Tire tread depth chart: how to build one

The tire tread depth chart is a tool to help determine things such as the appropriate tread depth for a tire.

This chart considers factors such as tire width and type, inflation pressure, route driven and minimum tread depth. By using this resource, you can make sure your tires are properly cared for to provide traction and handling in operations, as expected.

However, you may still have questions about what it is and how it works, right?

So, let's dive in:

What is a tire tread depth chart?

A tire tread depth chart is a visualization that specifies the tread depth by the tire's mileage driven. It varies according to the route used and the tire's fire number (the serial number branded on the tire).

In fact, it is not established or “ready-made”, although you will find some templates out there. Even so, this chart is a very useful resource to have in your fleet and to increase control over your operation's tires.

Want to see this in your fleet? Talk to a Prolog specialist

What does this chart look like?

It can be adapted to the manager's purpose. For example, you can collect data and feed a tire replacement forecast chart (for a given model and make). Having a minimum tread depth you want to reach in the fleet, such as 3 mm, you can build something like:

Replacement forecast at 3 mm:

For this tire, the replacement and dispatch for retreading will take place when it has run about 60 thousand kilometers. It is worth remembering that these numbers are only for you to visualize and are not based on real data from a fleet. Depending on the tire, and even on the route, the numbers can be quite different.

That is why you need to know the average rate at which your tires wear and the average mileage they cover in order to build your tire tread depth chart.

In other words, the visualization depends on the control you want to carry out.

You can even create comparison charts for the same tire on different routes, or for different tires on the same route.

Tire X, Route A

Tire Y, Route A

The possibilities are many!

What is the tire tread depth chart for?

The information in the chart can be used to determine whether a tire is safe to use, when it should be replaced, which tire performs best per route, which tire suffers most from road impacts, which yields more per kilometer driven, and so on.

You basically have a guide used to keep track of normal wear through the depth of the grooves in a tire's tread.

This means that, based on previously performed analyses, the chart is generated and lets you keep track of whether the wear of the other tires is as forecast or whether it is happening at an accelerated pace.

What are the benefits?

The chart can influence and facilitate:

• Determining the minimum safe tread depth for a tire to run;
• Understanding when a tire should be replaced;
• Analyses and CPK calculation for the tires;
• Visualizing tire performance by route, to bring savings when choosing new tires;
• Understanding which routes in poor condition can start to be avoided, in pursuit of preserving and extending tire use.

How to use the tire tread depth chart?

To use your tool, you must, at the same time, be carrying out your fleet's tire management. That is, inspecting and noting down tread depth data at least once a month.

This is even obvious: if you want to use the tire tread depth chart, you need to keep track of tread depth, right?

That said, there is no mystery in using the chart. Once built, it will be at your disposal to look at and see whether the tires in use in the fleet are performing as expected.

In addition, it helps you present results and support your decisions before the company's board.

Is there a better way to keep track of tread depth?

Today, relying on technology is increasingly seen as the best alternative. Task automation and fast, effective data reading are a great advantage.

As you may have noticed, there are many factors to consider when it comes to tire tread depth: the type of terrain you will be driving on, the weight of your vehicle and even the weather in which the trip takes place and the tire pressure set.

That is why it is useful to have a visualization that indicates which tread depth is best for your needs. Also, there are different templates for different types of vehicles and terrain.

The work to create your own charts and graphs is long and complex.

So, using a system that delivers the necessary information with minimal manual work is quite attractive. And that is exactly what Prolog's tire management solution offers. Check out and get to know our complete system.