has an industry-leading performance thanks to its self-cleaning tread design, which includes staggered blocks for mud grip, chamfered edges for stone ejection, sidewall lugs for rock grip, and rim protection edge. It can even be used at very low air pressures to improve traction on sand, rocks, or snow.
The Grabber X3 has sipes for better traction in wet and snow conditions. It even has a severe snow service rating of 3PMSF. However, its on-road performance is nowhere near that of a highway or all-terrain tire. It performs worse in dynamics tests than other similar tires and, despite the multi-pitch tread pattern, is a relatively loud tire on the road. Fortunately, these concerns end where the roads do.
- Grabber HTS 60
The Grabber HTS 60 is to be considered one of the best tires for work truck especially for the budget conscious and you don’t even have to worry that performance is being sacrificed. The HTS 60 operates safely on both dry and wet surfaces, with or without a trailer. In the rain, heavy-duty versions are slightly worse, but still completely safe. However, snow traction could be improved. In terms of comfort, the ride is plush, and there isn't much noise on the highway. Furthermore, the tire is extremely tough and durable – it can even withstand some off-road abuse.
- Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar
This Goodyear tire is one of the most durable tires available. Its sidewalls and tread are reinforced with two layers of DuPontTM Kevlar®, which is also used in ballistic gear to stop bullets. This makes the Wrangler extremely resistant to cuts, chips, and punctures caused by any sharp nails or objects on the job site.
In terms of drivability, the Wrangler offers plenty of traction both on and off the road, in both dry and wet conditions. In both on- and off-road conditions, the ride quality is well-balanced and reasonably comfortable. Its 3PMSF rating indicates that it is also suitable for severe snow service during the winter.
You can run your fleet with confidence thanks to Goodyear's 60,000 mile / 6-year limited warranty on Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar. It comes in sizes ranging from 15″ to 20″ and is available in both passenger and light truck configurations. Based on the Uniform Tire Quality Grading system, the Wrangler AT Adventure with Kevlar received above-average ratings and a treadwear rating of 640. Temperature and traction grades were both “B.”
- Continental CrossContact LX25 with EcoPlus+ Technology
The CrossContact LX25 is quiet on the highway and provides comfort even when driving over bumps. Continental also used low-rolling-resistance technology to improve fuel economy, which is always a plus. It also handles and brakes well in the rain.
- Falken Ziex S/TZ05
This light truck tire is tagged as Best All-Season Street or Sport Tires for the light truck category. Has responsive handling, excellent steering, and excellent grip. This tire not only has all of the characteristics of a true high-performance tire, but it is also reasonably priced. Owners are very pleased with the handling and braking, both on dry and wet surfaces. The Falken Ziex is exceptionally quiet for a Street/Sport tire, which is greatly appreciated. However, snow traction could be improved further.
How long do tires last on a work truck?
Tires should never be left on a truck for more than six years, even though the average lifespan of a semi-truck tire is three to six years if kept in good condition. If you go by mileage, many experts in general would recommend that you replace your work truck tires or truck tires in general every 25,000 to 75,000 miles.
Extreme weather, terrain surface, weight of loads carried, acceleration and hard braking, to name a few factors, will all have an impact on how long you can go without changing your tires.
It is critical to understand that if one part of your tire becomes compromised, you must replace the tire for your own and other people's safety on the road. Because uneven treads can cause your truck to ride rougher, experts recommend replacing your tires in sets.
Choosing tires for your passenger vehicle or light truck is a simple process. All you have to do is read some online reviews, find a tire that meets your driving needs, and buy a set. Work trucks, on the other hand, are a completely different story.
When compared to passenger-car tires, companies or business owners seek other qualities in tires. For example, they are more interested in longevity, toughness, and rolling resistance than in grip and traction, and then in traction, grip, braking, and stability. In other words, these tires will be used for heavy-duty applications requiring resilience and endurance.
The simple truth is that businesses want tires that will save them money. As a result, buying cheap work truck tires isn't always the most dependable option. These tires may be less expensive at first, but they may not last as long as premium tires. Some more expensive tires may prove to be more cost-effective in the long run. I hope this article was useful.