Tire management in an in-house tire workshop: 6 phases

Many fleets with an in-house tire workshop already have some form of tire control. The problem is that this control often exists in outdated spreadsheets, the tire technician's notebooks or the memory of those who have been in the operation longest.

It goes without saying that it is only a matter of time before this creates chaos in your operation.

Implementing a tire management system also involves more than replacing a spreadsheet with software. You need to structure processes, define responsibilities, train the team and create a routine that generates reliable data.

Now you will see:

• Before you start: operational prerequisites
• The playbook: 6 phases for putting tire management into operation
• What to expect in the first few months
• Common mistakes that block implementation

Before you start: operational prerequisites

Before choosing any tool, the operation needs to meet some minimum conditions. Without them, the system may be installed, but it is unlikely to generate results.

The first condition is having an operating in-house tire workshop with at least one dedicated tire technician. It does not need a sophisticated setup, but there must be someone whose routine includes regularly mounting, removing, inflating and inspecting tires.

The second is having someone responsible for tire management, or at least someone who will take on that role. It may be the fleet supervisor, maintenance coordinator or an analyst. The point is that someone needs to own the data and the decisions that will come out of the system.

Third comes management commitment. Implementing a tire control system changes the tire workshop's routine, the repair workshop's routine and, to some extent, the drivers' routine. After all, if leadership does not buy into the idea and sustain the process in the first weeks, the team quickly returns to the old model.

With these three pillars in place, you can move forward.

The playbook: 6 phases for putting tire management into operation

Phase 1 — Diagnosis and inventory counts

It all starts with knowing exactly what you have. The initial step is a complete survey of the operation's tires: how many are installed on vehicles, how many are in inventory (new and used), how many are being refurbished and how many should already have been discarded.

Each tire needs individual identification, the well-known fire-number branding, which brands a serial number on the tire. Without it, there is no traceability. In other words, the fire number allows you to track each tire's complete history throughout its useful life: where it ran, how many kilometers it traveled, how many times it was retreaded and why it was discarded.

This is also the time to map each tire's current state: tread depth, position on the vehicle, make, model, size, life stage (original, first retread, second retread) and general condition. It is manual work, but it is the foundation of everything that follows.

So, if you already have a tire management process in your fleet, you will probably find it easier and faster to complete this step.

Phase 2 — Defining processes and responsibilities

Once the inventory count is complete, the next step is defining who does what, how often and following which workflow. This is the phase when the operation stops relying on individual habits and starts functioning through processes.

The main decisions include who will carry out inspections (tread depth and pressure measurements), how often (weekly, every two weeks, by mileage), who analyzes the data generated, who approves tire relocations such as rotation, sending tires for retreading or disposal, and how the workflow for opening and closing work orders operates.

Here, it is important to be realistic about the team's capacity. For example, if you define a weekly inspection for a fleet of 200 vehicles, it will very probably be unfeasible with only one tire technician. The process needs to fit the operation, not the other way around.

Phase 3 — Choosing and configuring the system

With processes defined, choosing the tool becomes more objective. You already know what you need the system to do, so you can clearly assess whether it meets those needs.

Some important criteria when choosing a tire control system are:

• Does it allow each tire to be traced individually, from inventory to disposal?
• Does it support recording field inspections (ideally on a mobile device)?
• Does it generate indicators such as CPK (cost per kilometer), retreading rate and premature disposal rate?
• Does it allow parameters to be set by vehicle type, axle and route profile?

The system's initial configuration also takes time. This is when inventory data is entered, parameters are defined (acceptable tread depth ranges, ideal pressures by position, mileage alerts) and the fleet structure is registered by vehicles, routes and branches.

Phase 4 — Team training

Important as it is, this phase is often underestimated. The system may be excellent, but if the tire technician does not know how to record an inspection correctly or the driver does not understand why an irregularity needs to be reported, the data entered into the system is not worth much (or may never be entered at all).

For this reason, training needs to be segmented by role. The tire technician needs to learn how to operate the inspection equipment, record data in the system and follow the tire relocation workflow.

You also need to know how to interpret indicators, identify deviations and make decisions based on data. Beyond that, drivers need to understand the basics: what to look for, what to report and why it matters.

It is important to stress that training does not need to be long. It just needs to be clear, practical and supported during the first weeks.

Phase 5 — Assisted operation and adjustments

The first weeks with the system running are the most critical, because this is when the processes defined in phase 2 meet operational reality and almost always need adjustments.

This is the fine-tuning phase. Is the defined inspection frequency feasible? Is the tire technician managing to record data within the normal workflow? Is data being entered consistently? Is there resistance from the team?

At this point, questions, recording failures and even doubts about the need for the new process are normal. The role of the person responsible for tire management is to stay closely involved, correct deviations quickly and reinforce with the team why each step matters.

If this phase is handled carefully, the process takes hold. If neglected, the team returns to the previous model within a few weeks.

Phase 6 — Reading the first indicators

Once the system is running with consistent data, the numbers begin to tell the story of your operation. Three indicators are especially relevant at this early stage.

CPK (cost per kilometer traveled per tire) is the central tire management indicator. It consolidates the total investment in each tire (purchase, retreading and services) divided by the mileage the tire actually traveled. It is therefore the number that allows objective comparison of makes, suppliers, positions and route profiles.

The retreading rate shows how many tires in the operation are being used for a second or third life. A low rate may indicate maintenance problems, improper use or poor supplier selection. Each recovered casing is a new tire you do not need to buy.

The premature disposal rate shows how many tires are leaving the operation before reaching their expected useful life and, more importantly, why. Each disposal reason is therefore a clue to where the operation is losing money (for example, damage from running flat, cuts, irregular wear or mechanical problems).

What to expect in the first few months

Implementing a tire management system does not generate results overnight, and setting this expectation correctly is just as important as executing each phase well.

In the first weeks, the focus is on data quality. The team is learning, the process is being adjusted and records may still be inconsistent. It is a phase of investing time and patience.

Once data becomes consistent, indicators begin to reveal patterns that were previously invisible: which vehicle positions wear faster, which routes are tougher on tires, which makes really deliver the best value for money rather than just the lowest purchase price.

It is also common to encounter team resistance during this period. A tire technician who has always worked their own way may see the system as supervision rather than a tool. Drivers may think reporting on tires is “more bureaucracy”. This is to be expected.

The turning point comes when the team begins to see that the system makes work easier rather than harder.

The first visible gains generally appear in reduced premature disposal and an increased retreading rate. These results directly affect tire costs and help sustain the process with the team and leadership.

At Prolog, returns usually appear in the first few months and, in many cases, in the first quarter, provided the operation correctly follows the implementation playbook.

Common mistakes that block implementation

Some mistakes frequently occur in operations that try to implement tire management but cannot sustain the process.

The first is implementing the tool without defining processes first. The system is a means, not an end. If the operation does not know who inspects tires, how often and what to do with the data, the software becomes a repository of disconnected information that nobody consults.

The second is not involving the tire technician from the start, since they are at the front line of the operation, handling tires every day. If they do not understand the process, do not trust the system or have not been trained, data quality and your management are compromised.

The third is wanting results on day 1. Tire management is a cumulative process, so returns come from data accumulated over time, consistent records and decisions based on real information. Demanding CPK in the first month is like planting and expecting to harvest in the same week.

The fourth is treating implementation as an IT project, which it is not. It is actually a management project that uses technology. The difference is that success does not depend on configuring the system correctly, but on changing how the tire workshop team operates day to day.

Want to understand how this process would work in your operation? Talk to the Prolog team and see how to structure your fleet's tire management.